Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Punching the Air

Punching the Air is a YA novel in verse co-written by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, who was wrongly convicted in the “Central Park jogger” case as a teen. Inspired by Salaam’s experiences, the novel follows Amal Shahid, a wrongly convicted teen who leans on his love for art, poetry, and books to sustain him and others during the demoralizing and dehumanizing experience of incarceration.

This book was so good— I read it all in one day. It touches on so much— the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, racism, and the power of art. It is heartbreaking but also hopeful. It is a powerful, beautiful YA book in conversation with other works on abolition and the inhumanity of our carceral system. Recommend.

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upgirlcd's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is poetry and art.
This book is powerful.
This book speaks truth from a perspective most of us do not ever see.
As a Caucasian, Gen X woman, it is perspective for me to deeply wrap my head & heart around. My privilege.
I've been wrongly accused of shit like- sleeping with someone's man; passing a school bus.
Not even relatable to the color of my skin getting me incarcerated for assault.

The hip hop poetic writing makes this work even more powerful.

Read Punching the Air.

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sglance9's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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zombiezami's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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djimerson's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is tough. We follow Amal, a 16-year-old Black teen charge with a crime he didn’t commit. Using his art talent and poetry/ rhyming skills, we watch him struggle through this sudden turn of events that have up-ended his life. It’s a very power message, but it is also rage inducing because the reader is faced with another case of racial injustice.

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a_alves00's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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cranedphoenix's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective sad 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

3.25

Not a bad book
Wasn't expecting the book to end when it did so I was a bit disappointed (reading from my ereader) and it felt a little abrupt because of that
Otherwise it was a solid read, not my most favorite book but not a bad one probably in the middle ranking star wise

I do love how they use art throughout the book

especially when his art teacher doesn't believe what he creates is his truth

I will also say

the officer who has a tattoo is so accurate in symbolism and yet picturing that tattoo is nerve wracking

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