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

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m not sure I have words that can adequately express the beauty of this book. As a book in verse, I read it the same way I read The Poet X, I listened to the audiobook as I read a physical copy. I find I really like this simultaneous reading experience for works in verse -- the cadence of the reading is important, but the structure of the words is so interesting too. (Although I have to admit that after hearing Elizabeth Acevedo read The Poet X, I may be ruined for all future audiobook listening.)

This story is about injustice and incarceration, but it’s also about the power of art and human connection to keep your mind alive and free despite the surroundings. 

Teenager artist Amal Shahid -- Black and Muslim -- is convicted of assault resulting in an unconscious teenage white boy. Amal maintains he did not throw the final blows the resulted in the coma, but he is convicted anyway. We follow Amal through the sentencing and the beginning of his incarcerated life as he maneuvers new rules and people of power, the loss of art in his life, and his understandable anger. We see how the system (justice, prison, and school) failed to really serve him, but how he remains himself through art and human connection. We see how schools can put a label on someone after one incident and that label follows them onward. We see how teachers can not really see or listen to a student. We can see how otherness can permeate in ways that maybe don’t seem harmful on the surface but burrow into us. We can see how gentrification is harmful to a community and puts the onus of the resulting tension on the established community. We can see how mentors in the prison system can be positive, but when they’re temporary can become another person who leaves that kid behind.

I’m rambling and not doing this story justice, so I’ll just finish by saying I cannot adequately put words together to describe this story. I am not a reader who cries often, but I teared up during this book multiple times and it made me feel a little of everything. My heart broke; I was mad, but I was also hopeful. Just read this, please!!
 
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