Authors: Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Paperback, 336 Pages
Published August 2017
(First Published 2015)
Paperback, 336 Pages
Published August 2017
(First Published 2015)
Summary: A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement? There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.
This book was the first book that I was assigned for my very first ever graduate school class (I'm going for my MFA in Creative Writing), so I was super excited to immediately dive into a YA book that, according to all of my friends' Goodreads reviews, had already received a ton of praise. So, without further ado, let's get into my review!
As the summary explains, Rashad finds himself at a local corner store in his neighborhood at the wrong place at the wrong time. All he came for was a bag of chips, but due to an accident and a misunderstanding, he finds himself on the sidewalk outside, being beaten brutally by the police officer who was in the store (and seems to have a violent streak), even though he didn't do anything wrong. On the other side of town, we also meet Quinn, a white boy who also goes to Rashad's school and happens to witness the entire scene on the sidewalk. In addition to being shocked at how brutally Rashad is being beaten, he's also shocked by something else: the officer beating up Rashad is his best friend's older brother. The man who helped raise Quinn after his own father died in Afghanistan.
I really, really loved this book. I thought it was so incredibly powerful, especially being able to see the story through the eyes of both boys. This book really gives the reader the chance to explore just how intricate these issues can be, from misunderstandings turned violent, to the media spins, and the gossip, and even receiving pressure from other people to not betray those you know by speaking out. But if there's any message that this book conveys, one of the strongest ones that resonated with me is the idea that speaking up isn't a betrayal against anyone, no matter what pressures say otherwise -- it's just doing what's right and what's needed.
I also really loved the fact that this book is told in alternating chapters/perspectives, so you get to see the thought processes of both Rashad and Quinn. As the reader, you get to know both boys pretty well and you get a sense of their home lives, backgrounds, thought processes, etc. Seeing everything from Rashad's side and the entire misunderstanding playing out right in front of your eyes. And then on the other side you see Quinn, who is torn because he sees some people in the media spinning it as Rashad having done something to deserve what happened to him, even though he saw it with his own two eyes and knows otherwise. He knows that it wasn't right and that he should speak up and say something, but on the other hand, this is his best friend's brother that we're talking about, and he's receiving pressure from their family (and even his own and his basketball coach) to say silent and to not "betray" his family by speaking up. He feels a lot of guilt because he knows that something isn't right but he also doesn't want to turn his back on his family by speaking up, so he struggles with that conflict throughout the entire book, knowing that he will ultimately have to make a decision.
(Spoilers in this paragraph, skip to the next one to avoid them!) Something that I really liked about the ending of this book is the way that you don't really get to see what happens in terms of Paul's punishment or the trial, if he's guilty, etc. At first, when I finished the book I was a little bit frustrated that I didn't get to see how everything ended, but then I thought about it for a few minutes and realized that the book ended in the absolute perfect way. Because it's not about the trial or what happens to Paul or if the world changes from that march. What it's about is the fact that all of these people in Rashad and Quinn's community were banding together to present one unified idea, one unified voice, showing the people in charge that the public is angry and that things need to change. Having Paul be held accountable for his actions is something that's important, yes, but what seems more important in this story is the way that so many people banded together and decided to speak up and demand change.
Overall, I really loved reading ALL AMERICAN BOYS and I think that it's a powerful, thought-provoking, inspiring read that everyone should be adding to their TBR. If you've already read ALL AMERICAN BOYS, comment down below and let me know what you thought of it!
As the summary explains, Rashad finds himself at a local corner store in his neighborhood at the wrong place at the wrong time. All he came for was a bag of chips, but due to an accident and a misunderstanding, he finds himself on the sidewalk outside, being beaten brutally by the police officer who was in the store (and seems to have a violent streak), even though he didn't do anything wrong. On the other side of town, we also meet Quinn, a white boy who also goes to Rashad's school and happens to witness the entire scene on the sidewalk. In addition to being shocked at how brutally Rashad is being beaten, he's also shocked by something else: the officer beating up Rashad is his best friend's older brother. The man who helped raise Quinn after his own father died in Afghanistan.
I really, really loved this book. I thought it was so incredibly powerful, especially being able to see the story through the eyes of both boys. This book really gives the reader the chance to explore just how intricate these issues can be, from misunderstandings turned violent, to the media spins, and the gossip, and even receiving pressure from other people to not betray those you know by speaking out. But if there's any message that this book conveys, one of the strongest ones that resonated with me is the idea that speaking up isn't a betrayal against anyone, no matter what pressures say otherwise -- it's just doing what's right and what's needed.
I also really loved the fact that this book is told in alternating chapters/perspectives, so you get to see the thought processes of both Rashad and Quinn. As the reader, you get to know both boys pretty well and you get a sense of their home lives, backgrounds, thought processes, etc. Seeing everything from Rashad's side and the entire misunderstanding playing out right in front of your eyes. And then on the other side you see Quinn, who is torn because he sees some people in the media spinning it as Rashad having done something to deserve what happened to him, even though he saw it with his own two eyes and knows otherwise. He knows that it wasn't right and that he should speak up and say something, but on the other hand, this is his best friend's brother that we're talking about, and he's receiving pressure from their family (and even his own and his basketball coach) to say silent and to not "betray" his family by speaking up. He feels a lot of guilt because he knows that something isn't right but he also doesn't want to turn his back on his family by speaking up, so he struggles with that conflict throughout the entire book, knowing that he will ultimately have to make a decision.
(Spoilers in this paragraph, skip to the next one to avoid them!) Something that I really liked about the ending of this book is the way that you don't really get to see what happens in terms of Paul's punishment or the trial, if he's guilty, etc. At first, when I finished the book I was a little bit frustrated that I didn't get to see how everything ended, but then I thought about it for a few minutes and realized that the book ended in the absolute perfect way. Because it's not about the trial or what happens to Paul or if the world changes from that march. What it's about is the fact that all of these people in Rashad and Quinn's community were banding together to present one unified idea, one unified voice, showing the people in charge that the public is angry and that things need to change. Having Paul be held accountable for his actions is something that's important, yes, but what seems more important in this story is the way that so many people banded together and decided to speak up and demand change.
Overall, I really loved reading ALL AMERICAN BOYS and I think that it's a powerful, thought-provoking, inspiring read that everyone should be adding to their TBR. If you've already read ALL AMERICAN BOYS, comment down below and let me know what you thought of it!
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