Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater

59 reviews

queergoth_reads's review against another edition

informative fast-paced

2.5

I ready liked some aspects of this book. I've not read a lot of young adult non-fiction and I found it very engaging. I think it tells a very important story about both sides of the crime and how it affected everyone involved and how unfair the US justice system is. 

However, I do think this could really use an update. There are various points where I found the language used outdated and uncomfortable. Also while focusing on an agender teen, it felt like this book fell into its own binary of man and woman, and other. There was very little space in this book for the gender spectrum. 

There were also a few descriptions of people that seemed unnecessary and made me feel kind of uncomfortable. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Hate crime, Racism, Transphobia, Racial slurs, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Murder, Ableism, and Confinement

Minor: Fatphobia and Rape

saragrochowski's review

challenging informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, and Bullying

max_vampire's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, and Hate crime

Moderate: Dysphoria

lexiereads22's review

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, and Fire/Fire injury

maple_dove's review

challenging hopeful informative slow-paced

4.0

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater is a book narrating the crime that happened between Richard (he/him), a boy, and Sasha (they/them), an agender teenager. It discusses the event with nuance, and asks questions, including  whether teenage violent offenders should be treated as adults.

To be honest, I can't really find the words to explain this book, nor what I liked or disliked about it. 😅

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Hate crime

Moderate: Confinement

Misgendering (graphic)

sunnybugz's review

informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

Read this book for class- a very interesting memoir. As a genderqueer autistic person, I related to Sasha a lot. But as someone who grew up poor and in a rough neighbourhood, I emphasized deeply with Richard. I appreciate the in-depth discussion about the failures of the justice system- especially the juvenile justice system. I appreciate how Richard wasn't made out to be an extreme villain, but rather a teenager who did something terrible but is growing from it. The pacing wasn't my favourite, and the writing felt somewhat flat at times, but the story itself is very important.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Hate crime, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Deadnaming, Racism, Death, Gun violence, Grief, and Cursing

jesthemess's review

dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Hate crime

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

pollyhall's review

challenging emotional informative sad fast-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Transphobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts

kittkattsnacck's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

3.0

Interesting book, takes a vested interest in having the reader relate and sympathize with someone many people wouldn't usually bother with. Shows how the American justice system, even in cases where we identify with the victim, is incredibly and unfairly harsh. That being said it is very nice, like the author was worried that if they dug into the complexities of the story, the audience wouldn't be able to reach the correct emotional understanding of the story. Very fast and easy read. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia and Hate crime

mimsreadingrn's review

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

I don’t remember much about this book, but I do remember it being a pretty effective read. It was one of the first memoirs I read that made me think about how much privilege I have as a white cis female in America. I really don’t have much to say about it, but if you’re looking for a memoir to educate yourself, here’s a great starting point. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Violence, and Hate crime