Strong ... Especially funny is the novel’s satire of coerced therapy ... The book is part elegy, addiction narrative, mystery, queer coming-of-age story and novel of manners. But in all of these registers, even in its downcast moments, Great Black Hope retains its comic edge, exposing the absurdity and tragedy of American race and gender relations. It will make many readers laugh through tears, and they won’t know which reaction came first.
Promising ... This is an ambitious first book and, perhaps to his credit, Franklin never lets a single theme or narrative element overwhelm it ... The story is ostensibly told in a close third-person voice, a blurry synthesis of Smith’s perceptions and Franklin’s editorializing ... Third-person smudging distances the reader from Smith, rendering his plight less involving ... Nevertheless, Franklin has plenty to say, and he articulates it forcefully.
It’s fine for a character with means to be a little low-energy, but he veers close to bland ... At its most gripping, Great Black Hope investigates these ideas head-on rather than gesturing at them ... Franklin is certainly a beautiful stylist, but often his sentences feel like they’re trying very hard to make you think so ... The momentum Great Black Hope starts with, the idea that Smith is usually protected because of his family, but not because of his race, and the far-reaching corners of addiction, all but fizzles out in its last few pages.
