I did not know what to expect with this book. I was scared it was just going to be another cliche story about a wrongfully accused Black man but wow!
Kim Johnson wrote a beautifully nuanced story that managed to seamlessly connect the past with the present and even the future.

Her writing of every last character was intentional, every character was important.

The writing that Johnson uses in this debut novel makes it seem as though she is a seasoned author.
The utilization of language that was easy to digest allowed the story to flow easily.

The names of the chapters to the names of the characters, nothing was misplaced.

A powerful YA procedural drama that draws closely to real life that is instructive and heartbreaking. It's a detailed look at systemic discrimination and the horrors of small town secrets and violence. It's one thing to watch reality TV glorify aspects of police and affirm the power of the justice system as pillars of morality that always save the day - this story rejects that through the eye's of a teenage black girl and her family who are burdened, terrorized and hidden by the veneer of safety and righteousness that plagues the american institutions that lock up innocent ppl, carelessly separating families and destroying the notion of human dignity. I appreciated the author's dedication to historical accuracy, including the authentic lingo of teenagers and focusing on all aspects of what it takes for a whole town to historically and purposely cover up a crime while maintaining the story's simple premise of a girl wanting her dad to come home. 5/5 stars

I really wanted to take my time with this book and I absolutely loved it. I already own it and I honestly wish that every case of a wrongfully convicted black person ended like this.

I want to preface this review by saying that as a white woman and because of the privilege associated with that, I haven’t had to face the microaggressions and police brutality that many people of color, including Black people face, especially now. I cannot speak to the representation of that in the book but I can speak to having a family member incarcerated.

I can speak for the fight for justice and wanting, wishing, and needing your incarcerated loved one returned to you. I’ve felt that life would be better, that everything would be fixed, if that person was home. Reading a book that spoke to just a small part of that experience was complicated. It was hard to read but also cathartic and at the end I felt like I was bursting with hope for these characters. I felt connected to them. I’m so grateful to Kim Johnson for that, and I hope others who might have experience with familial incarceration can also gain some comfort in this book, if only because the feelings that are so immediate and present are reflected in the pages.

This Is My America is a novel about Tracy Beaumont and her fight for justice for her father, brother, and the innocent people affected by corruption in her Texas town. Tracy’s father was accused of murdering an affluent couple in their town and unjustly sentenced to death row. For seven years, Tracy wrote to Innocence X to plead that they take his case and help clear his name. As his execution date nears, Tracy’s hope wanes and so does the chance of an appeal. And when a local girl is murdered, the police suspect Tracy’s brother, Jamal. With her brother on the run for a crime he didn’t commit, the town that once turned against the Beaumonts for the accusations against her father and then lauded her track star brother turns their backs to him too. With no other options, Tracy begins to look into the suspicious death of her classmate and fights to free her brother all while praying for their father’s appeal and uncovers the dark racist past and present actions of their neighbors.

This book is a triumph of justice and hope and full of characters that I only wish I had an ounce of their courage and tenacity. Tracy’s story is necessary and timely and should be read, shared, and awarded. It also made me furious, exhausted, and horribly sad. But it lifted me up and made me cheer for the Beaumonts and their friends and family. Tracy was a force to behold and a joy to follow on this particularly difficult journey. I’ve always been invested in the Innocence Project, and this book reinvigorated my admiration and respect for the people who advocate for programs like this. I hope it does for others too and opens the doors to people interested in racial and criminal justice just like Tracy.

Tracy has been fighting to get her father's conviction overturned, as long as he has been on Death Row. Now, with less than a year left, her brother Jamal is also arrested for a murder he didn't commit. Tracy is determined to prove their innocence, but gets entangled in something bigger than expected. A stark look at the history of racism in a small town and how it disproportionately effects Black Americans.

"This Is My America" is raw, real, and an absolutely perfect addition to YA shelves.

I could not put this book down! Tracy's determination to prove her father's innocence and save her brother from injustice leads her to discover hidden secrets about her town and the people in it. With lots of twists and turns, Tracy ultimately discovers what it takes to stand strong in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. This book is perfect for fans of "The Hate U Give" and "Just Mercy," and is a timely addition to YA collections in all libraries.

I finally finished this amazing book by my soror @kcjohnsonwrites !

This book is a 5🌟 read for me !

It was realistic, relatable , and right on time with the climate our country is in.

I learned a couple of new things while reading this book including the ACLU blue app. This is an app that you can download that uploads your videos of police misconduct. The videos can’t be deleted if your phone is confiscated . It is only in a couple of states, but is expanding.

I was not expecting the ending at all ! I was totally flabbergasted and it only enforced what I think daily about black lives and the justice system in America!

This was one hell of a debut novel and I can’t wait to support this author in the future !

Wow! This book has me on the edge of my seat from the get go. As a wire middle aged woman, this story helped me see and learn about a party of the world I could never understand. I was awestruck. I felt the characters pain as they just tried to live life. Kim Johnson did an amazing job depicting life for a black boy in America.

I really enjoyed what this story did and the characters were good. I thought the writing was solid and the plot moved at a steady pace. This did, however, suffer from something I see in a lot of debut novels, where there are too many issues being tackled in one book. I felt that the main focus was handled well but there were a few plot points that I thought could have been fleshed out more.

When a classmate ends up dead, and her brother disappears and now he is wanted for questioning the main character doesn't know what to do, but she does know she wants to fight for justice and find out what really happened. When the classmate she suspects had something to do with the disappearance that happens to be related to the sheriff she knows she needs to do something.

This book really blew me away. Tracy, a high school junior whose father is on death row, writes weekly letters to Innocence X, a legal organization that works to exonerate wrongly convicted folks. The pain that Tracy and her family feel is palpable, and things become even more complicated when her brother is implicated in the death of a white girl who was dating the sheriff’s son. I wasn’t expecting this to turn into a mystery that tied together the crime Tracy’s father was wrongly convicted of with the murder her brother is accused of, but I thought it was very well done. A lot of heavy topics here - mass incarceration, private prisons, police brutality, white supremacy, murder, and more - but I thought they were handled masterfully,

I have went through a load of emotions while reading this. The first chapter hooked me from the very beginning. I was irritated with Tracy and heartbroken for her. I was torn between how I was supposed to feel for her during her brother's TV interview. I wanted to just tell her she was being selfish, but I have to admit that if I was in her shoes and my father was in jail, I would do anything and everything I could to get attention of an organization that gave me hope.

Tracy is selfish, but she is resilient and dedicated to her community. She stands up for those who can't and she puts herself in dangerous situations to find the truth because she knows that her town's corrupt police officers will shit all over it.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of This is My America by Kim Johnson.
The 17 year old protagonist, Tracey Beaumont, has been writing to Innocence X (i.e. The Equal Justice Initiative) to advocate on her father's behalf; she would like for them to represent him in a court of law to prove his innocence and reduce his sentence. Meanwhile, her brother gets accused of murdering his soon-to-be girlfriend. Now, Tracey is also trying to prove her brother's innocence. Will Tracey be able to salvage her family's name; and, save the lives of both her brother and father? This title is highly engaging because it is not just a contemporary social justice tale, but a murder mystery as well. This is My America is a timely and necessary piece that would pair well with Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

One of the best books I've read in a long time. Cannot wait to recommend this at the reference desk.

This Is My America is my favorite read all year! It should be required reading in every high school classroom. This gripping page-turner is one you'll read in one sitting and lay awake thinking about at night. Johnson's thrilling prose and poignant portrayal of race relations in this country are sure to spark critical, necessary dialogue.

Teach this book.
Talk about this book.
Give it to a friend.

Books like this will change the world.

Wow, wow, wow. This debut is truly remarkable. It covers important topics like racism, interracial dating, social injustice and mass incarceration without being preachy or one-sided. The characters all felt multidimensional and real and the whodunit plot kept me guessing. When I was finished with This Is My America, I gave it to my tween to read and we had a great discussion about the issues it addresses. This is more than YA - it should be a must-read for everyone.

This Is My America is the exact kind of book that people have needed both in present times and the not-so-distant past. Riveting, heart-breaking, inspiring, and fortifying, Kim Johnson sheds a light on the reality that many Americans live daily, from the Black men who are wrongfully incarcerated to the families that are left behind to try and keep the pieces together, and the intergenerational trauma that young Black kids are forced to live with without fully understanding why, just that they do. Tracy is a powerhouse of a protagonist, full of flaws and feelings and a hell of a fight. She's determined to right the wrongs that have been done to her family by the justice system and the community who turned their backs on them, and along the way, she demonstrates how this fight cannot be done alone, and that we all need to step up and join the cause.

Definitely recommended to adults, young adults, and kids alike.

Like Angie Thomas, Nic Stone and Tiffany Jackson, Kim Johnson speaks to the African American experience. Here Johnson exposes a truth that many Blacks live with daily. It’s part of why the Black Lives Matter movement has gained such momentum.

In this novel Tracy Beaumont has worked tirelessly to vindicate her father who’s on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. The days are ticking down to his execution date and Tracy is getting desperate to prove his innocence. When a White girl is suddenly killed and Tracy’s brother is implicated, the reality of police treatment of Blacks becomes a focal issue once again. Can the son of a convicted killer, especially a Black son, get fair treatment by the police? As Tracy’s attention now is divided between saving her father and helping her runaway brother, she struggles to figure out the truth of both murders. Her life has become a whirlwind as she uncovers secrets that lead to more questions. But with the countdown moving forward, how will Tracy be able to help her father while also proving her brother is not a murderer.

This is a book for the times. It addresses issues that fill our news every day. Teens will devour the book and it will join other outstanding novels that highlight some of the inequalities that are plaguing our society.
4.5*

I personally expected more from this book--the writing wasn't as strong as I hoped, but the concept is compelling and timely, and I think students will pick it up.