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Entitlement
Win a free print copy of this book!
12 days and 16:27:46
10 copies available
Canada only
A novel of money and morality from the New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind
Brooke wants. She isn’t in need, but there are things she wants. A sense of purpose, for instance. She wants to make a difference in the world, to impress her mother along the way, to spend time with friends and secure her independence. Her job assisting an octogenarian billionaire in his quest to give away a vast fortune could help her achieve many of these goals. It may inspire new desires as proximity to wealth turns out to be nothing less than transformative. What is money, really, but a kind of belief?
Taut, unsettling, and alive to the seductive distortions of money, Entitlement is a riveting tale for our new gilded age, a story that confidently considers questions about need and worth, race and privilege, philanthropy and generosity, passion and obsession. It is a provocative, propulsive novel about the American imagination.
Brooke wants. She isn’t in need, but there are things she wants. A sense of purpose, for instance. She wants to make a difference in the world, to impress her mother along the way, to spend time with friends and secure her independence. Her job assisting an octogenarian billionaire in his quest to give away a vast fortune could help her achieve many of these goals. It may inspire new desires as proximity to wealth turns out to be nothing less than transformative. What is money, really, but a kind of belief?
Taut, unsettling, and alive to the seductive distortions of money, Entitlement is a riveting tale for our new gilded age, a story that confidently considers questions about need and worth, race and privilege, philanthropy and generosity, passion and obsession. It is a provocative, propulsive novel about the American imagination.
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 17, 2024
About the author
Rumaan Alam
13 books1,844 followersI'm the author of the novels Rich and Pretty, That Kind of Mother, and Leave the World Behind.
My short fiction has appeared in StoryQuarterly, Crazyhorse, Meridian, and elsewhere. I've also written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, and the New Republic. I studied writing at Oberlin College. Now I live in New York with my husband and two kids.
My short fiction has appeared in StoryQuarterly, Crazyhorse, Meridian, and elsewhere. I've also written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, and the New Republic. I studied writing at Oberlin College. Now I live in New York with my husband and two kids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 6, 2024
The way I read the last two thirds of thus novel through my fingers, cringing!!!!
July 10, 2024
"Entitlement" is hypnotic: a brilliant fever dream of the allure of money and what money means. But this is no ordinary tale of grifters and schemers: it's a story of one woman seduced by the world of philanthropy, who begins to confuse what people need with what she wants -- and the unraveling is catnip for a reader like me. I devoured LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND and devoured this one, too. I love Alam's work for a lot of reasons, but I think a big one is this: he understands well the most eerie, uncomfortable corners of the human psyche and brings them to light. This new novel arrives in September. You'll love it.
August 6, 2024
This is a book about race, class, gender, and privilege, but it's not what you think. It’s an entirely unique story where a woman uses her race, class, gender, and lack of privilege to her advantage.
Discussing our finances is one of the most anxiety-inducing situations. In Entitlement, Rumaan Alam goes there. He Takes the reader to the most uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing situation, money.
We follow a main character who uses her job as a philanthropist and friendship with her boss, an older man, to make it something to her advantage. Her actions kept getting progressively more and more rash and made me wince at several points. Her unearned sense of entitlement makes the reader dislike her but like a train wreck, it's impossible to look away.
This is my 3rd read by Alam and I truly believe his work just keeps getting better. I loved Leave The World Behind (the adaptation is amazing as well) but Entitlement is definitely my new favorite by him. It's been almost a week since I finished the book and it's still living rent-free in my mind.
Entitlement by Rumaan Alam will be available on September 17. A massive thanks to Riverhead Books for the gifted copy!
Discussing our finances is one of the most anxiety-inducing situations. In Entitlement, Rumaan Alam goes there. He Takes the reader to the most uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing situation, money.
We follow a main character who uses her job as a philanthropist and friendship with her boss, an older man, to make it something to her advantage. Her actions kept getting progressively more and more rash and made me wince at several points. Her unearned sense of entitlement makes the reader dislike her but like a train wreck, it's impossible to look away.
This is my 3rd read by Alam and I truly believe his work just keeps getting better. I loved Leave The World Behind (the adaptation is amazing as well) but Entitlement is definitely my new favorite by him. It's been almost a week since I finished the book and it's still living rent-free in my mind.
Entitlement by Rumaan Alam will be available on September 17. A massive thanks to Riverhead Books for the gifted copy!
July 30, 2024
Main theme as title is a bold move, but Alam goes for it and he sinks it so you can't be mad. It's a very focused story, much more like Alam's earlier two novels than his last one. A story of manners and class, privilege and (obviously) entitlement.
Alam gives us an unlikely protagonist, Brooke, a Black woman raised in Manhattan adopted by a single white mother. Brooke doesn't feel like she has enough. She doesn't have a huge salary. She doesn't have a trust fund like her best friend. And this all feels like a much bigger problem when she starts a new job at a nonprofit, a foundation dedicated entirely to giving away one billionaire's money. Money starts to mean something different to Brooke when suddenly she has the power to give millions of dollars to help save oysters. If oysters can have all this money, why can't she?
What Alam is so good at here is showing you how Brooke feels while also quietly making it clear how wrong Brooke is. She is completely incapable of seeing her own privilege. She is also more than willing to use her status as a young, attractive woman to hold the attention of the elderly billionaire if it's going to help her get what she wants. It is, ultimately, Brooke's race that helps her gain the occasional insight, that reminds her of what it's like to live without privilege.
This book had me constantly cringing, saying "Oh no oh no" with every decision Brooke makes. Goes out on a real quick turnaround ending that I quite enjoyed. I don't often think about novels that are so specific, so much about "issues", but Alam does this so smoothly and brilliantly that I wish we could have a lot more of them.
Alam gives us an unlikely protagonist, Brooke, a Black woman raised in Manhattan adopted by a single white mother. Brooke doesn't feel like she has enough. She doesn't have a huge salary. She doesn't have a trust fund like her best friend. And this all feels like a much bigger problem when she starts a new job at a nonprofit, a foundation dedicated entirely to giving away one billionaire's money. Money starts to mean something different to Brooke when suddenly she has the power to give millions of dollars to help save oysters. If oysters can have all this money, why can't she?
What Alam is so good at here is showing you how Brooke feels while also quietly making it clear how wrong Brooke is. She is completely incapable of seeing her own privilege. She is also more than willing to use her status as a young, attractive woman to hold the attention of the elderly billionaire if it's going to help her get what she wants. It is, ultimately, Brooke's race that helps her gain the occasional insight, that reminds her of what it's like to live without privilege.
This book had me constantly cringing, saying "Oh no oh no" with every decision Brooke makes. Goes out on a real quick turnaround ending that I quite enjoyed. I don't often think about novels that are so specific, so much about "issues", but Alam does this so smoothly and brilliantly that I wish we could have a lot more of them.
August 13, 2024
[4.5/5 stars]
"At some point you have to decide what sort of person you want to be."
Brooke is a Black woman who wants to make a difference in the world. When this former teacher starts to work for a billionaire in his quest to give away his fortune, she finds herself immersed in the world of money, desires and entitlement.
Again, Alam is masterful at crafting bold and thought-provoking stories that often make one uncomfortable. Following an unlikable protagonist who is trying to have a life in order through philanthropy while the sense of entitlement takes over her, the story echoes themes of race, privilege, legacy, entitlement, morality and class; and constantly questions the meaning of money, how one can be allured by thinking that money can offer everything.
With polished prose, the novel dives into the core of capitalism and invites one to witness the way wealth can change the world, mostly when wrongly accomplished. I love that Alam's novels have the unparalleled essence of social commentary, which is slow, quiet yet packs a punch. What's the purpose of life? Of rather, of changing the world? Lastly, I thought the ending was brilliant.
Laden with originality, ENTITLEMENT is a character driven novel in which the author steeps one in the unsettling landscape of a dark human motivation. Take my advice and read this book.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Riverhead Books . All opinions are my own ]
"At some point you have to decide what sort of person you want to be."
Brooke is a Black woman who wants to make a difference in the world. When this former teacher starts to work for a billionaire in his quest to give away his fortune, she finds herself immersed in the world of money, desires and entitlement.
Again, Alam is masterful at crafting bold and thought-provoking stories that often make one uncomfortable. Following an unlikable protagonist who is trying to have a life in order through philanthropy while the sense of entitlement takes over her, the story echoes themes of race, privilege, legacy, entitlement, morality and class; and constantly questions the meaning of money, how one can be allured by thinking that money can offer everything.
With polished prose, the novel dives into the core of capitalism and invites one to witness the way wealth can change the world, mostly when wrongly accomplished. I love that Alam's novels have the unparalleled essence of social commentary, which is slow, quiet yet packs a punch. What's the purpose of life? Of rather, of changing the world? Lastly, I thought the ending was brilliant.
Laden with originality, ENTITLEMENT is a character driven novel in which the author steeps one in the unsettling landscape of a dark human motivation. Take my advice and read this book.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Riverhead Books . All opinions are my own ]
July 28, 2024
Brooke, our protagonist, is a Black woman, raised by white parents, and sick of the world’s inequities. She wants to make a difference. But teaching in the inner city wasn’t all she thought it would be. She takes a job as a project coordinator for an octogenarian white billionaire’s charity organization. He wants to give a lot of his money away, and she wants to help, but what is Brooke entitled to herself?
Alam has cemented himself here as a master of quiet tension and the unveiling of human motivation with layers and layers of nuance. Entitlement is an exploration of ambition and if money can ever have anything to do with selflessness. What makes it great is Alam is able to explore these capitalist themes while also exploring race, gender, age, without it ever seeming “too much”. It is seamless and I couldn’t look away. This isn’t a big book in neither length nor action, but I imagine if you loved Leave the World Behind you will find a lot to enjoy here as well.
I’ll be sharing more thoughts closer to its September 17th; this is a book that deserves time to ruminate on, but I couldn’t wait to pick this one up. Thank you so much @riverheadbooks for this copy.
Alam has cemented himself here as a master of quiet tension and the unveiling of human motivation with layers and layers of nuance. Entitlement is an exploration of ambition and if money can ever have anything to do with selflessness. What makes it great is Alam is able to explore these capitalist themes while also exploring race, gender, age, without it ever seeming “too much”. It is seamless and I couldn’t look away. This isn’t a big book in neither length nor action, but I imagine if you loved Leave the World Behind you will find a lot to enjoy here as well.
I’ll be sharing more thoughts closer to its September 17th; this is a book that deserves time to ruminate on, but I couldn’t wait to pick this one up. Thank you so much @riverheadbooks for this copy.
September 3, 2024
Jaw-dropping and dripping with originality.
This book is unbelievably riveting.
Brooke is searching for a step up in this world. After a job interview with a New York billionaire goes surprisingly well, she begins a quest to achieve something, something she believes only money can provide, but what exactly is it?
Asher Jaffey, in his final years, has decided to give away his fortune in an effort to “do something worthy”. He hires Brooke and tasks her with this philanthropic mission. While their complicated relationship deepens, Brooke grapples with her own personal pursuits, creating an unsettling atmosphere where manipulation seems to take over every moment—propelling the plot forward.
There is such a dark and sinister feeling to what is happening. I simply cannot explain how the author creates such intensity. All I could think was “this is not going to end well”. I loved the interactions between Brooke and Mr. Jaffey, specifically as they examine art. There is a compelling comparison to their shared love for art as is their shared desire for meaning. I also found the fear of the Subway pricker, a crazed individual randomly attacking passengers on subways with a syringe, a very creative subplot.
I felt such a physical response to this book. I was practically holding my breath in those final pages. There is no way I could see that ending coming. Yet I felt a bit unsatisfied with it… awaiting that moment of reckoning for both characters was almost unbearable. I think this will make a great choice to read along with others as everyone will likely have completely different takeaways from the story and how it ends.
Overall, I’m not sure what category I would put Entitlement into, but the title in a way says it all. It definitely makes you think about privilege, power, wealth, humanity, and the pursuit of legacy. It is original, thrilling and thought-provoking. It will be a fantastic book for discussion, one of my favorite books of 2024, and a book I will never forget.
Thank you @riverhead for my gifted copy.
This book is unbelievably riveting.
Brooke is searching for a step up in this world. After a job interview with a New York billionaire goes surprisingly well, she begins a quest to achieve something, something she believes only money can provide, but what exactly is it?
Asher Jaffey, in his final years, has decided to give away his fortune in an effort to “do something worthy”. He hires Brooke and tasks her with this philanthropic mission. While their complicated relationship deepens, Brooke grapples with her own personal pursuits, creating an unsettling atmosphere where manipulation seems to take over every moment—propelling the plot forward.
There is such a dark and sinister feeling to what is happening. I simply cannot explain how the author creates such intensity. All I could think was “this is not going to end well”. I loved the interactions between Brooke and Mr. Jaffey, specifically as they examine art. There is a compelling comparison to their shared love for art as is their shared desire for meaning. I also found the fear of the Subway pricker, a crazed individual randomly attacking passengers on subways with a syringe, a very creative subplot.
I felt such a physical response to this book. I was practically holding my breath in those final pages. There is no way I could see that ending coming. Yet I felt a bit unsatisfied with it… awaiting that moment of reckoning for both characters was almost unbearable. I think this will make a great choice to read along with others as everyone will likely have completely different takeaways from the story and how it ends.
Overall, I’m not sure what category I would put Entitlement into, but the title in a way says it all. It definitely makes you think about privilege, power, wealth, humanity, and the pursuit of legacy. It is original, thrilling and thought-provoking. It will be a fantastic book for discussion, one of my favorite books of 2024, and a book I will never forget.
Thank you @riverhead for my gifted copy.
June 12, 2024
Rumaan Alan, author of the wildly popular book "Leave the World Behind," follows up with a fantastic, slow burn of a book that is more character driven than plot driven. Brooke Orr, a woman of color who started out as a teacher is enticed to begin working for a billionaire who wants to give his fortune away. As time passes she begins to take on his view of the world i.e., that she is somehow entitled to the good things in life. Brooke slowly starts to rationalize the entitlement and makes decisions that will have readers gritting their teeth about. One wants the world for Brooke, but at what cost? A delicious book that doesn't waste a word.
* I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
* I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
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August 27, 2024Truly don't know what to make of this. Unsettling, prickly, verbose. Written in a staccato style that prevents you from ever sinking into the prose, I had two huge WTF moments with this that are really shaking me to my core.
Deliberately provocative, I think. People will be talking, that's for sure.
Deliberately provocative, I think. People will be talking, that's for sure.
August 2, 2024
Really disappointed by this. I think Alam should be a screenwriter, because he’s able to come up with big flashy storylines predicated on relevant societal ills, but seems completely disinterested in doing the work to establish compelling and/or realistic characters. Brooke felt like a haze, like neither a black nor white woman. She did whatever the plot needed her to and that made it very difficult to get absorbed in what she was doing; it all felt so forced. The other characters were all confused as well. There are issues that arise that don’t go anywhere, and another reviewer commented on how the “staccato” of his sentences doesn’t work and I completely agree. Openings of chapters were particularly awkward. Descriptions were general, and nothing truly “stuck” for me. This is a two star not a one star because I am interested in non-profit work and class and those topics made me interested in the Concept of what I thought this would be. I think the execution was pretty bad but I’m sure this will still sell because Obama Era America.
September 2, 2024
I really struggled to understand the main character’s behavior throughout and also found the way the book characterized characters’ class position deeply weird. Various characters are called “middle class” in a seemingly non-ironic or satirical way for example, but they are obviously VERY rich. In a book about money this is… a problem.
August 29, 2024
4.5/5 ARC and ALC gifted by the publisher
I loved this brilliant examination of privilege following a white billionaire trying to give away his fortune and his Black assistant (program manager?) with a middle-class upbringing. The aspects of a meaningful life/career are fascinating. Is helping a rich dude give away money more meaningful than an interior designer helping said rich guy pick out furniture?
I also love how the author explores privilege. Not just wealth, race, and the intersection of both, but also one’s youth and attractiveness. The questions of what’s considered “ethical” to use one’s privilege to make money is another theme I loved reading about in ENTITLEMENT.
Lastly, the author raises a very intriguing question about becoming wealthy. Does being rich make one selfish? Or is being self centered a prerequisite of amassing wealth?
Highly recommend reading this book with a group. There will be so much to discuss!!
I loved this brilliant examination of privilege following a white billionaire trying to give away his fortune and his Black assistant (program manager?) with a middle-class upbringing. The aspects of a meaningful life/career are fascinating. Is helping a rich dude give away money more meaningful than an interior designer helping said rich guy pick out furniture?
I also love how the author explores privilege. Not just wealth, race, and the intersection of both, but also one’s youth and attractiveness. The questions of what’s considered “ethical” to use one’s privilege to make money is another theme I loved reading about in ENTITLEMENT.
Lastly, the author raises a very intriguing question about becoming wealthy. Does being rich make one selfish? Or is being self centered a prerequisite of amassing wealth?
Highly recommend reading this book with a group. There will be so much to discuss!!
August 19, 2024
Entitlement by Rumaan Alam is a book about ambition, inequities, and the finding of self. It unflinchingly takes on issues of race, class, and gender while always staying true to the characters and the world of the story. The characters are well drawn and believable. Even the lesser characters have real lives and stories that motivate their actions. The themes of the novel thread through, supported by tangible details, and the perceptions of multiple and varied points of view. Entitlement is a brave and powerful novel – a work of art that will cause readers to pause and think. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to preread and review this book.
September 1, 2024
**Spoiler alert**. I feel like I just watched a train wreck. How did a young woman, not that young, raised by a solid, grounded mother with a conventional brother lose all sense of propriety and values simply by being exposed to extreme wealth? Is this even possible? She had no roots. She turns into her own version of Robin Hood except her giving to the poor is to herself. She shows no remorse or even shame. I'm completely befuddled by the character. Having said all that, this book has left an impact on me. it reminds me of a popular book from last summer The Guest. I'm still thinking about that one. These books have their claws in me..
May 16, 2024
3.5 stars
June 20, 2024
This is quite the book...and seriously stirs the imagination!
One hell of a good read...and actually inspires you to contemplate the various avenues of life!
Rumaan Alam is a great story teller...and writer...
This is just a gem!
Highly Recommended!
March 24, 2024
I loved Leave The World Behind, but this book just felt shallow and boring and didn't feel like it was even written by the same author. I was very excited to read an early copy, but it just wasn't compelling at all. Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the ARC.
June 30, 2024
I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
The book follows Brooke, an ambitious Black woman who joins the foundation of Asher Jaffee, an elderly billionaire who is giving away his fortune for charitable causes. Brooke starts off as a lot of people in their 30s do, sort of directionless and trying to find meaning and purpose in life. As she starts to get closer to Asher over time and her responsibilities at the foundation increase, she becomes more seduced by Asher and his lavish lifestyle, and her behavior becomes increasingly questionable and erratic.
The book is well-written, with a lot of details about New York City life and the wealthy lifestyle people like Asher enjoy, as well as meditations on a variety of topics and engaging dialogue. The author touches on a lot of themes related to the title, like the entitlement that comes with having large amounts of money, how charity is often more for the giver's recognition than the recipients' benefit, how working for a charitable cause can give someone a sense of entitlement to things they don't deserve or even need, etc. Over the course of the book, Brooke changes in ways that are thoroughly unlikable yet believable, as she goes from a typical millennial feeling purposeless, to a purposeful but delusional and misguided person. The book doesn't say anything particularly novel about wealthy people, privilege, and entitlement, though I liked the angle of a young Black woman making her way into this world of super-wealthy white men and then becoming obsessed with all of the entitlement and privilege it comes with, forgetting all of the ideals she used to have.
I found the ending quite strange. Brooke displays even crazier behavior than before, and it results in a final shoot-your-shot moment that felt wildly out of control. even for her. After a final confrontation, the book rather abruptly ends, with the fate of the characters up in the air. It would've been much more satisfying to know the fallout from Brooke's extreme actions at the end, but the book doesn't give the reader that kind of satisfaction. Perhaps that was part of the point, that after she walks away from the last encounter she's free and that's all that matters, but I felt a bit of frustration at all the loose ends, when there were so many side plots thrown in that didn't feel very resolved at all.
The story was interesting, and Brooke as a character was convincingly written as a thoroughly unlikable and delusional person. I wish the ending tied things up a bit more and brought a more satisfying end to at least the main character's story, though.
The book follows Brooke, an ambitious Black woman who joins the foundation of Asher Jaffee, an elderly billionaire who is giving away his fortune for charitable causes. Brooke starts off as a lot of people in their 30s do, sort of directionless and trying to find meaning and purpose in life. As she starts to get closer to Asher over time and her responsibilities at the foundation increase, she becomes more seduced by Asher and his lavish lifestyle, and her behavior becomes increasingly questionable and erratic.
The book is well-written, with a lot of details about New York City life and the wealthy lifestyle people like Asher enjoy, as well as meditations on a variety of topics and engaging dialogue. The author touches on a lot of themes related to the title, like the entitlement that comes with having large amounts of money, how charity is often more for the giver's recognition than the recipients' benefit, how working for a charitable cause can give someone a sense of entitlement to things they don't deserve or even need, etc. Over the course of the book, Brooke changes in ways that are thoroughly unlikable yet believable, as she goes from a typical millennial feeling purposeless, to a purposeful but delusional and misguided person. The book doesn't say anything particularly novel about wealthy people, privilege, and entitlement, though I liked the angle of a young Black woman making her way into this world of super-wealthy white men and then becoming obsessed with all of the entitlement and privilege it comes with, forgetting all of the ideals she used to have.
I found the ending quite strange. Brooke displays even crazier behavior than before, and it results in a final shoot-your-shot moment that felt wildly out of control. even for her. After a final confrontation, the book rather abruptly ends, with the fate of the characters up in the air. It would've been much more satisfying to know the fallout from Brooke's extreme actions at the end, but the book doesn't give the reader that kind of satisfaction. Perhaps that was part of the point, that after she walks away from the last encounter she's free and that's all that matters, but I felt a bit of frustration at all the loose ends, when there were so many side plots thrown in that didn't feel very resolved at all.
The story was interesting, and Brooke as a character was convincingly written as a thoroughly unlikable and delusional person. I wish the ending tied things up a bit more and brought a more satisfying end to at least the main character's story, though.
August 25, 2024
[Copy provided by publisher]
READ IF YOU LIKE...
• Wanting to eat the rich but also be the rich
• Questioning philanthropy
• Examining what we deserve vs. what we earn
I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A fascinating examination of wealth, the affects that it has on different people, and the name of the novel itself -- entitlement. After a decade of teaching in the Bronx, Brooke Orr has a new job at the Asher and Carol Jaffee Foundation, researching worthy causes for Asher Jaffee to give his billions away to. Unexpectedly, Brooke and Asher strike up a close bond, causing Brooke's outlook on life to change completely.
This novel is complex in all the right ways, and you'll probably find yourself ruminating on it days or weeks after reading. Intended or not, I think this book perfectly strode the line between literary fiction and satire. I saw faint echoes of BLACK BUCK in Brooke, how she takes a rich old white man's advice of expecting more because she deserves more but how it always feels slightly off when she tries it on. Is it because she's a woman, Black, young? Or is it because she hasn't yet done anything to deserve what she expects? Or is it a bit of both?
Money doesn't necessarily always corrupt, but it does change the equation when it's in the formula. It's present even when it's not and people change in its presence even when they pretend they don't. I really liked how Alam gave us two wealthy people to study in this novel: One is, of course, Asher, a man who created his own empire. But the other is Brooke's lifelong friend, Kim, who's rich for doing nothing after having gained access to an enormous sum from her dead father. Is one's wealth more "right" or "fair" than the other? Are we supposed to hate one more than the other? Or are all rich people the same to a certain extent?
But perhaps it's not the money that disgusts/enthralls us. It's the entitlement that money makes possible. We can never comprehend what entitlement at that level is like, but that doesn't mean we can't become obsessed with our own entitlements that we feel owed in our corner of the universe.
READ IF YOU LIKE...
• Wanting to eat the rich but also be the rich
• Questioning philanthropy
• Examining what we deserve vs. what we earn
I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A fascinating examination of wealth, the affects that it has on different people, and the name of the novel itself -- entitlement. After a decade of teaching in the Bronx, Brooke Orr has a new job at the Asher and Carol Jaffee Foundation, researching worthy causes for Asher Jaffee to give his billions away to. Unexpectedly, Brooke and Asher strike up a close bond, causing Brooke's outlook on life to change completely.
This novel is complex in all the right ways, and you'll probably find yourself ruminating on it days or weeks after reading. Intended or not, I think this book perfectly strode the line between literary fiction and satire. I saw faint echoes of BLACK BUCK in Brooke, how she takes a rich old white man's advice of expecting more because she deserves more but how it always feels slightly off when she tries it on. Is it because she's a woman, Black, young? Or is it because she hasn't yet done anything to deserve what she expects? Or is it a bit of both?
Money doesn't necessarily always corrupt, but it does change the equation when it's in the formula. It's present even when it's not and people change in its presence even when they pretend they don't. I really liked how Alam gave us two wealthy people to study in this novel: One is, of course, Asher, a man who created his own empire. But the other is Brooke's lifelong friend, Kim, who's rich for doing nothing after having gained access to an enormous sum from her dead father. Is one's wealth more "right" or "fair" than the other? Are we supposed to hate one more than the other? Or are all rich people the same to a certain extent?
But perhaps it's not the money that disgusts/enthralls us. It's the entitlement that money makes possible. We can never comprehend what entitlement at that level is like, but that doesn't mean we can't become obsessed with our own entitlements that we feel owed in our corner of the universe.
June 5, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy of Entitlement.
Brooke is a young Black woman who has stumbled into a job working for an aged billionaire's vanity philanthropy project. Prior to meeting the billionaire, Brooke is floating through life, trying to find her place in the world. Spending time with Asher Jaffee changes how Brooke sees the world and her place in the world.
Overall, this book was unusual. I'm not sure I can come up with a better word for it. Watching Brooke spiral out of control was maddening but relatively realistic. But things that made zero sense:
- Brooke decides to buy an apartment without any money or approval from a bank. She forges a letter with a fake salary to try to get a loan. This book is set in 2014...banks would have absolutely asked for pay slips to verify her salary and would have called her employer. How was this even a plot point, much less one that stretched on for about 100 pages?
- Brooke becomes obsessed with making a multi million dollar donation that she is not authorized to grant, to a woman who doesn't want it. The bizarre fixation makes sense in the deeper parts of Brooke's downward spiral but her initial fixation was jarring. She was relatively stable when she started in on this.
- The timeline is not entirely clear, but it seems to cover a few months. I know the charity she is working for is pretty loosely run, but it seems unrealistic that with only 4 employees they wouldn't have noticed her charging luxury clothing to her corporate credit card within a month and fired her.
- This level of obsession implies some serious mental issues that pre-dated her work for the charity. The book never addresses that in any way.
Overall, I guess I would say this is not my kind of book. It was not at all what I was expecting. Sometimes that is a good thing, but with Entitlement I mostly was left thinking "what the hell??"
I would give it a 3.5/5 rounded up.
Brooke is a young Black woman who has stumbled into a job working for an aged billionaire's vanity philanthropy project. Prior to meeting the billionaire, Brooke is floating through life, trying to find her place in the world. Spending time with Asher Jaffee changes how Brooke sees the world and her place in the world.
Overall, this book was unusual. I'm not sure I can come up with a better word for it. Watching Brooke spiral out of control was maddening but relatively realistic. But things that made zero sense:
- Brooke decides to buy an apartment without any money or approval from a bank. She forges a letter with a fake salary to try to get a loan. This book is set in 2014...banks would have absolutely asked for pay slips to verify her salary and would have called her employer. How was this even a plot point, much less one that stretched on for about 100 pages?
- Brooke becomes obsessed with making a multi million dollar donation that she is not authorized to grant, to a woman who doesn't want it. The bizarre fixation makes sense in the deeper parts of Brooke's downward spiral but her initial fixation was jarring. She was relatively stable when she started in on this.
- The timeline is not entirely clear, but it seems to cover a few months. I know the charity she is working for is pretty loosely run, but it seems unrealistic that with only 4 employees they wouldn't have noticed her charging luxury clothing to her corporate credit card within a month and fired her.
- This level of obsession implies some serious mental issues that pre-dated her work for the charity. The book never addresses that in any way.
Overall, I guess I would say this is not my kind of book. It was not at all what I was expecting. Sometimes that is a good thing, but with Entitlement I mostly was left thinking "what the hell??"
I would give it a 3.5/5 rounded up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2024
Entitlement by Rumaan Alam is a fresh, contemporary take on social climbing the world of NYC's rich elite, with a hearty dash of a woman becoming unhinged.
The novel's protagonist is 33-year-old Brooke, a Black woman who is a former teacher and has just taken a new job at the Asher and Carol Jaffee Foundation. Asher Jaffee is a multi-billionaire and is determined to give away his fortune. Brooke has some ideas on how he should best do that, and to her surprise, Asher seems to really care about her opinion.
Brooke and Asher start to form a personal relationship and special bond. He invites her into his world of wealth and privilege, and Brooks starts to have grow more confident in her ability to influence Asher and what he does with his money. After all, Asher has so much, surely he has plenty to spare?
Brooke also has big feelings about her friends and brother as they go through various life events. In their scenes together, there's an interesting exploration of what people deserve and how we react to things that aren't fair or equitable.
It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I hit about the halfway mark things started to pick up momentum.
I was a huge fan of Alam's last novel Leave the World Behind, and I think this book could be similarly polarizing. Like that book, this one has lots of flowery language, flawed characters, social commentary, requires reading between the lines, and has an ending that is both dramatic yet vague.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)
The novel's protagonist is 33-year-old Brooke, a Black woman who is a former teacher and has just taken a new job at the Asher and Carol Jaffee Foundation. Asher Jaffee is a multi-billionaire and is determined to give away his fortune. Brooke has some ideas on how he should best do that, and to her surprise, Asher seems to really care about her opinion.
Brooke and Asher start to form a personal relationship and special bond. He invites her into his world of wealth and privilege, and Brooks starts to have grow more confident in her ability to influence Asher and what he does with his money. After all, Asher has so much, surely he has plenty to spare?
Brooke also has big feelings about her friends and brother as they go through various life events. In their scenes together, there's an interesting exploration of what people deserve and how we react to things that aren't fair or equitable.
It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I hit about the halfway mark things started to pick up momentum.
I was a huge fan of Alam's last novel Leave the World Behind, and I think this book could be similarly polarizing. Like that book, this one has lots of flowery language, flawed characters, social commentary, requires reading between the lines, and has an ending that is both dramatic yet vague.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)
July 30, 2024
Brooke has just started a new job, working for a retired billionaire as he looks to give away his vast fortune. She thinks this new role may be the purpose she has been looking for, a way to effect change, impress her mother and friends, and begin to feel like she can be successful on her own. As she works to find worthy causes and projects deserving of these life changing funds, she begins to think about the ways that money could better her life. New clothes, car service, a new apartment, all things that Brooke wants badly. She's not needy but she is just as deserving, right? As she works side by side with a man of incredible wealth, her role as his protégé takes on a new meaning as she starts to see herself wanting to be in the world that he inhabits.
The thing that I love most about Rumaan Alam's books is that he can explore issues of class, race, and privilege in the most intriguing ways, and "Entitlement" is another excellent example of this. This book takes our own preconceived notions of these issues and holds up a mirror to ourselves and our beliefs, especially about the ideas of need and philanthropy. Alam is never afraid to make the reader uncomfortable with his writing and there were quite a few sections that made me question my own understanding and biases about these topics. Who is deserving in this world? What is independence when strings are often attached? This sharp and biting novel will have you asking these questions and more.
The thing that I love most about Rumaan Alam's books is that he can explore issues of class, race, and privilege in the most intriguing ways, and "Entitlement" is another excellent example of this. This book takes our own preconceived notions of these issues and holds up a mirror to ourselves and our beliefs, especially about the ideas of need and philanthropy. Alam is never afraid to make the reader uncomfortable with his writing and there were quite a few sections that made me question my own understanding and biases about these topics. Who is deserving in this world? What is independence when strings are often attached? This sharp and biting novel will have you asking these questions and more.
August 25, 2024
Entitlement is an interesting novel that mixes themes of race, age, influence, philanthropy, privilege, needs, wants, and obsessions. Set in New York City during the Obama administration, the tale is a rumination on Millennial malaise and the slow unraveling of the book’s main protagonist, Brooke. The writing is intelligent, succinct and unnerving in its ability to keep the reader at arm’s length from the events and the world the tale inhabits. It is also rather difficult to keep track of Brooke’s acquaintances due to the disjointed nature of the chapters that further unsettles the reader.
While I appreciated the storytelling and its take on the themes it presents, I did not particularly like or enjoy the book. I am quite certain that is the point, the main character becomes increasingly unlikable and removed from her friends and family due to her perceived self-importance. The ending is also unsatisfactory, yet remains true to the delusions of its central character.
This book is my introduction to Alam and I am certainly interested in reading his other fiction. While I did not like this novel, like all good art it gave me plenty to mull over. Thank you to Riverhead Books and Goodreads for offering this as a giveaway. I appreciated the opportunity to read the advance copy.
While I appreciated the storytelling and its take on the themes it presents, I did not particularly like or enjoy the book. I am quite certain that is the point, the main character becomes increasingly unlikable and removed from her friends and family due to her perceived self-importance. The ending is also unsatisfactory, yet remains true to the delusions of its central character.
This book is my introduction to Alam and I am certainly interested in reading his other fiction. While I did not like this novel, like all good art it gave me plenty to mull over. Thank you to Riverhead Books and Goodreads for offering this as a giveaway. I appreciated the opportunity to read the advance copy.
June 2, 2024
Brooke has finally found a sense of purpose in her new job, helping Asher Jaffe to give away his billions before he dies. But the longer she spends in his world, the more she realises that she wants more for herself.
I loved the way Entitlement, like Leave the World Behind, is willing to make its characters and readers uncomfortable, as it explores themes of money, race, and privilege. I particularly liked the way Rumaan Alam probes the difference between need and want. I also loved the book’s morally grey characters, and the way the story refuses any easy answers. However, this one wasn’t quite a four-star read for me. It didn’t really feel like this book had anything new to say, and I personally found the story a little flat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advance copy. Entitlement is out on 17 September.
I loved the way Entitlement, like Leave the World Behind, is willing to make its characters and readers uncomfortable, as it explores themes of money, race, and privilege. I particularly liked the way Rumaan Alam probes the difference between need and want. I also loved the book’s morally grey characters, and the way the story refuses any easy answers. However, this one wasn’t quite a four-star read for me. It didn’t really feel like this book had anything new to say, and I personally found the story a little flat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advance copy. Entitlement is out on 17 September.
May 10, 2024
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review*.
Entitlement follows Brooke who is a young, black woman trying to get into the world of the one percent. She works for an old white billionaire and he is attracted to her intelligence but also her blackness. Brooke is drawn to his power as well as his money and wants to become part of that world.
This was okay but I struggled to connect with the story. Honestly, the synopsis makes it sound more interesting than the book is and this meant I was expecting a lot more. Certain things just felt a bit random and there just wasn’t enough build up/connection to feel the tension. It was a bit dull but I’m giving it 3 stars because there was some interesting commentary.
Entitlement follows Brooke who is a young, black woman trying to get into the world of the one percent. She works for an old white billionaire and he is attracted to her intelligence but also her blackness. Brooke is drawn to his power as well as his money and wants to become part of that world.
This was okay but I struggled to connect with the story. Honestly, the synopsis makes it sound more interesting than the book is and this meant I was expecting a lot more. Certain things just felt a bit random and there just wasn’t enough build up/connection to feel the tension. It was a bit dull but I’m giving it 3 stars because there was some interesting commentary.
June 6, 2024
Entitlement was a quick read, but it fell flat and felt unfinished. I was initially intrigued because Brooke is the stereotypical millennial: struggling with money, searching for purpose in her career, and not yet having started a family of her own. However, her delusion made it harder to connect with her than she should have been. Some background might have helped make her seem more relatable and sane. The story was so far from reality that it made me critical. The staccato sentence structure, which seems to be a signature of Rumaan's, didn't work as well here. The frequent perspective switching also made things confusing because the plot is really about Brooke's perspective. And yet, despite all these challenges, I mostly enjoyed it. I would love to see the movie version.
July 18, 2024
First, I have to say that Leave the World behind was my favorite book of 2020. When I saw Rumaan had a new book, I immediately asked for an arc. But overall, I had a hard time connecting with the story. There was sharp dialogue, witty commentary, well written characters (he especially writes women characters unbelievably well), but I was expecting more. I think I was hoping for more of a thriller, and that's likely my fault for going in blind to this novel. In all, I didn't find enough tension to maintain my interest throughout the book and it fell a bit flat for me, especially the abrupt ending. I will say, I believe Rumaan Alam is an absolutely incredible writer, and I can't wait to read whatever he does next.
August 9, 2024
A look at the Uber-wealthy and how they dispose of that wealth to make themselves and their image better. The book looks at extreme wealth, privilege, race, age and obsession as seen by a young black woman who works for a very wealthy older white man and his foundation. Brooke accepts the challenge of putting the Jaffee's millions to good use. Her aspirations are lofty, her intentions honorable and her commitment is strong until she begins to enjoy the same lifestyle and privileges that her boss and the foundation have. Should she feel guilty for loving life in private cars and jets, lavish restaurants and all the finer things that NYC can offer? She loses her way and everything takes a downward spiral. Starts off slow but by the end I was stunned and felt like I didn't know Brooke at all.
My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
June 4, 2024
I love the way Rumaan Alam writes women, and seeing how he portrayed main character Brooke here was my favorite part. She is absolutely unlikable, but I had trouble telling for most of the book if she was an actual psychopath or just very deluded. (to be clear, her unlikability was good! I liked it!) There were long sections of this that I found absolutely riveting, and others where I simply could not tell what was happening at all (subway pricker? what was going on there?) Basically I found this quite uneven but overall a worthwhile read. I read this as an ARC and I look forward to talking about this with people when they pick it up when it comes out in a few months!
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