IQ (An IQ Novel)

A great debut novel. I may not have identified closely with the culture or many of the characters, but it was a well crafted tale. I look forward to more from this author and more about Isaiah.
Well done.

Definitely gives you a glimpse into a poor, urban, gang and drug-ridden culture. IQ is likable enough to hold your interest.Female readers won’t find much to connect with. And the whodunnit wasn’t a surprise. There are a lot of surprising acts of violence and flashy action scenes.

The book is an excellent detection novel with the good guys and bad although nobody is all good and the bad are just human. The south L.A. location is graphic as is the description of live’s in the hood. Intelligent writing and main character
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Good story with enough turns and twists to keep you turning the pages. I liked the way Ide wove the back story into the contemporary story. But the similies! So many...like ground pepper on a .....

The lead character draws you in right away. His intellectual ability is awesome, just like Sherlock Holmes (the author's model). The plot is great, the characters are strong and memorable, their dialogue right out of South Central. In short it is great entertainment.

The lead character draws you in right away. His intellectual ability is awesome, just like Sherlock Holmes (the author's model). The plot is great, the characters are strong and memorable, their dialogue right out of South Central. In short it is great entertainment.

True to the hype. Great chacter development. About 2.5 layers deep, meaning there were about 10or more characters who we got to know their drives and played good parts. Most with good backstories. Only 1 grrrrl with a good backstory though and I now there must be more. There always are.

Mr. Ide has done an excellent job here. Original characters, humor, drama, suspense, action. IQ is a fascinating person. Dodson is hilarious even as you want to dislike him. All in all, a great read, and highly recommended.

Chronicling the years 2005-2013 of IQ, Isaiah Quimbe, author Joe Ide slowly incorporates readers into the now-Sherlock Holmes lifestyle of the book's namesake. The mystery takes readers into the past of IQ, his dark years, and his current, almost-Robin Hood-esque career. Isaiah now spends his time using his brains (which are quite impressive) to solve crimes and/or resolve disputes between paying clientele.

The main client of the story is Cal, a has-been rapper in the LA area who someone has tried to kill off with a massive killer dog. Yes, a dog--a mix of a pit and a Great Dane size, so think huge, canine thoughts. His mental state is spiraling out of control due to his regimen of alcohol, weed, and various prescription pills. Anyone could have killed him off from his crazy ex-wife, Noelle, to his thug body guard cronies, Bug and Charles.

Isaiah uses his skills of inductive reasoning, which he started honing in high school, to help him attempt to solve the case. Throughout the narrative, readers see glimpses of his life with Marcus, his older brother who was killed in a hit and run accident. His brother's memory is his good conscience throughout the story; his friend, Dodson, is his devil on his shoulder. The dichotomy between the two is stark, but that conflict is what keeps the story interesting for readers. Without it, the plot would be predictable, Isaiah would be a hero, and the story would be about two pages long.

The story has solid characterization and dozes of characters. The main characters are fleshed out well, but there are several minor characters with little (and unneeded) characterization. Ide does a great job of giving readers what they need and no filler. There weren't portions of the text that I felt like I could have skipped, and the narrative was back-and-forth between past and present enough to keep me wanting to keep going, always pursuing the next action sequence.

I definitely recommend the read to those that like mysteries, but I would caution if you are conservative. There are myriad cuss words throughout the text--keep in mind this book takes place in gang-central California, not a small quiet town in Napa Valley. If that doesn't bother you, definitely give it a shot