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amppet22's review against another edition
5.0
This book hurts to read and it’s meant too. You feel the panic, the dread. The real life fear and you are angry at the injustice. And it’s so important. This story is so important because for those who may not understand that fear that so many people of color experience in there lives. Then this is the book. It’s a book about pain and loss but also hope throughout that, family, staying true to yourself and loving who you are. This book is one of the many reasons we protest against racism, against the murder of young black men and women. Against police brutality because lives are lost. Innocent lives based of ignorance and hate. No child should have to be lost to a police gun for walking, no one should be beaten up by an officer for just going into a candy shop. This book is real and is for everyone to listen too.
As a twin myself it was even more gut wrenching to imagine losing that person in your life. I had almosts with mine but to actually have lost them would destroy me. I kept reading and dreading the the moment when we knew, we all knew what’s going to happen. It’s what so many have to worry about and they shouldn’t have too. The People who are supposed to protect the community shouldn’t be the ones ripping it apart. And for any of those who don’t believe these things would happen, they do. They happen all the time and it needs to stop.
Please read this. Hold on to this. Share it. Especially to those who don’t understand, who are blind to the hate or the purpose of protests. This book matters so much. I will never forget it.
As a twin myself it was even more gut wrenching to imagine losing that person in your life. I had almosts with mine but to actually have lost them would destroy me. I kept reading and dreading the the moment when we knew, we all knew what’s going to happen. It’s what so many have to worry about and they shouldn’t have too. The People who are supposed to protect the community shouldn’t be the ones ripping it apart. And for any of those who don’t believe these things would happen, they do. They happen all the time and it needs to stop.
Please read this. Hold on to this. Share it. Especially to those who don’t understand, who are blind to the hate or the purpose of protests. This book matters so much. I will never forget it.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
I have tears streaming down my face. Marvin and Tyler broke my heart. And Tyler Johnson Was Here made me feel both afraid and hopeful at the same time.
It's really sad that this book is so necessary - walk a mile in someone else's shoes and all that.
Full review to come.
It's really sad that this book is so necessary - walk a mile in someone else's shoes and all that.
Full review to come.
scrollsofdragons's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Almost a four but then it decided to end open ended, I would have liked to have seen the case more filled out then it was.
lispylibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Such a painfully beautiful portrait of how power is abused and lives are being lost in our country. Marvin loses his twin brother, Tyler, to police brutality and while navigating mourning, tries to find his voice to speak up that lives matter. 🖤
regina_1's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This book is well-written and really brings the reader in. It discusses themes about racism, Black Lives Matter, and activism. After reading this book, I wish things are better than what they are, but discrimination and racism are still seen in our world today and this book solidifies it. This is because all the events in the novel brought me back to the murder of George Floyd in 2020, and to the events that happened in Minneapolis following the murder. It makes you question how far has our world come and how far it has yet to go until black lives fully matter.
The story follows Marvin Johnson, who is a senior in Sterling Point, Alabama. Marvin and his friends face many experiences of racial hate from police officers. One night at a party the sound of gun shots ring out through the noise. Marvin goes looking for his brother but cannot find him. After contacting the police station, sending out detectives, and a video being leaked Tyler, Marvin's brother, is found. Marvin fights for justice and equality. At the end of the story, it leaves you questioning, what is Marvin's life like? How many people in our world have been in Marvin's shoes? Will our country ever change and grow?
I recommend this novel before reading "The Hate U Give". It is little bit of a lower reading level, but brings up the same themetic messages. It is an easy page turner and a great plot to follow. At times, I felt the book jumped from point to point drastically, but it had to because there were so many story lines happening.
The story follows Marvin Johnson, who is a senior in Sterling Point, Alabama. Marvin and his friends face many experiences of racial hate from police officers. One night at a party the sound of gun shots ring out through the noise. Marvin goes looking for his brother but cannot find him. After contacting the police station, sending out detectives, and a video being leaked Tyler, Marvin's brother, is found. Marvin fights for justice and equality. At the end of the story, it leaves you questioning, what is Marvin's life like? How many people in our world have been in Marvin's shoes? Will our country ever change and grow?
I recommend this novel before reading "The Hate U Give". It is little bit of a lower reading level, but brings up the same themetic messages. It is an easy page turner and a great plot to follow. At times, I felt the book jumped from point to point drastically, but it had to because there were so many story lines happening.
leahkarge's review against another edition
Will come back to this at a later date.
xdarkthunderx's review against another edition
4.0
Tyler Johnson Was Here takes inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement, and is an important book. I really enjoyed the majority of it, and it was hard not to compare it to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. It share a lot of similar ideas, as both feature a black character that loses someone close to them due to police brutality. I found this book to be a more-condescend version of THUG, and it usually didn't work in it's favor.
TJWH is very character-driven. You're supposed to sympathize and love Marvin Johnson and his friends/family, as he tries to find out where his brother is, and why he was killed, after he loses track of him at a shady party. Marvin is backed by his mother, his two best friends, and a girl that was dating one of the "bad boys" at the party where Tyler went missing. His mother and the girl, Faith, are the strongest characters besides Marvin, as they both react to grief and hardships while also pushing others away at times, giving their characters depth. Marvin's best friends, however, mainly just serve to keep Marvin happy. They're constantly echoing Marvin's own feelings, and don't seem to have any lives of their own. This makes them extremely loyal to Marvin, but gives them almost no character, apart from being Marvin's friends. I would have appreciated them doing their own thing at times, perhaps having things to do, and not always being with Marvin.
After Marvin finds out about the video showing Tyler being killed, it essentially turns into a story of how Marvin and the community backing him reacts to learning that Tyler was unjustly murdered by a white police officer. There's similar scenes to THUG, such as when the characters in this book protest, or when they go to court. The police brutality scenes in TJWH were especially impactful, as this book didn't shy away from making the scenes incredibly violent. This was one of the stronger aspects of the book, in my opinion.
While THUG inspires and shows that black people do have power, in TJWH, the trial fails to give much hope, and the characters are forced to deal with Tyler's death without any justice being done. While this doesn't make it bad, THUG just included so much more while also having strong characters that did their best to invoke change and show that progress is being made. TJWH seemed to just counter that, suggesting that only darkness is ahead. I feel like is someone read TJWH and didn't read THUG, they'd have a very bleak perspective on the BLM movement. They document an important political/social event that occurs even now, and they both are important to read. I personally just enjoyed THUG more.
TJWH is very character-driven. You're supposed to sympathize and love Marvin Johnson and his friends/family, as he tries to find out where his brother is, and why he was killed, after he loses track of him at a shady party. Marvin is backed by his mother, his two best friends, and a girl that was dating one of the "bad boys" at the party where Tyler went missing. His mother and the girl, Faith, are the strongest characters besides Marvin, as they both react to grief and hardships while also pushing others away at times, giving their characters depth. Marvin's best friends, however, mainly just serve to keep Marvin happy. They're constantly echoing Marvin's own feelings, and don't seem to have any lives of their own. This makes them extremely loyal to Marvin, but gives them almost no character, apart from being Marvin's friends. I would have appreciated them doing their own thing at times, perhaps having things to do, and not always being with Marvin.
After Marvin finds out about the video showing Tyler being killed, it essentially turns into a story of how Marvin and the community backing him reacts to learning that Tyler was unjustly murdered by a white police officer. There's similar scenes to THUG, such as when the characters in this book protest, or when they go to court. The police brutality scenes in TJWH were especially impactful, as this book didn't shy away from making the scenes incredibly violent. This was one of the stronger aspects of the book, in my opinion.
While THUG inspires and shows that black people do have power, in TJWH, the trial fails to give much hope, and the characters are forced to deal with Tyler's death without any justice being done. While this doesn't make it bad, THUG just included so much more while also having strong characters that did their best to invoke change and show that progress is being made. TJWH seemed to just counter that, suggesting that only darkness is ahead. I feel like is someone read TJWH and didn't read THUG, they'd have a very bleak perspective on the BLM movement. They document an important political/social event that occurs even now, and they both are important to read. I personally just enjoyed THUG more.
punkgremlin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jessica_flower's review
4.0
A hard-hitting story that showcases the strength of a family bond, the reality of police brutality and racial discrimination, and the importance of resistance to oppression.
Marvin's words damn near broke my heart at times. I could feel the pain he was in, the way his world was altered so abruptly after his brother was killed.
Read it.
Marvin's words damn near broke my heart at times. I could feel the pain he was in, the way his world was altered so abruptly after his brother was killed.
Read it.