I have read this book so many times. I read it quite a few times in 2013/14, this is the first time I have read it in quite some time. In my initially readings, I adored Charlie and connected very deeply with his character. 

After this reread, I still really adore Charlie and still connect with his character, though at a little bit more of a distance. Before, a lot of parts about him I was relating to because I was living in those struggles (though in college rather than high school – same awkwardness in making friends and learning what actually participating and not living for others means), but now I’ve gone through some of that process more. I still regularly struggle with it in a lot of ways, but I have learned more about myself since then enough to see it in a different light and to see other parts of the story. In particular this reading had me thinking a lot about the role of violence and how it is passed or not, and who is at fault (if we even have an answer for that). I found myself focusing even more on these other characters and invested in seeing how this issue impacted them and understanding them in different ways. 

In general, I really love the way it is written. The framing alone tells us a lot about Charlie as a character. But the style is so clearly in his voice, which makes it so personal and immersive. He has a specific way of talking, but even in the mistakes and wandering trails of thought he goes on, it makes it feel that much more honest and like we are getting a very authentic version of him.

This book deals with a lot of tough topics and there are some parts where characters say and do problematic things, often with Charlie acknowledging the issue but not fully (largely because he’s a child and it’s the 90’s). But I do think that a lot of these elements served a purpose (excluding, for instance, slurs that were normalized at this point) and showed us Charlie’s reality.
Ultimately, I still really love this book. Charlie and this book as a whole holds a very special place in my heart. 

CW: sexual assault, mental illness, physical violence, homophobia (verbal, also physical), drug use, alcoholism, incest, child abuse

This is a very character-focused story with subtle themes involving being disenchanted by society's norms while falling under the pressure of those norms. I will definitely be going back over this one to really pick out the details! It's definitely not for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and will continue to enjoy it as I go over the story again before rewatching the movie. I was completely enamored by the clear discussion of compulsory heterosexuality in this, but that is certainly not the only norm being criticized here.

There are a number of problematic things throughout the comic, but most of them are a reflection of the character's insecurities with her own identities (you can see the CWs for specifics on that) 

Mumia Abu-Jamal pointedly weaves together the past with what is his present in this this is a compellation of essays from 1998 to 2017 on police brutality. There is so much important insight throughout many of these. More than that, there is so much. He recalls so many names -- and this isn't close to a complete list by any means.   While I would love a detailed history of the instances he discusses, I think that his style of essay and choice to put out from such a broad span of time (nearly two decades) works very well. While this is obviously emotional to read, the way that he writes and the length of the essays made this relatively quick to get through.

 In this book, Assata goes between two times in her life. One, beginning with her time in the hospital after being shot and framed for murder up and another, starting from her early childhood. You see the time she spent in a myriad of prisons in inhumane conditions and going through multiple trials for crimes she did not commit as well as her experience growing up and eventually being in leftist spaces, including the Black Panthers as it is being infiltrated .

So many parts of this nearly read like she was describing the world today -- the police, but also the missteps in organizing for social justice. This is difficult to read, particularly the beginning descriptions of her time in the hospital monitored by white supremacists cops and being in solitary after, but it is absolutely essential reading.

There were a lot of details in the writing that takes this story to another level literarily. She ends some of the chapters with poems that are relevant to the events in the chapter. And the very intentional choices with spelling and grammar, I have a lot of feelings about as well. Many people take language and its rules at face value without questioning it -- Assata uses the language to question and reveal aspects of toxic system and assumption about self and others 

Thematically layered with a riveting plot. There is *so* much to unpack about race, power, queerness, and much more. I am still reeling after finishing this book!

The first half was pretty good, the second half was pretty upsetting 😔