REVIEW: The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

Pages: 368
Format: Paperback
Source: NetGalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Genre: Contemporary, Historical
Release Date: August 4th 2020

TW: Police brutality, Racism

Buy the Book: Book Depository

Los Angeles, 1992

Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of high school and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.

But everything changes one afternoon in April, when four police officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.

As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.

With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?

This story follows Ashley in the run up to leaving high school and takes place during the Los Angeles race riots of 1992, which began after the police who brutally beat Rodney King were acquitted. Up until this point, Ashley has remained in the safety of the bubble her lifestyle has created for her, In which she doesn’t join in with the other black kids in the school, she doesn’t stand up for change like her sister, and she doesn’t call out the words of her white friends.

At the start of this story, it’s fair to say Ashley is not a likeable character. With the friends she’s surrounded herself with and the blind eye she turns to the problems of others, she is a privileged teenager in a private school that her parents worked so very hard to get her into. The story is not just about the events that occurred that year, it’s also about how they changed people like Ashley for ever. Though she’s experienced racism before, it’s the riots that make her want to change things for herself and the people she cares about.

Who I love most in this story is Ashley’s sister, Jo, and I wish we’d have gotten to know more about her world. She’s separated herself from the lifestyle she grew up in and decided she can’t stand by and do nothing. Her attitude and determination is one of the most powerful parts of this book.

• Learning about real historical events. As a kid in Britain, I wasn’t taught things like this in high school. It shouldn’t have to be the responsibility of authors to teach us about these events, but I’m so grateful to the writers who do incorporate real history into their books. It taught me a lot and encouraged me to do further reading once I’d put the book down.  
  

• The writing style. I loved how the story went from Ashley’s present day to her recalling stories from the past. It was a perfect way to help us learn more about the side characters, like Lucia and Jo. At times, it could feel a little messy, but it worked well for the story.

• Dropping toxic friendships and finding places to feel comfortable. We see examples of the everyday racism that Ashley faces from even people she considers friends. It’s inspiring to see her slowly realise that she doesn’t need all of these people in her life, and she is able to branch out and find people who respect her.

People will always need to read books like this. It’s not supposed to be comfortable; it’s here to make you listen and think. The Black Kids reminds us that we still need change. The real-life events in this story took place in 1992, and yet it’s eerily similar to what we’ve witnessed this year alone. We need to do more. 

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REVIEW: Loveless by Alice Oseman

Pages: 435
Format: Paperback
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: July 9th 2020
Buy the Book: Book Depository

Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day.

As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia’s ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her ‘teenage dream’ is in sight.

But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever.

Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?

As someone who is constantly calling out for books with asexual and aromantic rep, Loveless was easily one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Following new university student Georgia as she goes on a quest to fall in love, she slowly starts to realise that the romance she reads about in fanfiction might not be what she wants for herself. After several failed attempts at trying to prove that she can be attracted to someone, she must come to terms with the fact that her future is not going to look how she always thought it would.
 

 

When I say Georgia’s thoughts and feelings really hit home for me, I do mean it. She is everything I’ve needed as a character for a long time. Her journey is such an incredibly important one, especially as a character who discovers what asexuality is throughout the course of the book. It’s a reminder that there are so many people out there who might have heard the term in passing, but still don’t know anything about it. I’m so grateful to books like this for not only allowing asexuals to see themselves represented, but to educate people who might be confused about the label.

The friendship group in this book is WONDERFUL. A mix of different personalities, some who’ve been friends for years and others who’ve only just met, thrown together in the chaos of university, and it makes for such an entertaining story. Their relationships with each other tangle and get messy along the way, but it helps them to face the issues that have been tugging at them.

The bond that grows between Georgia and Rooney is much appreciated. To have completely different characters share a room and grow closer despite not having a whole lot in common is something I always enjoy reading about.

• ASEXUAL & AROMANTIC REP. I mean it’s pretty obvious, but god did we need this book. Loveless seamlessly weaves important information into a gorgeous, character-driven story. I also adored how the book demonstrated that a person can be both aroace, but there is no ‘one size fits all rule’.
  

• SETTING. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Durham through the eyes of Georgia. As someone who loves the aesthetic of old universities, I was all about this location. It did make me wish I was a uni student again though…
  

• OLD & NEW FRIENDSHIPS. I enjoyed the mix of Georgia’s childhood friends and new people she meets at uni. Too often we see YA characters trade old friends for new ones in coming-of-age stories, so I appreciated how this story simply worked new friends into the current group. Yes, there’s drama, but the characters are able to work through it. 
  

• RODERICK. Best fictional plant.

Easily one of my favourites from this year, Loveless delivers an adorable cast of diverse characters to root for whilst teaching us some important lessons along the way. Alice Oseman does a perfect job of making sure readers feel included and understood.

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