You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
I've read this book in highschool and I remember loving it, however it didn't live up to the hype. Chiamaka was unlikeable and wasn't kind to anyone throughout the whole book. Devon was the saving grace, a sweet boy who cares for his ma and brothers.
This book pretend that it's a big social message on black lives however it starts as a realistic representation of racism in life and then turns it into this ridiculously massive plot that the entire country is against black people. That's where they lost me.
It feels like they try to fester a mindset of "everyone is against me" when that isn't a realistic thing to think. The overall feeling i got was "well, if you're not like me then you end up being bad" and if anything, by the end of the book, I felt they were trying to advocate a divide between races rather than bring them together!
This book pretend that it's a big social message on black lives however it starts as a realistic representation of racism in life and then turns it into this ridiculously massive plot that the entire country is against black people. That's where they lost me.
It feels like they try to fester a mindset of "everyone is against me" when that isn't a realistic thing to think. The overall feeling i got was "well, if you're not like me then you end up being bad" and if anything, by the end of the book, I felt they were trying to advocate a divide between races rather than bring them together!
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this was really really good. it’s a chilling and very real-feeling commentary on systematic racism, and right when i thought i knew what was going on, something else happened that made my jaw drop in real life. devon and chiamaka were such well-written protagonists, and the plot twists were so well done.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked this book! I wish the epilogue didn’t jump so far or that it would’ve been broken down to two parts. The ending seemed rushed after the big reveal ! And there’s a sort of cliffhanger that has you asking “what next?!”
I also half forgot sometimes that these were high school kids. I loved Devon, his character building, his angst and his troubles. I liked Chiamaka’s character towards the end more so than the beginning.
The ending was happy and well deserved, i just wish there was more elaboration and building of the ending.
Who approached Terrell?!
Why did Chi’s character have the additional identification crisis of possibly being Bisexual when it was clear she wasn’t solid in her own identity. It just seemed thrown in there to match Devon’s plight.
I also half forgot sometimes that these were high school kids. I loved Devon, his character building, his angst and his troubles. I liked Chiamaka’s character towards the end more so than the beginning.
The ending was happy and well deserved, i just wish there was more elaboration and building of the ending.
Who approached Terrell?!
Why did Chi’s character have the additional identification crisis of possibly being Bisexual when it was clear she wasn’t solid in her own identity. It just seemed thrown in there to match Devon’s plight.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I cannot lie, this book held my attention like you wouldn't believe, especially around 1/3 of the way through onwards. The repeated escalation of tension kept me reading at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, the plot really went off the rails and became very unrealistic. I have so many questions, but I won't detail them here as most of them are huge spoilers. It felt like a story that could not ever logistically happen, running counter to the author's intentions. Another big thing that was detrimental to the author's attempt to make this feel like a story that could happen anywhere was the absolutely horrible choice to not set the book in a concrete location. It came across like the author wanted to set a book in the US, but doesn't have enough knowledge of the place or the people to pull that off believably. Instead our setting was a weird US-UK hybrid that felt completely artificial. The town is not fleshed out at all, all we know is that it has a Poor Side and a Rich Side and that it's coastal. And somehow seems to be exclusively populated by white people and Black people. No other races in sight. Very bizarre and unlikely for a US town.
Overall, I had fun reading this book, even though I had...many questions. Good for an enjoyable YA thriller moment, not so good for thinking hard about what you're reading.
Overall, I had fun reading this book, even though I had...many questions. Good for an enjoyable YA thriller moment, not so good for thinking hard about what you're reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Racism, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Classism
Moderate: Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Car accident, Outing, Gaslighting
Minor: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Vomit, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol