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A review by carriepond
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi, Yusef Salaam
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
4.25
Punching the Air is a YA novel in verse co-written by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, who was wrongly convicted in the “Central Park jogger” case as a teen. Inspired by Salaam’s experiences, the novel follows Amal Shahid, a wrongly convicted teen who leans on his love for art, poetry, and books to sustain him and others during the demoralizing and dehumanizing experience of incarceration.
This book was so good— I read it all in one day. It touches on so much— the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, racism, and the power of art. It is heartbreaking but also hopeful. It is a powerful, beautiful YA book in conversation with other works on abolition and the inhumanity of our carceral system. Recommend.
This book was so good— I read it all in one day. It touches on so much— the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, racism, and the power of art. It is heartbreaking but also hopeful. It is a powerful, beautiful YA book in conversation with other works on abolition and the inhumanity of our carceral system. Recommend.
Graphic: Racism, Confinement, Racial slurs, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Bullying and Physical abuse