All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds

When sixteen-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend. Told through Rashad and Quinn's alternating viewpoints.

Two teens grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.

“Because racism was alive and real as shit. It was everywhere and all mixed up in everything, and the only people who said it wasn't, and the only people who said, ‘Don't talk about it,' were white.”

“Our silence is another kind of violence.”

“I wondered if anyone thought that what we were doing was unpatriotic. It was weird. Thinking that to protest was somehow un-American. That was bullshit. This was very American, goddamn All-American.”

“Had our hearts really become so numb that we needed dead bodies in order to feel the beat of compassion in our chests? Who am I if I needed to be shocked back into my best self?”

These quotes provide all the reasons for five stars that anyone could think of. All-American Boys is an incredible book and, unlike some other books I've read, it's not just a call to action hiding behind mediocre writing. It is awe-inspiringly well-written and everybody should read it at least once in their life.

I really enjoyed listening to this 2020 banned book. It exceeded my expectations.

important story/commentary but ultimately didn't really do much for me. not really interested in reading from the perspective of a white boy discovering racism exists.