Reviews with content warning for Violence - Mes coups seront mes mots

reading this book was an experience. punching the air is neither too plot- nor character-driven - amal and the tide of his days and life are instead driven along by the oppressive system - but the emotions it's able to evoke from the reader are sth else.

zoboi and salaam masterfully use the verse form to their advantage, visually depicting the oppressiveness and sense of being trapped deeply felt by amal and many black boys and men everywhere under the american prison industrial complex. how the system and the white ppl who both consciously and inadvertently uphold it are illustrated w/ nuance and a keen eye, their ignorance and racism so ingrained they arent even aware of the power of their words or actions, and all of it maddening esp in the juvie setting. this book's also abt art and its power, and the structure and incorporation of drawing and many visual elements rly complement the aforementioned themes.

tbh the novel's content and msg arent anything unfamiliar, but i think what truly makes it unique is the whole absorbing experience the one feels reading it. the emotions it evokes are near total, and one feels strongly connected to amal and what he's going thru. perhaps the fact that salaam himself has been thru the very same thing as amal has sth to do w/ it, and he's able to channel it all very well here.

overall, this is a very emotionally absorbing and powerful book. it's not rly plot-heavy but its form and structure are surprisingly effective and impactful.

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blainereads's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

4.5

I’ve read few books that *actually* live up to their comp titles (in this case, Jason Reynolds and Elizabeth Acevedo), but this was a perfect marriage of the best parts of those authors’ works and also adds an element of (devastating) realism on top. Not only does it incite empathy effortlessly, but it introduces a lot of important concepts to the audience (re: abolitionism) without ever info dumping or overwhelming the reader. This might be YA but it should be required reading for all ages.

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space_bandit's review against another edition

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emotional informative 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

5.0

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toadlovesreading's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

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miniando's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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cwatson1234's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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iheartm4m's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

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atlas_likes_to_read's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This was a beautifully written story that I had to give five stars. Initially, I was going to give a 4.75, but the fact this is based partially on true events makes it even more heartbreaking and pushes it up to five stars. Amal is a fantastically mapped out character and Yusef is so strong for everything he's been through and so amazing for all he's achieved. I recommend this book to everyone, especially those who are uneducated on the justice system, and to black youth trying to find their way.

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