All American Boys by Jason Reynolds, and Brendan Kiely BUDDY READ Starting January 6th, 2019

[HeatherH]

Rashad is absent again today.

That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all…

Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. Because it didn’t matter what Rashad said next—that it was an accident, that he wasn’t stealing—the cop just kept pounding him. Over and over, pummeling him into the pavement. So then Rashad, an ROTC kid with mad art skills, was absent again…and again…stuck in a hospital room. Why? Because it looked like he was stealing. And he was a black kid in baggy clothes. So he must have been stealing.

And that’s how it started.

And that’s what Quinn, a white kid, saw. He saw his best friend’s older brother beating the daylights out of a classmate. At first Quinn doesn’t tell a soul…He’s not even sure he understands it. And does it matter? The whole thing was caught on camera, anyway. But when the school—and nation—start to divide on what happens, blame spreads like wildfire fed by ugly words like “racism” and “police brutality.” Quinn realizes he’s got to understand it, because, bystander or not, he’s a part of history. He just has to figure out what side of history that will be.

Rashad and Quinn—one black, one white, both American—face the unspeakable truth that racism and prejudice didn’t die after the civil rights movement. There’s a future at stake, a future where no one else will have to be absent because of police brutality. They just have to risk everything to change the world.

Cuz that’s how it can end.

[HeatherH]

So I've only finished the first chapter and won't get back to this until later today but... (view spoiler)[ I'm already more invested and more angry than I was with THUG. In THUG, while I don't agree with the cops actions, the victim also messed up in some of his decisions - not cooperating and leaning back into the car when he was told not to. Here, Rashad literally didn't make one bad decision and that makes it so much worse to read. And then the way the cop was taunting him while beating him? My gods. Just so much more brutal and personal to beat someone to death.

Really curious to see how the other POV plays out as well. (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Finished Friday and Saturday so sitting at 27% done currently.

(view spoiler)[ This book is definitely hard hitting. I am so mad for Rashad. Not just at the cop - but damn that cop was dirty and shitty and I just can't... - but also his father. Like WTF?! You really going to tell your teenage son that he deserved the beating because he had saggy pants? Because that's basically what ya did. Ugh. At least his brother is angry for him.

I feel for Quinn too.. Like how hard it would be to witness that having grown up knowing the cop and the conflicted feelings it would leave you with.

Looking forward to this cook-out with Guzzo's family and the drama that is likely to happen. (hide spoiler)]

[~T~]

I’m just starting and at 9 percent and omg. I can already tell this is gonna be hard to read...

[HeatherH]

I got up to 40% last night and it's truly got some really tough parts to get through. I feel so bad for Rashad with everything and also feel for Quinn and his own struggles. I'm hoping he stands up for the right side in all of this.

[HeatherH]

Quinn's half of 'Monday'
(view spoiler)[ EJ and Molly getting booted out of class for saying Rashad's name was such a brief but powerful scene! I loved when Molly interrupted the teacher to say that "that student's name is Rashad". (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Tuesday (66%)
(view spoiler)[I'm really liking how the authors wrote the supporting characters in this story. I like that Rashad has people like Mrs. Fitzgerald from the gift shop and Clarissa who are talking to him about stuff other than the event as well; their conversations aren't focused solely on pity, anger, worry. I also really like seeing him focus his feelings into his art and Clarissa's interest in that. His family and friends being there for him is great too of course, I just like seeing all the different interactions. Carlos with the tag that became the hashtag for the attack - such a simple but powerful way to make a statement. And now with the protest; I really hope it doesn't turn violent and leave more people hurt.

Quinn is thankfully starting to realize he needs to make a stand as well and I'm so glad he has Jill there for support because I have a feeling it isn't going to be pretty for him for a bit. (hide spoiler)]

[~T~]

I’m at 36 percent and I’ll finish tonight! Finally got some time! (view spoiler)[ Paul is a bully and it is frustrating to read about. I’m really hoping it goes Rashad’s way and there’s a happy ending in all this for once. Quinn seems like a good kid, I bet he takes the right path. Fingers crossed anyway! (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

~T~ wrote: "I’m at 36 percent and I’ll finish tonight! Finally got some time! [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I will be finishing this one tomorrow! While I want for things to go Rashad's way and for Paul to face punishment in this, I just am not holding my breath for it. If they are writing based on real life situations, it rarely does, so I'd be surprised. I cannot stand Paul at all, he's disgusting and the kind of human that gives such a bad name to cops everywhere. (hide spoiler)]

[~T~]

HeatherH wrote: "~T~ wrote: "I’m at 36 percent and I’ll finish tonight! Finally got some time! [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

Ugh YES 100 percent agree

[~T~]

Finished (view spoiler)[
1. Got on my NERVES how Rashads dad blamed him no questions asked. Like what. The. Frick.
2. Paul is the type of guy who gives cops a bad name. There are good cops and then there are Paul’s- power starved, narcissistic, impulsive, and violent. The way he rewrote the story in his own head to justify his actions made me so mad.
3. The story Rashad’s dad tells him about when he almost killed a black man in a similar circumstance made my jaw drop. So the fact that he blamed Rashad from the beginning makes even less sense to me.
4. Guzzo is a jerk and not a good friend. Im putting him in the same category as Paul. :(
5. I’m a fan of Jill, I think her and Quinn are sweet albeit confused. But I’m glad they have each other.
6. I’m a fan of this book. I love the way it told every side.
7. I think the die-in was the perfect ending
(hide spoiler)]

[~T~]

Also, I gave it a 4 star rating. This is one I’m going to have my son, who is 9, read in a couple years. Thanks Heather for the recommendation! :)

[HeatherH]

Finished! In re: to your final thoughts:
(view spoiler)[
1 & 3 - I think his dad was more blaming the way he dressed than Rashad himself (not that it makes it better) but maybe more because of his own experience knowing that stereotypes can cause terrible reactions even when they aren't justified and maybe, not knowing Paul directly, knowing from experience that good cops can make really really poor decisions that can ruin lives - which seems to have been the case for him, definitely not for Paul.
2&4 - F*ck Paul.
Also F*ck Guzzo.
5 - Jill was a great character and I loved the scene with her encouraging Quinn to do the protest even though he was scared.
6 - This book was incredible. Emotional and so varied in the views and experiences shown.
7 - THAT ENDING! The die-in was so great but that bit with the zoom-out? So incredible.

I'm not going to lie, I've avoided reading THUG and this and other novels similar because I've working in law enforcement for 10+ years - most of that time as a dispatcher, although I did spend 6 months in the academy to become a cop before deciding to resign and return to the dispatch side of the radio. I was afraid that the books would paint the all cops are bad/racist, anti-cop picture and I knew I couldn't deal with that. I've worked alongside way too many really truly good cops to not get angry about that. (Yeah, I've worked with the shitty kind too unfortunately :( ) THUG had a few moments like that that made me pretty upset. This one though, my god this is a life altering story. I'll be passing it on to my daughter (15) and step son (13) to read and eventually the youngest when he's ready (7 now). (hide spoiler)]