Reviews tagging 'Blood'

This Is My America by Kim Johnson

6 reviews

paigereitz's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nytephoenyx's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This must have been such a challenging book for Johnson to write. There’s so much pain in it. Tracy is persistent, always has hope, but her story is a scenario filled with some good luck, people with a conscience, and the right people in the right places. Through This is My America, I kept thinking about how if even just one of these pieces slid out of place, things would have gone much differently.

I suppose I should mention the foundation fundamentals of the book. This is My America creates a sympathetic cast of characters. Johnson’s writing keeps just on the soft side of horrific, but isn’t sympathetic to white characters or white readers who may relate to them in any small way. And that’s good – it’s good that we don’t forgive those things because that kind of forgiveness is another way we are perpetuating problematic, racist, and unjust behaviors and systems. Like The Hate U Give, This is My America made me dig into myself and check my own biases. It’s a constant state of learning – reeducation is a lifelong job. I’m grateful for the moments this book made me step back.

The story moves quickly and keeps you engaged with consistent twists and discoveries. I also really liked that not only was there a romance, but it was a love triangle and it did not interfere with the actual story and only developed in the between-moments. I don’t feel one way or another about the love story itself, but I did appreciate the good balance of story and subplot. There were a lot of individuals in this story who needed justice and it was a tough set to juggle. I think Johnson did a great job, I really do.

This is My America reminds me of another book I read… I believe it was Dear Justyce I clearly remember the addendum at the end of the book – this story only has a happy ending because all the right things were in place and folks had the support they needed but usually, that’s not true. The same applies to This is My America. If Beverly wasn’t a cop, if Tracy hadn’t spoken to Angela, if she hadn’t written all those letters. There’s always a “what if,” and it hurts. Because in some stories, the “what if”s just mean a relationship wouldn’t happen. In This is My America, the “what if”s are the difference between life and death, and that’s the case in real life. All the time. I hate that we need books like his still to remind us of that.

I highly recommend reading This is My America. It’s a social justice book, and it is a book about Black pain. We need to bear witness. It’s well-written and tells an important story. I’d read it again, even though it would hurt just as much as it did the first time.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

zombiezami's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I liked the mystery element of this story. The twists and turns kept me guessing throughout.

The main thing I disliked was the love corner between the protagonist and the two boys. I can understand that this was probably used to relieve some of the tension of the story, but it's a dynamic that's so common in young adult fiction at this point, it just made me roll my eyes. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

erniedresser's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

esmeralda's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is My America is a heart-rending story about a family who pushes through tragedy and grows closer and stronger. It is a story that deals with the great injustice of racism, the cycle of mass incarceration and the reality of white suprematist groups. 

This is My America is about injustice and justice, never losing hope and fighting for those who you love. It is about relationships, family and friends, siblings and parents.

All in all, it is a solid debut, but lost stars due to minor issues with the writing and the time it took for me to become invested in the story.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bookcaptivated's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...