It is a big
issue today. I am talking about the issue of police violence and the black community.
I am sure books have been written about it and
will continue to be written.
Sixteen-year-old Starr
Carter is trying to fit in to the world around her which is poor black 
neighborhood with her attendance at the fancy prep school
in the suburbs.
neighborhood with her attendance at the fancy prep school
in the suburbs.
She is living in two worlds. At school she is different than when she is in her neighborhood.
She witnesses the shooting of her childhood friend by a white
policeman who, despite her attempts to hold him responsible, gets off.
The situation places her neighborhood and her family in the
midst of the struggle to get along and to get justice. She must find her voice.
This forces her to come out of her shell to become an activist. This pressure is handled very well by the author.
This young adult fiction feels sound. It is not too harsh and
not too lenient of the situation.
This is Thomas’ first novel. She handles her characters well.
I will look forward to her further venture into the fiction realm, should she
choose to go in that direction.
This tome has
received the Coretta Scott King Award and the Michael L. Printz Award for
Excellence in Young Adult Literature from the American Library Association. So,
it is one of those we should pay some attention to, I feel.
The publisher is Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins.
It is 444 pages long with an acknowledgement. It retails for $18.99. I am sure you
can find it cheaper online if you don’t wish to support your local bookstore.
