Disclaimer: A Physical Copy was provided via Simon and Schuster Indiain exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.

Another wonderfully written relevant YA novel- coming of age about a young black girl who oscillates between the identity she has lived her whole life and the identity she was born with, a black identity.

Ashley Bennett has lived a charmed life. Her parents have done their best to make sure that their kids, Ashley and her elder sister, have all the opportunities that they could provide for them - that includes the best education at a private school, predominantly white and their house in a safe, gated community; again predominantly white.

Told in Ashley’s PoV, where she does her best to show a positive outlook - but little cracks soon start to appear, whether be it small but significant instances of racism within her friends’ circle or be it her own sister trying to show her, why she is outspoken about the things Ashley believes don’t touch her, because they “are just not that kind of black family”.


I am not gonna lie, Ashley is a hard protagonist to like, really. With her decisions and her apathetic nature towards the actual events beyond as to how it could affect her own life? She came off as selfish and self absorbed at the start, especially considering that the book itself is plotted around the events after the shooting/murder of Rodney King, a black man at the hands of the white policemen.

Yes, she does show a slow progression towards a bit of a character growth; but it’s isn’t as explosive as I wanted it to be - for her to embrace her own self, her own identity, when it is her identity as a young black girl, that mattered throughout the events in the book.

I was hoping for.. just more from Ashley - but it was the plot that interested me; the emotions, the intense feelings evoked in me is the reason why I will recommend this book to anyone who asks.

The Black Kids is relevant, intense and absolutely realistic - it is filled with hope yet at the same time delivers a sense of bitter sweet acceptance that though they might need to move forward with their lives; always being the best they can be, without forgetting who they are!



For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)

Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram  | Goodreads  | Amazon |