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A review by penguinjv
Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro
2.0
1.5 stars rounding up to 2.
First, I didn't especially care for Moss. He felt inconsistent as a character.
Second, I also thought that the actions of the police were over the top. I'm sure they really do do or have half the things discussed (Silent Guardian, the Mosquito thing, etc.), but it just felt too much. Especially to roll out in a high school that never mentions gang violence. A high school with so little funds as to fix water leaks strikes a bargain with the Oakland PD to get metal detectors, but not just any metal detectors; military/war grade ones?
It just did not seem authentic. And my husband has a rod in his leg... a titanium rod. We've been through TSA, metal detectors, etc. It's never been a problem. Then the metal detectors magnetize a kid with a metal rod in his leg while he's on crutches... plus tragic backstory...and then he was just learning to walk again... but this incident ruins his possible ability to ever walk again, but his friends saved him by turning of the machine!..even after the principal/AP arrived and couldn't do a damn thing...plus not one of the cops had any idea how to work the machine or the desire to stop someone from being hurt...
How uplifting. I kept expecting it to go dystopian.
I am in the middle with the police. I think there are good cops and bad cops. I think African Americans and other minorities are targeted and killed, without a doubt. But the police in this story were vilified to the extreme. And Moss spitting in Daley's face was just unnecessary. He could have been better than that. Don't forgive; be angry. Walk away. Say a cutting comment. Yell. But to spit in someone's face? Uncouth. And what kind of role model is that?
I also don't think all the running from the cops really helped Moss, either. I think it exacerbated the situation(s). There is a lot of drama.
And finally, I felt like every possible type of diverse character that could have been thrown in was. You've got trans, nonbinary, asexual, lesbian parents, single parents, Hispanic female adopted by a white couple, a kid in a wheelchair, etc. I love diversity and think it is incredibly important, but it felt like they threw in every possible diverse option. Plus, Moss has anxiety and lacks self-confidence, which I can completely identify with, but it did not seem consistent with his character and was just one more "label." And some of them had back stories that dropped hints (Reg) before finally, unnecessarily, explaining the relevance. And then adding in the mom's back story to protesting just was more unnecessary side/back story drama. They threw in every possible assumption or stereotype just so it could be refuted. I would have preferred less of that and more character development or depth on a handful of characters; I couldn't keep track of everyone.
This was 450+ pages of tiny font and packed leading (space between lines). This story could have been significantly shorter. Like the 1/2 page explaining how everyone's nickname or even given name came to be. Come on. Too much ...extra stuff.
This concept is incredibly important and relevant. I just think this book didn't do it justice.
Spoiler
First, I didn't especially care for Moss. He felt inconsistent as a character.
Second, I also thought that the actions of the police were over the top. I'm sure they really do do or have half the things discussed (Silent Guardian, the Mosquito thing, etc.), but it just felt too much. Especially to roll out in a high school that never mentions gang violence. A high school with so little funds as to fix water leaks strikes a bargain with the Oakland PD to get metal detectors, but not just any metal detectors; military/war grade ones?
It just did not seem authentic. And my husband has a rod in his leg... a titanium rod. We've been through TSA, metal detectors, etc. It's never been a problem. Then the metal detectors magnetize a kid with a metal rod in his leg while he's on crutches... plus tragic backstory...and then he was just learning to walk again... but this incident ruins his possible ability to ever walk again, but his friends saved him by turning of the machine!..even after the principal/AP arrived and couldn't do a damn thing...plus not one of the cops had any idea how to work the machine or the desire to stop someone from being hurt...
"How do you do it, Moss?
"Do what?"
"Exist. When the world hates you so much."
How uplifting. I kept expecting it to go dystopian.
I am in the middle with the police. I think there are good cops and bad cops. I think African Americans and other minorities are targeted and killed, without a doubt. But the police in this story were vilified to the extreme. And Moss spitting in Daley's face was just unnecessary. He could have been better than that. Don't forgive; be angry. Walk away. Say a cutting comment. Yell. But to spit in someone's face? Uncouth. And what kind of role model is that?
I also don't think all the running from the cops really helped Moss, either. I think it exacerbated the situation(s). There is a lot of drama.
And finally, I felt like every possible type of diverse character that could have been thrown in was. You've got trans, nonbinary, asexual, lesbian parents, single parents, Hispanic female adopted by a white couple, a kid in a wheelchair, etc. I love diversity and think it is incredibly important, but it felt like they threw in every possible diverse option. Plus, Moss has anxiety and lacks self-confidence, which I can completely identify with, but it did not seem consistent with his character and was just one more "label." And some of them had back stories that dropped hints (Reg) before finally, unnecessarily, explaining the relevance. And then adding in the mom's back story to protesting just was more unnecessary side/back story drama. They threw in every possible assumption or stereotype just so it could be refuted. I would have preferred less of that and more character development or depth on a handful of characters; I couldn't keep track of everyone.
This was 450+ pages of tiny font and packed leading (space between lines). This story could have been significantly shorter. Like the 1/2 page explaining how everyone's nickname or even given name came to be. Come on. Too much ...extra stuff.
This concept is incredibly important and relevant. I just think this book didn't do it justice.