Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment
Good story in what has now become a genre - YA books about questionable police actions, protest, and race. I read the book that came before this one four years ago, and I obviously forgot a lot because I was confused about some of the referrals to stuff in the previous book, and felt I was left hanging about a couple of characters. But it definitely can be read as a standalone book.
It is told from many different points of view, and, honestly, way too many points of view. It took me a while to keep it straight. I thought for a while that Will's stepfather was also the officer that has to work the Peach Street neighborhood after his colleague shoots a teen girl. I never quite figured out what Devante's role was in the book. He started out talking about how he was very comfortable in the white world given his background living in mainly white areas, so I thought the book would explore that more, but it never did. I thought the point of view of the daughter of the officer who shot the girl was interesting, and something I hadn't thought of much before. But definitely don't listen to this in audiobook form. I think the listener would never figure out what was going on.
It is told from many different points of view, and, honestly, way too many points of view. It took me a while to keep it straight. I thought for a while that Will's stepfather was also the officer that has to work the Peach Street neighborhood after his colleague shoots a teen girl. I never quite figured out what Devante's role was in the book. He started out talking about how he was very comfortable in the white world given his background living in mainly white areas, so I thought the book would explore that more, but it never did. I thought the point of view of the daughter of the officer who shot the girl was interesting, and something I hadn't thought of much before. But definitely don't listen to this in audiobook form. I think the listener would never figure out what was going on.
Find my original review on my blog: https://wp.me/p8jcuj-2uA
Not to long ago, in this same neighborhood, an unarmed black teen guy was gunned down by the police. While the neighborhood rose up and protested with hopes for a brighter future, change still needs to be made. A young girl who had done nothing but listen to music on her headphones, was shot by a police officer. The fresh trauma from the unjust shooting of Tariq makes the murder of Shae far more horrifying. How can the police continue to murder those they are supposed to be protecting? Protests begin breaking out across the neighborhood and white Supremacist protests begin occurring in the affluent borders of the area. How will the community come out of this tragedy?
This is a powerful book, which is no surprise because of Magoon's artistry as an author. The story is told from several points of view, each with a distinct voice that never muddles with another. Also, the perspectives that these voices bring to the story allow the author to provide a richer exploration of the events in the book. This is a second book in a series, however, it is not necessary to read the first book to appreciate this book. The characters are real, the events are real, and the spark of discussion is important. This book would fit in with a classroom curriculum and will be appreciated by the students because it is high interest and well done.
Not to long ago, in this same neighborhood, an unarmed black teen guy was gunned down by the police. While the neighborhood rose up and protested with hopes for a brighter future, change still needs to be made. A young girl who had done nothing but listen to music on her headphones, was shot by a police officer. The fresh trauma from the unjust shooting of Tariq makes the murder of Shae far more horrifying. How can the police continue to murder those they are supposed to be protecting? Protests begin breaking out across the neighborhood and white Supremacist protests begin occurring in the affluent borders of the area. How will the community come out of this tragedy?
This is a powerful book, which is no surprise because of Magoon's artistry as an author. The story is told from several points of view, each with a distinct voice that never muddles with another. Also, the perspectives that these voices bring to the story allow the author to provide a richer exploration of the events in the book. This is a second book in a series, however, it is not necessary to read the first book to appreciate this book. The characters are real, the events are real, and the spark of discussion is important. This book would fit in with a classroom curriculum and will be appreciated by the students because it is high interest and well done.
Eye-opening and powerful. The vignette style is great to see the story from different perspectives. I’ve learned a lot about social justice, the nature of activism, and the impact of police violence on the black community.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.5*
all i can really say is wow. such an eye-opening book told from so many perspectives. my only issue was if you put it down, you might have a hard time figuring out where you left off with so many perspectives. otherwise, very well-written.
all i can really say is wow. such an eye-opening book told from so many perspectives. my only issue was if you put it down, you might have a hard time figuring out where you left off with so many perspectives. otherwise, very well-written.
I used this book for my PopSugar Challenge 2020
Prompt 35: A book with a 3 word title.
Tomorrow for all
Some books leave an indelible mark on you. The Truth that they imbue in every word and character will shape and haunt you. Light It Up is one of those books. In this companion novel to How It Went Down Magoon brilliantly relays how in each unjust killing there are differences but the reasons remain the same. Unbridled racism veiled as self-protection. In Tariqs death we face the fact that what we see is not determined by what's in front of us but by what has been ingrained in us. In Shae's we face the truth that in some cases we can't even begin to justify the violence laid upon the most innocent among us. We are forced to acknowledge that America has been so racialized that even the murder of a young girl will be swept away because our authorities have been trained to see melanin as a weapon.
These are heart wrenching realizations to wade through but they are the necessary work that must be done to dismantle the structures of a society built on the backs of the oppressed. I'll be recommending this book to everyone who will listen.
Prompt 35: A book with a 3 word title.
Tomorrow for all
Some books leave an indelible mark on you. The Truth that they imbue in every word and character will shape and haunt you. Light It Up is one of those books. In this companion novel to How It Went Down Magoon brilliantly relays how in each unjust killing there are differences but the reasons remain the same. Unbridled racism veiled as self-protection. In Tariqs death we face the fact that what we see is not determined by what's in front of us but by what has been ingrained in us. In Shae's we face the truth that in some cases we can't even begin to justify the violence laid upon the most innocent among us. We are forced to acknowledge that America has been so racialized that even the murder of a young girl will be swept away because our authorities have been trained to see melanin as a weapon.
These are heart wrenching realizations to wade through but they are the necessary work that must be done to dismantle the structures of a society built on the backs of the oppressed. I'll be recommending this book to everyone who will listen.
This picks up in the same neighborhood with many of the same narrators as How It Went Down, but it's not exactly a sequel, as each could be read as a standalone. It covers a wide range of perspectives around the aftermath of a police officer killing an unarmed black child, and a lot of it is tough to read, but so realistic. This would be an amazing teaching tool for teaching current events and different perspectives to older teens.
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated