Written by Kim Johnson, this is an amazingly well-written novel, which I decided to feature on its own because this is a book that truly reminded me how much we have at stake here in America. Though the plot and the characters are fictional, the struggles and themes found within the text are very real for many citizens. Without further delay, here are a few reasons I’m recommending that everyone reads this book:

1. Perspective. Told from the point of view of a black teenage activist, whose innocent father sits in jail for a crime he didn’t commit and whose brother becomes involved in a town scandal that causes him to flee, the novel pulls the reader inside an all too familiar world of prejudice and racism. Kim Johnson does an excellent job at exploring all points of view and diving deeper into human nature and emotion as the plot unfolds.
2. The author’s note. Johnson delivered an excellent conclusion about what led her to write this book, complete with well-rounded explanations about the history of minority struggles in the U.S. She also detailed her own life experiences and added factual information about past, heartbreaking events that I’d never heard about, forgotten and abandoned as time progressed. It was shocking to see that a murder of a black man by police in the 90s paralleled a similar tragedy in 2020, and it challenged me to think about what this means for our future.
3. A generally suspenseful and emotionally-driven story line. Though the premise is heart wrenching, Johnson successfully keeps the reader interested through a series of cliffhangers, clues, and complex plot.

Please consider giving this book a read. It might be outside of your comfort zone, but I promise you that it will help you understand more about the world and the people who live in it! No matter which side of the political line you stand on, there is always room for growth.

If you have read this book, let me know what you think in the comment section below!