Front cover blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Thoughts:
It’s incredibly sad that we need books like this, but we need books like this. And we need everyone to read them. This book is incredibly well done and gives insight into a world that a lot of us choose not to see. I would recommend this to teens and adults alike.
Plus: So many good, memorable characters and so many good lessons in this book.
Minus: Maybe an overly happy ending (at least relatively speaking) but I can also think of several reasons why the author would choose to do that.
If you like this book, try:
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely