A review by jaaay_reads
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

I'm glad I got around to reading this book. All of what is discussed here is still way too true today. As a white person, I felt way too much about what Quinn was saying about being neutral and standing on the sidelines. 

After reading other reviews, I saw some comments that resonated with me. Rashad's story was too slowly paced, Rashad was too much of a model kid. I wish there was a discussion of kids who maybe have shoplifted before, but even still do not deserve this treatment. I wish we heard more about what happened after the protest. These are what brought my review to 4 stars. This book gave me some stuff to think about but didn't go deep enough into other topics. 

Overall, this is a great book to read a narrative that is quick and to the point about racism and police brutality in the U.S.
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