This book allows students and readers two distinct looks into police brutality in an incident that could happen anywhere in America. Through Rashad we see the side of the victim of a brutal police beating when he is accused of stealing from a convenience store. We watch his painful recovery in the hospital room where he deals with broken ribs, a broken nose, and internal bleeding as well as an ex-police father who seems angry at him instead of the cop. Then we get the perspective of Quinn, a teenager from the same school who was friends with the cop who beat Rashad and the cop's brother. The scope of the story focuses on the actions and inner struggles of these two boys but also includes the actions of teachers, coaches, parents, siblings, and other community members. I read this book in less than a day because I couldn't put it down. There are no surprise plot twists, so the focus stays exactly where it needs to - on all the absent young men of color. I am so proud to have this in my classroom library. There are a few curse words here and there as well as incidents of brutal beatings, but these things are real and we cannot afford to look the other way or more boys will be "absent again today".

A must read for everyone!