Review of the Novel and a #OwnVoices Reflection
Own Voices Reflection
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
βππ ππππ ππ π πππ ππππππ πππππ πππππππ πππ πππ ππππ ππππ ππ ππ ππππ ππ πππππ. π³ππβπ π’ππ ππππ πππ πππππ ππ πππππ π ππ’ππππ? π³ππβπ π’ππ ππππ ππππ π πππ ππ ππ πππππ?β -Christina Hammonds Reed,
πππ π½π‘πππ ππππ¨
Thank you to @simonteen & @hearourvoicestours for a copy of this ARC. Pub date 8/04/2020
#OwnVoices Reflection: As a teen, I remember feeling like Ashley, the lead character in this novel, πππ π½π‘πππ ππππ¨. I was that black kid that was in the AP classes that was predominately a white space. I felt like an alien at times, while also feeling at home. This novel spoke to me and I got it. I understood how she felt and the struggles she dealt with personally, socially, and culturally. The Rodney King verdict was huge and quite disappointing. In the present, we are still dealing with the issue of justice in the policing of black lives. As a person that identities as African-American, this story could have been written in the present and I would still feel the same. I am glad this book was written and it is timely and coincidental that πππ π½π‘πππ ππππ¨ is being released at this time. I feel like my story is being told through the lens of Ashley and her family and friends.
Information about the Book with Author’s Links.
The Black Kids
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 4, 2020
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
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Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, this unforgettable coming-of-age debut novel explores issues of race, class, and violence through the eyes of a wealthy black teenager whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots.
Los Angeles, 1992
Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. Itβs the end of senior year and theyβre 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, Ashleyβs not just one of the girls. Sheβs 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?
Author Information
Christina Hammonds Reed an MFA in Film and Television Production from the University of Southern Californiaβs School of Cinematic Arts. Her short fiction has previously appeared in the Santa Monica Review. She lives in Hermosa Beach, CA.
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