I liked the premise of this book - 2 teenage girls giving their perspective on a racial incident turned riot in their town. I think it will be compared to The Hate U Give and Dear Martin but it really doesn't compare to those books. I think both of those books definitely gave more character building while this one only scratched the surface on the main characters and their motivations. I think it's a good vehicle to get younger folks talking about race and issues and violence and stereotypes but it's not one I would reach for before others that do a similar thing. I think the caliber of writing is also not as high as THUG or Dear Martin. I work for a network of urban high schools and I think some of our students would really relate to this book and classrooms would have a lot to unpack. Our communities are not Black/White but more Black/Latino but I think they would still really relate to some of the issues brought up in this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for letting me read an advanced copy of the book (sorry for the late review).
I found this a great read that had me flipping the pages to find out what happened next. (Didn't put it down -- finished it in one sitting)

Thanks to the publishers for an advanced copy. I listened to this novel through Libby. It was a great read/listen. The events were often traumatic to read, but lighter moments and banter helped to carry along the engaging plot. A current, fast-moving, and powerful read.

“ All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Mediocre writing and some serious plot holes. I mostly read children's fiction but will make an exception for exciting YA. This did not feel worthy of the praise it's received.

I received a Reviewer Copy of I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones from the publisher Sourcebooks Fire through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: This tells the story of two girls Lena and Campbell who are only acquaintances but are in the wrong place in the wrong time, when a fight breaks out at their high school. The two girls just want to get home safe but everything is against them as riots breakout across the city.

What I Loved: I loved the idea of Lena and Campbell who both some horrible situations, institutional racism and living on the brink of poverty, respectively. Neither of them can quite see the horror or fear associated with the other's circumstances, especially Campbell who cannot understand fear of the police or riotting. This book opens two girls up to circumstances that they knew nothing about. But it also shows the power of scary situations to really connect people even if they don't understand one another.

What I didn’t like so much: There wasn't a clear understanding of what was motivating a lot of the outside scenarios that happened. While we clearly see there are riots but it is unclear what is motivating them and I wish we had learned them.

Who Should Read It: People who love stories where two distinct people come together to overcome a challenge.

General Summary: Two girls who don't understand each other must try to stay safe in a city riotting.

Lena and Campbell are complete strangers until violence forces them together in a fight for their lives. Though they are not friends before the fight broke out at the football game, they must depend on each other to escape not only the game but also the riots that break out throughout the city. Similar to The Hate You Give

I'm really surprised this book isn't being talked about more. It's a really interesting perspective being that it's written by two women, one black and one white, just like the girls in the story. The girls' story doesn't rely on stereotypes, in fact, it pushes against them. The black girl sees to come from money, and the white girl is from a broken home where she doesn't even after enough money to cover her own dinner. I LOVED that they weren't friends but in the face of fear and violence, they are thrown together and have to rely on each other. They don't understand or see each other's perspectives until they are faced with them in an up close way.
The story was fast-paced and made for a quick read. But sadly, because of how short it is, and I believe in an attempt to keep the action fast-paced, there is little development of the girls individually. They are sort of flat. Their relationship with each other is what carries the story. And that might have been intentional, but it just left a little bit wanting in the development department.
And then the ending. It was problematic for me. Endings that stop and as a reader, I am literally having to reread the ending to see if I missed something...I don't like those kind of endings. I don't need the packaged wrapped up with a perfect bow, but I'd like an ending that feels complete.
Overall, it was worth the read. It was worth the two perspectives and I enjoyed that aspect of it.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

It’s a quick read and it’s easy to follow. Worth reading if you like YA.

I was lucky enough to hear Professional Book Nerds' interview with the authors, which got me very excited about this book.  I was so intrigued with the process by with the authors collaborated on this book.  In reading it, I was not disappointed.  While I am generally not drawn to YA fiction, I am really glad that I had the opportunity (Thank you, NetGalley) to read it.  The subject matter is timely and important and I would encourage anyone to read it.

(NetGalley ebook -  I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I read an awful lot of books and it is always nice to be able to read a book that surprises me. With the amount that I read you would think that there would be few topics that I haven’t read a book about. However, I’m Not Dying With You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones did just that.

The story follows two teenage girls – Lena and Campbell – as they traverse a night fraught with racial panic and riots. The two girls – who have very little in common – have to band together to make it through. As we watch their story unfold we see them both develop a respect if not a friendship towards each other.

Segal and Jones have used I’m Not Dying With You Tonight to highlight the very potent nature of race relations and how people of an ethnic minority are still persecuted on a daily basis. They haven’t tried to glorify or indeed downplay racism. We see it through the eyes of people who observe it. It is voices like Segal and Jones that make YA fiction so relevant and more importantly, necessary.

I’m Not Dying With You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones is available now.

For more information regarding Gilly Segal (@really_gilly) please visit www.gillysegal.com.

For more information regarding Kimberly Jones (@kimlatricejones) please visit www.kimjoneswrites.com.

For more information regarding Sourcebooks (@Sourcebooks) please visit www.sourcebooks.com.

Los Angeles, Ferguson, and Baltimore. Three cities where years of racism, injustice, unchecked police brutality, and rampant anti-Black racism came together and riots ensued after a failure of accountability let cops get away with brutal assaults on black men. Less than two weeks before he was assassinated, MLK Jr. himself called riots "the language of the unheard," which has proven itself true time and time again for marginalized people. (White people riots are more often "party riots" where they just want to destroy stuff. See: the 2014 pumpkin festival riot in New Hampshire.) In I'm Not Dying with You Tonight, Black girl Lena and racist white girl Campbell are thrown together one night and are present at the epicenter of two separate racism-related riots.

Lena and Campbell have some rotten luck, finding themselves stuck in the thick of two different riots that combine to throw Atlanta into chaos one Friday night. The cause of the first: a white guy calls a black guy a monkey when they're in line for concessions at a high school football game--the same game where Lena is spectating and Campbell is working concessions. They manage to escape the school and reluctantly stick together to find Lena's less-than-great boyfriend Black (he'll give them a ride home), but they end up at the center of the second riot while doing so. It began as a peaceful protest of the governor, who called black people "colored" in a speech, and the poor response of law enforcement to that protest led to violence.

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight is an unstoppable read with breakneck pacing that perfectly captures the chaotic situation Lena and Campbell are in as well as how it might feel to be on the scene of a riot. It's something impossible to imagine and truly understand unless you've been there, but Jones and Segal paint a vivid picture.

It's likely readers will devour the book in one sitting, but that pacing comes at the cost of characterization. Campbell is a clueless racist white girl who gets some measure of growth, but readers who are tired of seeing characters like her may not be patient with the story of yet another white girl learning to be a little less racist. Lena is already a fantastic character, but she doesn't change much. The intriguing stroke of complexity her boyfriend gets toward the end serves to highlight Lena's lack of growth.

Then the novel's abrupt ending leaves one with the hollow feeling of a story that wasn't quite done being told. To illustrate the problem, think about how we see the LA riots of 1992. The event is equal parts Before (the murders, police brutality, and anti-Black racism), During (the riots themselves after the cops who beat Rodney King were acquitted), and After (the legacy and effects on the community). In I'm Not Dying with You Tonight, some of the Before is detailed and the During is the entirety of the book, but the lack of After leaves the story incomplete. Even when nothing changes in the wake of such events as often happens, how we see the past is determined by every day after. That's how history works.

There isn't much more to say about this book. It's a vibrant, current read with some incredible forward momentum and plenty to recommend it for, but its weak spots are significant. It's odd for me to finish a book and feel like I'm missing part of it, but that's the case with I'm Not Dying with You Tonight.

I enjoyed the different perspectives and even more so the two authors. Sadly, the topic is timely and I do think we need titles like this one to help students understand each other.

I really liked this! I read it a while ago and forgot to review but I remember enjoying this and will be recommending it at my store!

Ever since I heard about “ I’m Not Dying with You Tonight” by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal, I’ve been wanting to read it. The synopsis sounded great. Two girls, both from different backgrounds, are brought together during a tragic event. It was a fast paced read and I enjoyed the alternating views and how it was told by both characters. The characters themselves fell a bit flat. Something was missing and there were some things that I just did not care for in this book. Overall, it was an ok read. Almost forgot to mention the cover! I love it!

Actual rating: 3.5/ 5 stars

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This has got to be the absolute worst book I have ever read. From the ebonics, ridiculous plot, and thoroughly unlikeable characters; it is just downright bad.

Really wished that I hadn't even bothered with this one.

Los Angeles, Ferguson, and Baltimore. Three cities where years of racism, injustice, unchecked police brutality, and rampant anti-Black racism came together and riots ensued after a failure of accountability let cops get away with brutal assaults on black men. Less than two weeks before he was assassinated, MLK Jr. himself called riots "the language of the unheard," which has proven itself true time and time again for marginalized people. (White people riots are more often "party riots" where they just want to destroy stuff. See: the 2014 pumpkin festival riot in New Hampshire.) In I'm Not Dying with You Tonight, Black girl Lena and racist white girl Campbell are thrown together one night and are present at the epicenter of two separate racism-related riots.

Lena and Campbell have some rotten luck, finding themselves stuck in the thick of two different riots that combine to throw Atlanta into chaos one Friday night. The cause of the first: a white guy calls a black guy a monkey when they're in line for concessions at a high school football game--the same game where Lena is spectating and Campbell is working concessions. They manage to escape the school and reluctantly stick together to find Lena's less-than-great boyfriend Black (he'll give them a ride home), but they end up at the center of the second riot while doing so. It began as a peaceful protest of the governor, who called black people "colored" in a speech, and the poor response of law enforcement to that protest led to violence.

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight is an unstoppable read with breakneck pacing that perfectly captures the chaotic situation Lena and Campbell are in as well as how it might feel to be on the scene of a riot. It's something impossible to imagine and truly understand unless you've been there, but Jones and Segal paint a vivid picture.

It's likely readers will devour the book in one sitting, but that pacing comes at the cost of characterization. Campbell is a clueless racist white girl who gets some measure of growth, but readers who are tired of seeing characters like her may not be patient with the story of yet another white girl learning to be a little less racist. Lena is already a fantastic character, but she doesn't change much. The intriguing stroke of complexity her boyfriend gets toward the end serves to highlight Lena's lack of growth.

Then the novel's abrupt ending leaves one with the hollow feeling of a story that wasn't quite done being told. To illustrate the problem, think about how we see the LA riots of 1992. The event is equal parts Before (the murders, police brutality, and anti-Black racism), During (the riots themselves after the cops who beat Rodney King were acquitted), and After (the legacy and effects on the community). In I'm Not Dying with You Tonight, some of the Before is detailed and the During is the entirety of the book, but the lack of After leaves the story incomplete. Even when nothing changes in the wake of such events as often happens, how we see the past is determined by every day after. That's how history works.

There isn't much more to say about this book. It's a vibrant, current read with some incredible forward momentum and plenty to recommend it for, but its weak spots are significant. It's odd for me to finish a book and feel like I'm missing part of it, but that's the case with I'm Not Dying with You Tonight.

At first I wasn't really into this book because I didn't think it was the most original. However, by the time it ended I was so invested in Lena and Campbell, and I'm so mad that we never find out what happens to them! Do they stay friends? Does Lena dump her stupid boyfriend? What happens to Marcus?! I care deeply about these imaginary teens!!! I also thought the pacing on this was great and the tension built really effectively.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

I usually don’t do this. I really don’t like to bash a book so I am going to try really hard not to. I applaud anyone who can create and sit down and actually write a book.

Whew... now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let’s get into it shall we?

First I want to say that this entire book seemed like a cluster of craziness. Just one event after another. Which plus side, made it fast-paced but it was rushed and at times just incoherent.

I realllllly hated Lena. I hated her POV. As a back woman I tend to look for WOC in books but I always feel like when authors do black women their voice is always so stereotypical. “I followed they uniforms in the crowd.” Really??? “Girl, they fightin’” I have never actually heard a black woman speak like this outside of a reality tv show or “ratchet tv.” I understand that we all have our own experiences and maybe I am from a more “privileged” background as I have been told by peers growing up, but these characters always seem so forced. I was offended by how drastically different the speech patterns were between Lena and Campbell.

On the plus side, I’m going to reach here and say that the moral of the story is that we need to stick together to overcome the obstacles life throws at us. No matter what the color of our skin is, if we stick together we can make it.

#ReadingRobyn

I featured this title in a Booklist Webinar: https://alapublishing.webex.com/mw3300/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=alapublishing&service=6&rnd=0.46258050246928795&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Falapublishing.webex.com%2Fec3300%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26%26%26EMK%3D4832534b00000004d88b5cc979df1ae5492448676d10ab563d14fe45815270e7821fe8b1d8bcd7b5%26siteurl%3Dalapublishing%26confViewID%3D140406250524409647%26encryptTicket%3DSDJTSwAAAARE7Z_bPyz9_rHRbWtIFZ7xq7BHTiRktcWM4KDis8_3uQ2%26

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight takes place over the course of one night, which was part of what was so appealing about this story for me. I loved the viewpoints of both girls and how neither was ever too self absorbed to try and understand the other. I would put this in the same vein as The Hate U Give or Internment in that it makes you want to get out there and do something about all of the inequalities in this country. Overall a fantastic read.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!