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Book: The Black Kids

Author: Christina Hammons Reed

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Black main character and main family

Recommended For...: historical fiction, books about racism and police brutality

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 16+ (language, n word usage by non-black characters, racism, violence, gore, police brutality TW)

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Book for Young Readers

Pages: 359

Synopsis: Los Angeles, 1992

Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.

Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.

As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.

With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?

Review: For the most part this was a really good book. I enjoyed the story and oh my it felt like a blast from the past! The plot kept me hooked, the characters were well developed, and I enjoyed reading it.

However, I did think that the book was a bit weird in pacing. It was very fast and choppy in the beginning but then very slow after the climax. The book also needed more world building in my opinion.

Verdict: Required reading!