Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Small Great Things

5⭐️

Summery

Imagine you are raised on a heavy diet of hate. That your whole life you were taught to dislike people who didn't look like you, think like you, or believe like you. Not only to dislike them but to actively work against them. This would be all you know. All you are. This is our character, Turk.

Turk is brought up in white power. Not so much by his family, but by the people around him. His family was neglectful, borderline abusive, or absent. The people who actually gave him attention and listened to his thoughts and feelings were not the right people. They manipulated his emotions. Ultimately, they slowly indoctrinated him into their gangs.

Turk even married a leaders daughter. They get pregnant and go to the hospital to welcome their little bundle of joy. A "healthy" baby boy.
In walks an African woman to care for their newborn. They kindly ask the hospital NOT to let people of color touch their child. Imagine their surprise when the next day alarms are going off and what they see is this woman supposedly asulting their baby, followed by his tragic death.

Ruth is a proud woman of color. This shouldn't matter, but in her world, it does. She was the only one "different " in her school. She had to work twice as hard to get noticed half as much. She is the only African at her job as a labor and delivery nurse ( a job she held for 20 years). She is the only African American family in her neighborhood. A neighborhood she worked hard to get into, to pull her son out of poverty and give him the best start to life.

One day, Ruth is just going about her day. Doing her job. When she is pulled off a family for no reason other than the color of her skin. Of course, she is angry, but for her, it's part of life. The quiet segregation. When an emergency happens, she is asked to keep an eye on this baby. A baby she has specifically been told not to touch. A baby she could lose her job over if she disobeyed and does touch. The baby goes into respiratory distress.
As a nurse, she took an oath, but as an employee, she is ordered no contact. What should she do? She tried to save him. But there was nothing to be done. The chest compressions she did didn't save him, but they drastically changed her life. Now she is being charged with the babies death because she is "black" and the baby is "white."

Kennedy is a public defender. She has wanted her whole life to make a difference. When she meets Ruth at arraignment, she immediately knows this is the case she wants. This is case she can make a difference. She can help Ruth.
What she doesn't know is Ruth ends up helping her. Helping her to open her eyes to the silent racism in everyday life. To the injustice of the legal system. To how hate and intolerance is tought slowly so you don't even see it.

My Thoughts

I was blown away with every page. I don't think I have ever tabbed up a book as much as I did this one. Everything seemed important. Every chapter taught me something new. Every page opened my eyes a little bit more to the world around me that I take for granted. Every word was well thought out and planned.

This story is about racism. Both in your face and blatant as well as quiet and cultural. The everyday things that people do when trying NOT to be seen as a racist that is actually hurtful.

The characters' growth and development were amazing. I couldn't have asked for better. Even with the most vile of the characters, they were still humanized. I could still understand them and feel for them. The way they grew as people as they navigated their own personal journey through loss and separation is breathtaking.

The book is so well written and planned that I felt like I was there. In the gallery, watching it unfold before me. I couldn't tare myself ways. I wanted to lock the doors and shut out the world until I knew what happened to everyone. I could actually feel everything. Bravo 👏👏

This book makes you think. Do my actions help or hurt? Is my silence deafening to those around me? Am I actually doing everything I can to not cause harm to others?

I won't give too much away, but there is a big twist and reveal at the end. A character growth that, though possible, isn't always plausible. The author does it in such a way that it feels natural and right. Leaving the reader wishing that more people in real life would go through this drastic self awakening.

Don't close the book too soon! After the authors notes, acknowledgments, and bibliography, there's a short story about Ruth's time in the private school and how that shapped her outlooks and friendships.

Content Warnings

cielo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

mrs_elliott19's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-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

5.0

I normally don’t write a hole sappy thing, but this boook!!!! I life is forever changed! I thing every needs to read this book at least once! I’m balling!!!

Content Warnings