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A review by i_love_big_books
I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones, Gilly Segal
challenging
funny
hopeful
tense
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
4.25
This book has two authors collaborating, one African American and the other white American, exactly like the two girls in the book, Lena and Campbell who have to navigate together the dangerous situation they find themselves in.
Lena is cool, stylish, popular and has a boyfriend she is mad about; Campbell on the other hand is the new girl, white in a nearly all black school, miserable with no friends and very little in the way of parental concern. By a twist of fate, the two girls who barely know each other are thrown together when a fight breaks out at a school football game and escalates into a full blown riot. With no choice but to rely on each other, Lena and Campbell set out walking, trying to get to safety as the situation around them gets worse, trapping them in the middle.
Alternating between Lena and Campbell's voices, this story explores the stereotypes that we unconsciously imbibe and come to expect. While Campbell says things prompted by thoughts she is surprised to find she has,that she regrets immediately as Lena calls her out on them, Lena makes multiple assumptions about Campbell being a poor little rich girl who cannot possibly have any serious problems!
Forced to be each other's anchor through the violence, they forge a kind of uneasy friendship, helping each other and just trying to get to a safe place.
The voices seem authentic, highlighting generalisations made and how these may not even be something either side realizes. It's a very nicely written book that is quite fast paced, given the premise. I found it quite different in the way it tries to present both sides of the coin in as unbiased a way as possible and really enjoyed it for this reason.
Lena is cool, stylish, popular and has a boyfriend she is mad about; Campbell on the other hand is the new girl, white in a nearly all black school, miserable with no friends and very little in the way of parental concern. By a twist of fate, the two girls who barely know each other are thrown together when a fight breaks out at a school football game and escalates into a full blown riot. With no choice but to rely on each other, Lena and Campbell set out walking, trying to get to safety as the situation around them gets worse, trapping them in the middle.
Alternating between Lena and Campbell's voices, this story explores the stereotypes that we unconsciously imbibe and come to expect. While Campbell says things prompted by thoughts she is surprised to find she has,that she regrets immediately as Lena calls her out on them, Lena makes multiple assumptions about Campbell being a poor little rich girl who cannot possibly have any serious problems!
Forced to be each other's anchor through the violence, they forge a kind of uneasy friendship, helping each other and just trying to get to a safe place.
The voices seem authentic, highlighting generalisations made and how these may not even be something either side realizes. It's a very nicely written book that is quite fast paced, given the premise. I found it quite different in the way it tries to present both sides of the coin in as unbiased a way as possible and really enjoyed it for this reason.