CW: racism, police brutality, violence

Although it’s one of the shortest I’ve read, this novel packs a punch. In only 210 pages, it tackles racism and police brutality, and it’s a powerful read. I sped through this book in a total of about 3 hours, but that didn’t detract from its impact.

The story told is one that’s completely up front and brutally honest. It hides nothing, tells everything. And even though the characters aren’t especially fleshed out, it works. They’re vividly realistic nonetheless, flawed and fighting and fearing. I think this is a testament to Nic’s skill even as a debut author, to focus on content over characters and still have everything work out.

However, there were two aspects I unfortunately didn’t like as much. First, dialogue made up about 75% of the novel, and while that’s definitely a stylistic choice that adds an extra level of uniqueness, I think it prevented side characters from being fully fleshed out. And second, I’m not sure that I’m a fan of Justyce’s romance with SJ. They were good friends and worked well together, but at least to me it felt like their relationship beyond those things didn’t really have any chemistry.

Nonetheless, I liked this book. It’s full of upsetting events but ends in a way that gives hope. It’s relevant, it’s excellent, and I urge you to read it if you can. It’s a narrative we need to listen to.