A review by neglet
Light It Up by Kekla Magoon

5.0

Wow. Another amazing, intense book that drops you into a story of racial injustice. At first I didn’t think it was as powerful as HOW IT WENT DOWN, whose characters were more intimately connected to the shooting victim. Even though some of the characters reappear from HIWD, the number of POV characters might make it challenging for some readers to connect. But the numerous viewpoints make the ending even more powerful, as we’re made to feel the sheer weight of injustice that affects Black people in America. In HIWD, focus is more on whether shooting of a single young Black man was justified; here, we see how systemic racism, by making Black skin justification for any police action, imposes a horrific cost on all Black people—and how White people need to see that cost and recognize our privilege if we’re to become true allies. A stunning work.