Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - Punching the Air

I'm not one for poetry but this book is incredible.

The authors do such an amazing job creating such gorgeous but heartbreaking work with such few words. The whole thing is captivating. I couldn't put the book down.

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aprilyvonne's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

📚Book Review📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yousef Salaam was an empowering and poignant story told in verse. I first discovered this unique narrative technique with Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I can truly say that after reading a handful of books in this style, it’s one of my favourites.

The story of Amal, a young Black teen wrongly incarcerated, navigates a deeply flawed world determined to cage him in. With his artistic talent, the support of his mother, and the bonds of friendship, Amal finds the hope within to survive, to thrive, and to heal.

The story was deeply moving and the poetry palpable. Despite the biased and broken system, Amal is able to rise up.

I’ll end this with one of my favourite poems, Dust.

“They can’t kill you in here
but they will try, Umi says
from across the round table

That’s the point
Locking you up isn’t enough
for them They will try
to crush your spirit until
you’re nothing but—

Dust
we both say together

And what does dust do, Amal?
What did Maya Angelou say about dust?
Umi asks

It rises, I whisper”
…

I encourage you all to read this one. 🫶

Content Warnings

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.

Content Warnings

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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takarakei's review against another edition

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emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

It was very well narrated. I loved the theme of art being therapeutic and a way for people to express and connect. This was my first novel in verse, but I think especially on audiobook it reads very much like a novel and I would’ve liked more poetry to the prose.

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