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The Cost of Knowing

Brittney Morris (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating details · 1,006 ratings · 317 reviews

Dear Martin meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, evocative novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death, from the acclaimed author of SLAY.

Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; ...more

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Hardcover, 336 pages

Published April 6th 2021 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

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· 1,006 ratings · 317 reviews

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May 19, 2019 Brittney Morris rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

My love letter to all the Black men who had to grow up too early.

flag 202 likes · Like · see review

Dec 08, 2020 Lauren Lanz rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-stars, i-own, arcs, author-of-colour, young-adult

“To all the Black boys who had to grow up too early.”

The dedication above encapsulates this story perfectly. It’s a love letter and a wake up call bundled together in a package both heartbreaking and beautiful.

~★~ What is this book about? ~★~

The Cost of Knowing follows Alex, a teenage boy who lost his parents in an accident years ago. He now lives with his aunt and little brother Isaiah, who are some of the few pieces of happiness left in his life. Alex has the strange ability to see the fut ...more

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Mar 30, 2021 jenny✨ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ya-sci-fi, poc-reppin, 2021, ownvoices, black-authors, author-of-colour, siblings, ya-contemporary

i have mixed feelings, but one thing's for sure—the love between alex and isaiah hit me so. hard.

first, though: can we just take a sec to appreciate this stunning cover art by alvin epps????

thank you netgalley and simon & schuster canada for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️

the cost of knowing is, above all, brittney morris' love letter to all the Black men who had to grow up too early.

four years ago, alex rufus lost both his parents i ...more

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Mar 21, 2021 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: authors-of-color, characters-of-color

TW for death of a loved one, racism, and anxiety

This one is definitely a lot to read and so hard to rate. Ever since his parents died, Alex has been able to see the immediate future of anything he touches. He's learned to live with it, but it's affecting his relationships with his girlfriend and his brother, especially when he has visions off is girlfriend angry with him and his brother dying. Every single vision of his comes true, so Alex must race to spend time with his brother and protect him ...more

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Apr 09, 2021 Maddie (Inking & Thinking) rated it liked it

⭐️ 3.5 Stars ⭐️

Alex Rufus is trying to do the best he can in his life. He tries to be the best employee, he tries to be the best boyfriend for Talia, and he tries to be the best brother for Isiah. But Alex always manages to come up short. For Alex, it’s hard for him to stay in the present when every object he touches shows him the future. When he touches his car, he sees it totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the edge of breaking up. When Alex touches a photo of his f ⭐️ 3.5 Stars ⭐️

Alex Rufus is trying to do the best he can in his life. He tries to be the best employee, he tries to be the best boyfriend for Talia, and he tries to be the best brother for Isiah. But Alex always manages to come up short. For Alex, it’s hard for him to stay in the present when every object he touches shows him the future. When he touches his car, he sees it totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the edge of breaking up. When Alex touches a photo of his family, he sees Isiah’s incoming death and everything changes.

Everything about this novel was so authentic. In this book, we see issues addressed that are currently going on in our world. We see the realities of not only being black but what it’s like to be a black man. We see how African Americans get profiled and how many assumptions are being made about them off the bat. I love how the author isn’t afraid to put this issue on blast and show people what it is like for African Americans.

Going off what I said in the previous paragraph, we also see this book emphasized toxic masculinity that is placed onto black men. In this book, Morris allows the boys to act like kids instead of having them grow up so fast. We see Alex struggle with this feeling like he needs to work to be a provider for his family and that if he did not, he wouldn’t be a man. By the end, Alex realizes that he doesn’t need a paycheck to provide for his family, but he can do it in other ways. He learns that the family doesn’t just need financial support, but also emotional support and that is what makes him a true man

One of the things that bothered me while reading was that every time Alex had a vision; he had to cancel it. After a while thus became annoying because each time he cancelled it. And every time he cancelled it, we got the details on how it worked. Like for example, whenever Alex was working at his scoop’s visions popped up. It did bring down my reading experience, but It also helped me to understand what Alex was going through.

My favourite thing about this novel has to be the relationship between Alex and Isaiah. Throughout the story, we see that at the beginning of the book that they really don’t know each other. Isaiah stays in his room all day while Alex is out at work and hanging out with Talia. Once Alex finds out about Isaiah’s imminent death, he tries to make his relationship better before Isaiah is gone. We see them bond over a rapper called Shiv and see them hang out together. It is such a sweet relationship, and you can see how much they care for each other.

I love Alex as a character, and the author did such an accurate job portraying his anxiety. A great example of this is when Alex worries every second of ways Isaiah could die. Based on this, you can tell his anxiety is focusing on Isaiah’s death, and it’s hard for him to take his mind off the subject. You could tell that Alex cared so much for his loved ones and was willing to do anything for them. He had so many regrets about the things he could have done. As time passes, he learns to make peace with past regrets. Isaiah was so young but had such a burden on his back. He was a twelve-year-old kid, that has to deal with many problems that no kid that age should have to deal with. I loved how he would eat pizza bits and fruit loops. I loved how he wanted to be a rapper and when it came down to his death, it made it even harder to deal with.

The last act of the book feels rushed. The entire story makes it clear what is coming next. When I was reading it, I got confused about what happened. It went by super fast, and it quickly became misleading on what was happening. When it really shouldn’t because we know what happens. In the last act, there is so much that has to happen that everything feels cramped within the few pages. But there is a scene at the end of the book dealing with past ancestors that is so beautiful, so it made the ending somewhat better.

Overall, this was a good book with a few problems here and there. I would recommend you to check it out if you think this will be up your alley!

TW: Blood, Mass Shooting, Gun Violence, Racism.

Thank you, NetGallery for providing me with an ARC of The Cost of Knowing in exchange for an honest review!

Check out my review on my blog: https://inkingandthinking.wordpress.c... ...more

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Mar 04, 2021 Bethany marked it as dnf

Shelves: black-authors, its-not-you-its-me

DNF at 48%

Let me just say that this is not a bad book by any means. I think it is very successful in what it's trying to do, but I wasn't expecting some things that made it difficult for me to continue reading. And maybe I should have known as it has been comped to They Both Die at the End, which I had similar feelings about.

The Cost of Knowing is a love letter to Black boys, following a teen boy who has been "cursed" with the ability to see visions of the future when he touches things, ever si ...more

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Mar 25, 2021 ✧･ﾟ⁽⁽ଘ Shreya ଓ⁾⁾✧･ﾟ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs

~Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!~

Joy in the face of oppression is its own kind of bravery.

My Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was my first ARC review with Netgalley and it was amazing!

First Impressions\Overall Thoughts: This book drew me in from the start. I absolutely loved how it had fantasy elements while also being centered around real-life issues such as racism, the danger of stereotypes, anxiety, and grief. Brittny Morris did a gre ...more

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Aug 16, 2020 sol marked it as to-read

Shelves: cover-porn, bipoc

this cover makes me remember how much i love men.

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Apr 26, 2021 Marieke du Pré rated it it was amazing

It’s okay to be afraid of the future. It’s okay to be anxious. Men get anxious. Men are afraid sometimes.

The Cost of Knowing is an incredibly powerful story. It’s about toxic masculinity. It’s about brotherhood. It’s about love. But above all, it’s about a Black boy who is never carefree.

Imagine: being Black and male. Always being afraid. Being worried all the time. Being anxious.

Imagine: touching someone and then envisioning what will happen. A break-up, someone in trouble, someone dying.

Imagin ...more

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May 16, 2021 BookNightOwl rated it really liked it

The cost of knowing is about a brother who can see into the future simply by touching something. So when he sees a glimpse of his brother dying he decides there is things In his life that need to change.

I felt this was well written. I loved the sibling love and also the different topics it covered. I gave this an A-

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Mar 11, 2021 Anika | Chapters of May rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc

The Cost of Knowing is a gripping YA story that explores brotherhood, prejudice, and resilience from the author of SLAY.

The Cost of Knowing follows sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus and his brother, Isaiah. Years ago, their parents were killed in a car accident, leaving Alex and Isaiah to be raised by their aunt in Chicago. After traumatic loss, Alex finds he has the ability to see the future through touch, and after picking up an old family photo, he has a vision that tells him Isaiah might die. Now ...more

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Apr 24, 2021 Elaine rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: g-ya, subj-oppression-classes, 3-stars, audiobook, sg-family-life, subj-social-issues, pd-contemporary, drama, sg-para-supern-urban, sg-growing-up

Kinda Oedipus Rex-y, without any sex... y.

Alex is keeping a big secret. Since his parents died in a car accident 4 years ago, he's been able to see the future of anything his hands touch. The ability is so overwhelming that he's become reclusive from his Aunt Mackie, his girlfriend Talia, and even his little brother Isaiah. But Isaiah has become distant too. He doesn't have friends anymore, and only talks to Alex when he has to. One day, Alex's vision shows him at Isaiah's funeral. In an instant ...more

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May 19, 2021 Books and More with Kristin G rated it liked it

Shelves: stand-alones, contemporary, read-in-2021

3.5 stars!

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Apr 12, 2021 Michelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: 52-weeks-of-woc, 2021, diaspora, net-galley, she-spoke, young-adult, april-2021

When I first saw The Cost of Knowing the cover blew me away! Gorgeous rendition by illustrator Alvin Epps showing two beautiful young black men.

Alex and Isaiah are brothers. They have lost their parents in a car accident. Life obviously has not been the same since their parents death. Each has found their own coping strategies. I loved how Morris developed the relationship between the two brothers. Their closeness, Alex's protectiveness and how he chooses to spend time with Isaiah were a beautif ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 Kate rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2020, arc

This book wrecked me, but in a way that it probably needs to.

Alex is a young man with the gift, and curse, of seeing future events when he touches someone or an item. As much as he is able, he tries to not touch people he loves, not after he saw his best friend's death and was unable to stop it. But an accidental touch of a photograph shows him mourning at his younger brother's grave site. Alex is devastated, and determined to spend as much time with his brother as possible after spending years ...more

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Jun 09, 2020 Sana marked it as to-read-so-bad-it-hurts

'Two brothers are cursed. Alex can see the future. Isaiah can see the past. When Alex, the older, sees a vision of Isaiah dying in a few days, cue a race against time to track where this family curse came from & figure out what it means to be a Black boy in the present.'

I can't waitttt

Source ...more

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Jun 10, 2021 Jill rated it really liked it

So damn emotional and tragic... Brittney Morris is such an amazing author I will read everything she puts out

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Nov 22, 2020 Alex rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 14-and-15

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, let's get this out of the way. Slay was incredible. I genuinely couldn't believe it was Morris's debut when I read it.

The Cost of Knowing is so good that it managed to remind me that Slay was a debut.

16-year-old Alex is trying to navigate having a girlfriend, part-time job, his relationship with his aunt and brother, and the expectations of his dead parents. That's all a lot even for kids without magical c ...more

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May 14, 2021 Elizabeth Turnbull rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Cost of Knowing is a gut-wrenching tale of generational trauma, racial profiling, grief, racism, and loss. It's the story of Alex and what it's like for him to be a Black boy in America.

Overwhelmed by anxiety since his parents' death, Alex is just trying to survive each day. Visions of the future come unbidden with every touch of his palm, amplifying his worry. When he sees a vision of his younger brother's imminent death, Alex resolves to spend whatever time he has left bringing Isaiah the ...more

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May 14, 2021 Taylor (Taylor Talks Tales) rated it really liked it

Shelves: omg-pretty-covers, contemporary, fantasy-and-paranormal

Actual rating 4.25 stars out of 5.

Full review to come later, but I really enjoyed this one!

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Mar 15, 2021 USOM rated it it was amazing

(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

TW: racism, suicidal ideation, self-harm, anxiety

The Cost of Knowing explores the concept of the future. If you had the ability to see a snippet of the future, what would you do? I feel like we think about this often, but the actual manifestation of it, and Alex's powers, would actually be terrifying. How would we divert, or prevent, the future? How would we know how much of our life ...more

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May 12, 2021 Laisea (grayscalebooks) rated it really liked it

3.5 ✨ rounded up. There were many parts of this book that I loved — the superpowers, the relationship between Alex and Isaiah (and Aunt Mackie!), the Black boy joy, and so many thematic elements (toxic masculinity, covert racism, generational trauma, the dehumanization of Black children, etc etc etc). I strongly considered rating it higher than 3.5 because a book that covers alllll of that definitely deserves credit. Unfortunately, like many other readers, I felt like I was going through the mir ...more

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May 29, 2021 Laura rated it it was amazing

“Joy in the face of oppression is its own kind of bravery. But so is sitting in front of the thing that scares you and not running” (09:30:22). This is Brittney Morris’ love letter to Black men who had to grow up too soon.

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Nov 23, 2020 Claire Tierney rated it really liked it

Picked this up because I had heard great things about Slay (which is on my end of year TBR pile).

Also because it's so rare (is it just me?) to read YA with a male protagonist and I was intrigued by Alex's visions into the future.

This book was so sad but yet such a good read. The weight of the past and the anxiety which the future holds especially given Alex's gift/curse is so prevalent and constantly makes you think: What would I do?

The characters' grief is terribly raw and maybe that's why th ...more

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Jan 26, 2021 Cass rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, authors-of-color, characters-of-color, ya-fiction

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

★★★

Whoever makes the rules controls the narrative.

Brittney Morris is incredibly talented; there’s no denying that. There are a lot of wonderful things going on in this novel — finding joy in the face of trauma, ruminating on what is inherited from our ancestors, and forgiving our past choices. For those bits alone, this is a special story. Make no mistake — it is remarkably sad, but it Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

★★★

Whoever makes the rules controls the narrative.

Brittney Morris is incredibly talented; there’s no denying that. There are a lot of wonderful things going on in this novel — finding joy in the face of trauma, ruminating on what is inherited from our ancestors, and forgiving our past choices. For those bits alone, this is a special story. Make no mistake — it is remarkably sad, but it is also hopeful.

Alex and Isaiah are such vivid characters who hop straight off the page. Even Talia, Alex’s girlfriend, is a delight. I’ll be thinking about them for a long while. More than that, I’ll be thinking about the men they’ve come from — all those stories and heartbreaks, from tribal ancestry to the twenty-first century, written so beautifully. Of everything in this novel, the discussion about Alex and Isaiah’s powers in relation to their ancestors’ choices was most fascinating. I wish we had gotten more of it, because there was clearly so much to mine there.

Unfortunately, there were some large issues here, for my particular sensibilities.

What stands out most prominently is that the novel relies on repetition in some respects, which I wasn’t a fan of. I understand and respect that the portrayal of Alex’s anxiety is likely accurate, but his spirals are exhausting to get through. There are many, many moments of panic over the many ways Isaiah can die, from the mundane to the extreme. There are many, many moments when Alex’s inner monologue repeats how important these last days with Isaiah are. It’s a lot, more than noticeable.

Repetition also features prominently with regards to Alex’s powers. Alex sees the future of absolutely everything and everyone he touches with his palms, from the most useless of inanimate objects to human beings. Every time he touches something meaningless, the narrative mentions he has, mentions that he “cancels” the vision that starts, and on and on and on. So, for example, when Alex is working through a shift at the ice cream shop, you’re reading about him grabbing his apron, vision, grabbing the ice cream scoop, vision, and on and on. Eventually, it started to get to me. This, too, takes up so much of the novel.

Finally, the last act is really rushed in this one. Yes, the synopsis and the entire story are clear about what is coming. But when it does come, it really doesn’t feel like all of the emotions and complications at the center of it are covered. There’s too much to accomplish in too few pages — with regards to Alex’s relationships with both Isaiah and Shaun — and so the emotional climax of the book really suffers. That being said, there is a really beautiful scene concerning ancestral connection at this point that is my favorite in the entire novel. So, not all bad.

Like I said, despite my problems, there is a whole lot of good here. I can’t wait to pick up Morris’ debut, SLAY, and will keep an eye out for anything else she publishes in the future. She’s a talent with some really riveting ideas. ...more

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Mar 11, 2020 Hannah Barnes marked it as to-read

I know nothing about this book, other than that it's by Brittney Morris, and so that means it will be amazing and I can't wait to read it! ...more

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Jun 21, 2020 Vee marked it as not-yet-released

i don't like ice cream but I do love ice cream shops ...more

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Mar 01, 2021 Rachel Churcher rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review is also available on my blog, Unsupervised in a Bookstore .

Alex Rufus is sixteen. He lives with his Aunt Mackie and his younger brother Isaac in an upmarket neighbourhood in Chicago - the only black family on their street. After the accident that killed his parents, Alex woke up in hospital and discovered that everything he touched gave him a vision of something that would happen to that object in the future. He can't tell anyone - they'd assume he was lying or traumatised - so he This review is also available on my blog, Unsupervised in a Bookstore .

Alex Rufus is sixteen. He lives with his Aunt Mackie and his younger brother Isaac in an upmarket neighbourhood in Chicago - the only black family on their street. After the accident that killed his parents, Alex woke up in hospital and discovered that everything he touched gave him a vision of something that would happen to that object in the future. He can't tell anyone - they'd assume he was lying or traumatised - so he lives with the visions every day.

It's a great idea for a story. Alex narrates his life, constantly explaining the visions he sees. While some visions are important - an unidentified man buying the ice cream shop where he works - others are a constant source of annoyance: visions of typing in the lock code when he picks up his phone, or paying for something when he takes his card from his wallet. When he sees a vision of his younger brother's death, he starts looking for ways to protect Isaac, and ways to spend time with him in case he can't stop the vision from coming true.

I loved this idea, and the way the book explored the impact on Alex's life. While seeing visions of the future sounds like a superpower, Alex comes to regard it as a curse. He has never found a way to escape the visions - whatever he does, they always come true. He is sure that Isaac is going to die, and he has a good idea when it will happen, but he feels powerless to prevent it.

Alongside this engaging story, the author gives us a wonderful cast of characters. Alex feels real and relatable, in spite of his visions. It takes a while to get to know Isaac, but the relationship between the brothers deepens as they start to spend time together. Aunt Mackie is fantastic - a real-estate agent with a million-dollar house and a seat on the neighbourhood housing association. She's a no-nonsense guardian to the brothers, but she has a sense of humour, and it is clear that she loves the boys in her care. Talia is Alex's girlfriend, and their relationship is strong and supportive, even though he can't tell her about his visions. I loved getting to know the characters, and following Alex as he gets to know his brother.

I won't spoil the story, but there are some scenes towards the end of the book as Alex spends time with Isaac that are filled with joy and excitement. I could feel the delight - Isaac in his experiences, and Alex as he watched his brother. It was an uplifting and heartwarming moment in their relationship, and as a reader I felt as if I was standing with them. I really enjoyed these scenes, and they provide a counterpoint to the underlying theme of the book - the constant obstacles faced by Alex and Isaac as young black men in the US today.

'The Cost of Knowing' is an interesting take on brotherhood, the issues around the Black Lives Matter movement, black history and heritage, and the cost of working through traumatic experiences. The author takes a unique approach to all these aspects of the book, and uses them to shape an original and engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Apr 28, 2021 Carrie-Anne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, stand-alone, sci-fi

somewhere between 3 and 4.

Reading the synopsis, I expected this book to be more on the sci fi side of things - a boy who can see the future finding out his little brother will die soon? - sounds fantastical to me. But The Cost of Knowing definitely errs more towards realistic contemporary (with the addition of magical powers, sure)

This book is about family, grief, brothers, relationships, life and everything in between. The best part of the book is definitely the relationship between Alex and h somewhere between 3 and 4.

Reading the synopsis, I expected this book to be more on the sci fi side of things - a boy who can see the future finding out his little brother will die soon? - sounds fantastical to me. But The Cost of Knowing definitely errs more towards realistic contemporary (with the addition of magical powers, sure)

This book is about family, grief, brothers, relationships, life and everything in between. The best part of the book is definitely the relationship between Alex and his brother Isaiah. They've grown apart ever since the death of their parents, but the revelation Alex has makes him want to spend as much time with Isaiah as possible, find that brotherly bond and try to figure out if there's some way to change the future.

The middle chunk of the book was great, I loved all the interactions, the brotherly love, the learning how to be around each other again and the opening up about everything each of them has had to deal with on their own. It was wonderful. Unfortunately the beginning and end were where the book fell a tiny bit flat for me.

The beginning wasn't too bad, it was a bit boring in the way it showed us about Alex's powers. It's very repetitive - but not in an interesting way - so any time Alex touches anything he starts to have a vision, then cancels the vision, then does what he needs to do with whatever he's holding. When there's an actual vision it's quite interesting, but when it goes something like 'Alex touches his phone, starts to have a vision of unlocking it, cancels the vision, unlocks his phone' it seems like a whole lot of filler.

In terms of the ending, it was definitely bittersweet. I thought it was really interesting all the way up until the very last part. It seems to jump into hyper sci fi in a way, which doesn't fit with the tone of the rest of the book. I can see why Brittney Morris did what she did, but it just kind of jolts you out of the story and doesn't fit at all.

I also would have liked a little bit more characterisation of Alex's rocky relationship with Talia. We don't really get to know her, so I would have liked to have seen a bit more of her as a person rather than as a future plot point that Alex has already seen - and therefore doesn't give us the chance to meet and enjoy her.

Flipping back to Alex and Isaiah. I loved how they bonded over music, there was a scene at a concert that made me really miss going to them (they're starting to become a thing again now, so fingers crossed it won't be too long!) It shows how similar they are, but also how distant they've become (i.e not knowing that each was a fan because the never talked)

There's an arc involving neighbours who are nice to Alex and Isaiah but also have racist views of 'we don't want those kinds of people around here' which was uncomfortable and unfortunately realistic to read.

Over all I enjoyed the book. There were a few hiccups along the way, but I love books about people and relationships and characters just interacting, so I couldn't help but fall in love with Alex and Isaiah's journey towards knowing each other again. ...more

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May 28, 2021 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: modern-mrs-darcy

“The more I think about how it went down--the drive to the graveyard, the drive home, the pizza bites in my room, and the BeatBall, the concert, and the run for our lives--the more I realize that I wouldn’t have done anything differently...People are always chasing after impossible things. We want what we can’t have. We ask questions we don’t fully understand, looking for answers we wouldn’t be able to handle...My visions took all of that away.”

They woke up with their first visions the day the d “The more I think about how it went down--the drive to the graveyard, the drive home, the pizza bites in my room, and the BeatBall, the concert, and the run for our lives--the more I realize that I wouldn’t have done anything differently...People are always chasing after impossible things. We want what we can’t have. We ask questions we don’t fully understand, looking for answers we wouldn’t be able to handle...My visions took all of that away.”

They woke up with their first visions the day the doctors told them they’d never see their parents again. Isaiah can see what happened just like Alex can see what will happen. But which is worse--premonitions of things you can’t change or flashbacks of how you fouled up the past? “That’s not a curse...it’s a superpower!” It’s all in the “vision” of the beholder. Between Alex’s knowledge of the past and Isaiah’s visions of the future, they are determined to find an antidote.

“Maybe the answer to this curse is doing something that brings us joy even if it means facing what scares us most...Joy in the face of oppression is its own kind of bravery, but so is sitting in front of the thing that scares you, and not running.” However, a heart racing turn of events, “Isaiah is dead because of the fear you foster…‘Accidental racism’ still gets us killed.”

“When. I. Grow. Up. What a privilege it is to be able to say those words...What kid should have to live every day in the shadow of four hundred years of bondage and another hundred of lesser-than-dom? Black kids, apparently. But then, how is a Black kid supposed to be a kid?...A man’s not a man without his paycheck. But a man who doesn’t protect his family is no man either. But one man can’t protect everyone. And a boy shouldn’t have to try.”

“That’s the curse of knowledge...You can’t make her understand, baby. You live this every day…I can’t physically put her in my shoes, then who’s to say this will ever stop? How do I put this into terms [white women] can understand?” You write fiction. Brittney Morris “set out to write a book that speaks alongside Black men, and not over them. One day, I will write a Black-boy-joy book. But first, I had to write a Black-boy-joy-despite book.” Thus, The Cost of Knowing was born.
...more

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About Brittney Morris

Brittney Morris

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Brittney Morris is the author of SLAY, THE COST OF KNOWING, and MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES - WINGS OF FURY. She holds a BA in economics from Boston University and has written for video games including The Lost Legends of Redwall, and Subnautica: Below Zero. She spends her spare time reading, playing indie video games, and enjoying the rain from her home in Philadelphia. She lives with her ...more