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Reviews tagging 'Racism'
Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater
50 reviews
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
Slater's done it again - produced a work of nonfiction I think everyone, teen and adult, should read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Classism
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship
Minor: Slavery
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Antisemitism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexism, Slavery, Pandemic/Epidemic
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
I really appr ciated the rhythm and pace of Dasha Slater's writing. I had been meaning to read The 57 Bus for ages, but it so happens that this was my first introduction (other than the Escargot books for littles, which are perennial favorites). This book made me angry for reasons I can't quite explain here, and not completely for the reasons I would have expected. But the author's presentation was robust and balanced and I while I didn't "enjoy" it, per SE, I HIGHLY recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
This is a really fascinating read that deals primarily with the difference between punishment and justice, while also touching on a lot of issues around social media relevant to teens (and adults) today. I would recommend this book to almost anyone. The style of writing is very readable while also being thorough and taking its content deeply seriously.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Antisemitism
informative
tense
medium-paced
HS & up
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
In a fast-paced and compelling narrative, Dashka Slater clearly explains complex topics, from restorative justice and racial pseudoscience to high school social dynamics and 2010s Instagram norms. This book is extraordinary for its nuance and thorough reporting as well as its artistry. I tore through this in two days because I was so emotionally invested in the people involved and in what happened next.
I feel like a jerk saying this, but this would probably be a really good choice for required middle school or high school summer reading. I would highly recommend it for anyone on social media, anyone interested in restorative justice, any teenager, anyone who regularly interacts with teenagers, and anyone interested in the local politics of the Bay Area.
I also want to shout out the section explaining the history of "race realism", why race does not have a scientific basis, and why people think it does anyway. It's a GREAT intro to the topic and I will be recommending it as teaching material to the people I know who teach introductory biology classes.
Why it's not a full 5 stars for me:
- I liked the modernist, polystylistic narrative structure. However, some of the attempts at poetry fell painfully flat for me.
- I wanted more about Wyatt. I understand that the book was limited by which students were interested in being interviewed, and that some students asked to be mentioned as little as possible, and I respect the author for honoring that. However, the book really needed some space set aside to explore the fact that Wyatt was one of the kids brutally mocked by the bigoted Instagram account, but because he also followed the account, he was treated exclusively as a perpetrator. Also I would have appreciated it if the book had explained what the ableist slurs used against Wyatt actually meant, because I had to explain that to my mom.
- This is nitpicking, but my former research mentor said I'm required to correct people about this: this book describes the eugenicist Watson as "one-half" of the team that discovered DNA. Depending on your historical interpretation, he is, at best, one-third of the discovery team, and, at worst, one-half of the team that stole the discovery from Rosalind Franklin.
I feel like a jerk saying this, but this would probably be a really good choice for required middle school or high school summer reading. I would highly recommend it for anyone on social media, anyone interested in restorative justice, any teenager, anyone who regularly interacts with teenagers, and anyone interested in the local politics of the Bay Area.
I also want to shout out the section explaining the history of "race realism", why race does not have a scientific basis, and why people think it does anyway. It's a GREAT intro to the topic and I will be recommending it as teaching material to the people I know who teach introductory biology classes.
Why it's not a full 5 stars for me:
- I liked the modernist, polystylistic narrative structure. However, some of the attempts at poetry fell painfully flat for me.
- I wanted more about Wyatt. I understand that the book was limited by which students were interested in being interviewed, and that some students asked to be mentioned as little as possible, and I respect the author for honoring that. However, the book really needed some space set aside to explore the fact that Wyatt was one of the kids brutally mocked by the bigoted Instagram account, but because he also followed the account, he was treated exclusively as a perpetrator. Also I would have appreciated it if the book had explained what the ableist slurs used against Wyatt actually meant, because I had to explain that to my mom.
- This is nitpicking, but my former research mentor said I'm required to correct people about this: this book describes the eugenicist Watson as "one-half" of the team that discovered DNA. Depending on your historical interpretation, he is, at best, one-third of the discovery team, and, at worst, one-half of the team that stole the discovery from Rosalind Franklin.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment
Minor: Pedophilia
This book describes the type of content you might find if you went looking for 4chan screenshots on Instagram. The focus is mostly on the thoughts and feelings of the kids affected, and I would strongly recommend this book to people who have been affected by racist harassment.
challenging
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
This is a book that I think all educators need to read and most high schoolers also need to read. It portrays the complexities of how what happens online can bleed into real life and the fallout that happens from huge mistakes in a public forum. The author is gracious to the people's lives that she is portraying and investigating, but she also provides the context necessary to understand the impact on each individual involved in the story. Highly recommend because it is thought provoking--no easy answers but definitely a topic that we need to consider more as a society.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Really important book. Would be helpful as source material for studies on digital citizenship and literacy. Should be required reading for high school students. It is long, but the text is broken into smaller chapters and some reflections in verse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts