A novel
This book is about the story of two teenage boys, Jason Reynold and Brendan Kiely who experience racism and police brutality in America firsthand. The story begins when Jason, an African-American boy, is brutally beaten by the police after being wrongly accused of shoplifting. This event shakes the local community and will change the lives of the protagonists forever. Quinn, who is Rashad's schoolmate, is at the scene of the attack, and therefore becomes a witness. Consequently it will be imbued with community expectation and personal conscience throughout history. This book is written in the first person, and is told from the point of view of the two main protagonists, who alternate narrating. This original way of narrating the story allows the reader to identify with both protagonists and to see reality with two different eyes. It is a book that I found very interesting because it describes and talks about American society and its main problems such as racism and violence, with which young people find themselves involved on a daily basis. It makes us understand the weak points of the society in which we live and invites us to reflect on these problems, encouraging us to always act for a more just society. I recommend this book to anyone, especially if you are passionate about sociology or social policy because, as well as a story, it is a true photocopy of the world we live in.