A review by blainereads
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi, Yusef Salaam

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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