Objectively, this is well-written, with a tense mystery set at the core of the COVID lockdown. It hits on a lot of important issues surrounding race in America, and surrounding issues with COVID in general. Kim Johnson is a great writer and really examines these issues with a lot of emotion and through the lens of a Black teen in America. It will definitely spark a lot of great conversations.

However, I have a hard time reading anything that is set during the pandemic because I read (mostly) as an escape. The story feels too close to home, and while I get writing is a way for some people to work through things, I'm not someone who necessarily wants to read about this topic at the moment. So, if you want to avoid COVID related stories, I'd probably shelve this one for later.