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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A powerful story about the ways that prejudice and police brutality impact entire communities, especially those killed by police and their families. I thought tying the murdered boy in this story to Emmitt Till was a brilliant way to bridge historical timelines where not much at all has changed. This book is heavy and sad but accessible to younger audiences as well as adults.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
At first I thought this book pretty heavy for the age group, but if 13 year boys are old enough to be killed by the police, they are old enough to read about it :(
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Everyone should read this book. I read it straight through on an airplane flight and was blown away. I I chose to read this novel because it was being banned and said to be anti-police. Anyone who thinks that either didn't read it or didn't understand it.
As a former member of law enforcement and someone who believes deeply in equality, I have a particular perspective on novels that tackle issues like police bias. This novel is about a boy who is killed by a police officer who claims to mistake him for a man with a gun, when he's a 12 year old boy with a toy gun. This child is taken when his life is just beginning - when he's a lonely boy, full of hope and love who has just found his first real friend.
After his death, he discovers that the daughter of the man who killed him can see and speak to him. Through this relationship, he seeks to understand why he was killed and how to repair not only the bias that lead the officer to shoot him, but also the relationship between the officer and his daughter.
This novel is unique in every way-- from the perspective of the main character, to the perspective on police shootings, to the perspective of both a boy who is a victim of police violence and the child of a police officer who killed a boy she learns to love, while also trying to reconcile her love for and anger at her father.
It is a kind, generous effort to foment understanding.
As a former member of law enforcement and someone who believes deeply in equality, I have a particular perspective on novels that tackle issues like police bias. This novel is about a boy who is killed by a police officer who claims to mistake him for a man with a gun, when he's a 12 year old boy with a toy gun. This child is taken when his life is just beginning - when he's a lonely boy, full of hope and love who has just found his first real friend.
After his death, he discovers that the daughter of the man who killed him can see and speak to him. Through this relationship, he seeks to understand why he was killed and how to repair not only the bias that lead the officer to shoot him, but also the relationship between the officer and his daughter.
This novel is unique in every way-- from the perspective of the main character, to the perspective on police shootings, to the perspective of both a boy who is a victim of police violence and the child of a police officer who killed a boy she learns to love, while also trying to reconcile her love for and anger at her father.
It is a kind, generous effort to foment understanding.
This book was crafted really well. Jewell Parker Rhodes manages to convey an impressive depth and range of emotion, confusion, and clarity in this short novel. Highly recommend for middle grades with discussion or adults who just need a shorter read to delve deeper into this important discussion. It's fiction, but sometimes fiction opens doors that lead to paths of understanding that are otherwise locked shut.
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No