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A review by jessica42980
All American Boys by Brendan Kiely, Jason Reynolds
4.0
All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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This review will appear on my site on March 24, 2021.
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All American Boys is another powerful novel that deals with racism and police brutality. Though this novel was written back in 2015, it is even more relevant now. I was first ‘introduced’ to Jason Reynolds last year with his novel Long Way Down which was my top read of 2020, and I was excited to listen to another of his novels on audiobook.
We have two narrators: Rashad and Quinn. Rashad is black and involved in the school’s ROTC and Quinn is white and on the basketball team. They go to the same school but do not know each other. Rashad is inside a convenience store when an event happens and an assumption is made and then Rashad becomes a victim to excessive force from a police officer. Quinn is outside the convenience store and sees the beating, which affects him, especially since he knows the police officer involved who has become a father-like figure to him.
Then as things happen in today’s world, the video goes viral and Rashad finds himself at the center of the news and the town becomes divided. We also see how this one event affects so many in the community. A graffiti tag shows up at Rashad and Quinn’s school and gains momentum. Students at the school organize a march to protest and Quinn has to decide which side he ultimately chooses.
This is yet another YA novel that leaves the reader with many things to think about. This is another one that is highly recommended and I look forward to seeing what else Jason Reynolds has written and will write in the future.
~~~~
This review will appear on my site on March 24, 2021.
~~~~
All American Boys is another powerful novel that deals with racism and police brutality. Though this novel was written back in 2015, it is even more relevant now. I was first ‘introduced’ to Jason Reynolds last year with his novel Long Way Down which was my top read of 2020, and I was excited to listen to another of his novels on audiobook.
We have two narrators: Rashad and Quinn. Rashad is black and involved in the school’s ROTC and Quinn is white and on the basketball team. They go to the same school but do not know each other. Rashad is inside a convenience store when an event happens and an assumption is made and then Rashad becomes a victim to excessive force from a police officer. Quinn is outside the convenience store and sees the beating, which affects him, especially since he knows the police officer involved who has become a father-like figure to him.
Then as things happen in today’s world, the video goes viral and Rashad finds himself at the center of the news and the town becomes divided. We also see how this one event affects so many in the community. A graffiti tag shows up at Rashad and Quinn’s school and gains momentum. Students at the school organize a march to protest and Quinn has to decide which side he ultimately chooses.
This is yet another YA novel that leaves the reader with many things to think about. This is another one that is highly recommended and I look forward to seeing what else Jason Reynolds has written and will write in the future.