Oh my god, THIS BOOK. It begins as a one thing and then ends up as another (this is me being intentionally vague!) and it was all so brilliant and devastating. A lot of ground is covered here -- family dynamics, police brutality, America's history of racism and violence against Black folks, grief and loss -- but through it all, the reader is led to reflect on the idea of respectability politics and who is "worthy" of sympathy and dignity. I'm thrilled to see this brought up in a YA novel, as it will encourage readers to challenge the narrative that we're all taught to engage in.

The characters are incredibly well-developed, and there is a growth in them that stretches throughout the story (and as a side note, I love how this book about sisters was written by two sisters!). Plus, there are other characters that you meet along the way who add to the depth and richness of this already moving novel. If I could give this book one million stars, I would. Highly recommended.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and what it was trying to do, but I feel like there were too many elements: Road trip, Sibling rivalry, Love story, Green Book homage, the ending's twist...

But, there is a lot to like here. The story of Kezi's family and their history is strong, as is the way the daughters have to grapple with some of the family's religious beliefs that clash with their more tolerant viewpoints. There is the ongoing undercurrent here of trusting Black girls and valuing Black women's power--a lessons that bears as much repeating as possible.

This characters are so relatable. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I could not put this book down. I read it in one setting. I will add to my book club and recommend to project lit

[No spoilers are included in this review] I wanted to love this book, and I believe I really could have had it potentially had some tougher, brutal editing. There are all the elements of a great story: dynamic characters who are sisters, a plot that involves racial reckoning, The Green Book and twists galore, and a variety of vivid settings. The largest difficulty comes from this book trying to be too many things at once: a sister story, a soap opera, a romance, mystery thriller, historical fiction, didactic fiction.

The book is divided into two parts. Part II is where the story really is, and it could have been worked to be the entirety of the book. I believe that Part II alone would have been phenomenal in story progression in sharing the message there are just people, all worthy of value independent on the outsider definitions of “good” and “bad”. Part I was not as necessary as a separate entity. There were scenes and characters that weren’t necessary to the overall character arcs and didn’t really go anywhere though the reader expects them to: the boys Happi meets that invite her to the party, Kezi’s teacher Mr. Bamhauer. The dialogue was a tad clunky and unrealistic, but only in Part I. For example, in a sisterly argument, a teen isn’t likely to say to another teen, “I’m not even going to get into how problematic it is that you think Ximena isn’t Black enough” (58). A teenager is unlikely to write her father, “When I’m delving into my research, it’s like I’m a detective on a case, following a trail of clues as far as it can take me. At the end of this chase is a less opaque understanding of what we’ve gone through as a people” (63).

Part II is superior, and it does attempt to wrap items up with a tidy bow. The reader is left with questions about characters and the large gap in time between the final two chapters of the book. After the last scene in the Grand Canyon, I wanted to know about everyone’s reactions, what happened immediately after. Those answers aren’t here so much.

This book is intended for YA, though I feel that adults will like it too, especially fans of soap operas who like plot twists, disapproving families, villainy, and mistaken identities.

One of the Good Ones is mesmerizing, and relevant, told from multiple perspectives, managing to seamlessly fold in a great deal of Black history in the U.S. as well as contemporary events during the course of a road trip, Black Lives Matters, the effects of police violence on protesters, family members, friends, and community, and has a twist that I never saw coming. I couldn't put it down.

It's almost impossible to review this book without spoiling. And maybe I can get away with that on Goodreads, but not here. So I'll try my best.

Reading the synopsis, it sounds like just a story of two sisters who go on a road trip to honor the dead one. But it's so much more than that.
There are 4 timelines and 5 perspectives in this book, but 3 primary ones.
-Keziah Smith (past) is a popular YouTuber and activist who planned to major in history and African American studies in college. She was about to graduate valedictorian, and had recently won the Courage Award from the National Alliance for the Progression of Black People before her arrest and presumed death at a protest in Los Angeles.
-Keren "Happi" Smith (present) is still mourning Kezi three months later, when her family accepts the NAPBP award on her behalf. Soon before they're supposed to fly back home, Happi's oldest sister, Genny, discovers Kezi's copy of Victor Hugo Green's "The Negro Motorist Green Book," the pre-Civil-Rights-era guide to safe travel for Black Americans, and finds that Kezi had planned to take a road trip inspired by the book after her graduation. Soon, Happi, Genny, and Kezi's closest friends Ximena and Derek, are setting off across Route 66, where they reflect on their family history and discover more than they could have possibly imagined.
-Shaqueria Jenkins (past) is an orphan who has just moved to LA after aging out of the foster care system in the South. She has dreams of being a famous actress, and feels like nobody is really there for her. What happens when she's arrested at a protest alongside Kezi Smith?
(At first, you don't really know why Shaqueria is relevant to the story, but once the protest happens, you'll see her importance in Kezi's story.)
-There are also a few chapters from Happi's great-grandmother, Evelyn Hayes, taking place in 1937-1942, and one from their grandfather, Riley, in 1955. Riley was just eight years old when his father was lynched in a sundown town on a road trip, and the details of this town's history takes up a significant percentage of the book. Even if I already knew about the history of these towns, reading about it was another kind of devastating. For Riley, who had to grow up too fast, for all the lives lost who weren't seen as important.
The title, as explained in the authors' note beforehand, is a reference to how Black victims of police brutality are viewed by the public, and how it's all too common for someone to argue that someone deserved to die because they had a criminal record, had dropped out of school, used/sold drugs (like Shaqueria's situation) or "talked back" to the police. Kezi was thought of as "one of the good ones" because she had good grades, was well-known online, was the daughter of pastors, and planned to attend UC Berkeley, which Happi and Genny think is bullshit. Why does one Black life matter more than others? It's a detailed discussion on respectability politics and the lives deemed "worthless" by society.
This reads as a contemporary in the beginning, but once you get into what exactly happened to Kezi and Shaqueria, it becomes more of a thriller. I figured out the twist about halfway through and I wanted to scream at the characters and tell them to figure it out already. Earlier, when Kezi's timeline was first showed, I thought it was going to use one of my most hated tropes, and it looks that way for a long time, but it's not what it seems. Again, no spoilers. If you want specifics, go to my Goodreads review.
I do wish that there was more from the ending. There's barely anything about the characters' return home, and only from one perspective. It seemed like a lot would've happened afterward, but the reader doesn't see it.

This book was WILD. And it has everything. Social justice piece! Yup. Inspirational road trip? Mhm. Family drama, complete with repressed emotions! All of that. Sexuality issues? Bring 'em on. AND a ridiculous plot twist. I can think of so many students who'd truly love this book. Can't wait to bring it onto my bookshelf.

"Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind - why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?"
If the synopsis does not immediately draw you in, allow me. Pre-order this book! Social justice and a plot twist? Yes, please! The story weaves together past and present while examining issues such as racism and police brutality. I loved the development of characters and relationships, especially the character Happi. I only wish that the last half of the book slowed down and gave more insight into the plot twist.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

this book was so real ,,, such a good incredible and raw story. the cover is gorgeous, i loved this book so much, and i adored the relationship between the characters. some of the paragraphs in this i felt deep in my bones, and really enjoyed it.

Wow! I did NOT expect this from this book. I went into this thinking that this was going to be more of contemporary YA but boy was I wrong.

One of the Good Ones touched every single part of me. As a Black woman in America raising Black children, I felt every single part of this book. This book shined a light on how we as Black Americans will never be "one of the good ones" in the eyes of white America no matter what we do. We can straighten our hair, send our children to private schools, have conversations to prep our children when engaging with the police but none of that will ever matter because we will be seen as Black.

The generational trauma, police brutality, religion, social media, social justice, activism, mistreatement of Black women, sexuality, racism, the criminal justice system, the foster care system, mental health... EVERY. SINGLE. THEME that was touched on was phenomenal. It was a great exploration of just what Black women in America have to go through.

My only issue with this story is that the end was a little rushed. I admit that I figured the twist out halfway through the book was waiting to see how it was going to be played out. I was kind of bummed the way that the end wrapped up so quickly. I am glad that a family tree will be included in the final copy of the book because I did find myself getting a little confused when names of family members were being shared and I struggled to connect characters of the past with the current.

Overall, this was a phenomenal book that highlighted what exactly it feels like to be a Black woman in America.
“The Bad Ones
The Okay Ones
The Amazing Ones
The Nothing to-write-home-about ones
The Beautiful Ones…”
Regardless of where you fall in these categories... all Black women deserve to be valued and respected. This was such a great read and I would recommend this to everyone!

Super grateful to #NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy.

“The Bad Ones
The Okay Ones
The Amazing Ones
The Nothing to-write-home-about ones
The Beautiful Ones…”

One of the Goods Ones is a must-read.

I have seen reviews that One of the Good Ones spreads itself think with the number of social issues it tackles. But as a Black (American) woman, I think that is the reality of my existence. Multi-generational trauma, family dynamics, religion, prejudice, police brutality, and more are a part of my every day. One of the Good Ones painted a beautiful and heartbreaking picture of grief, generational trauma, and what it can feel like being a black woman today. I saw my younger self in Happi and Kezi. My heart broke for Happi repeatedly as she struggled with the loss of a sister the world never got to know. My heart breaks repeatedly for black girls, like Shaqueria, whose lives are taken, and names forgotten because some power that be decided they weren’t worthy of justice or our attention.

While I loved the story, I wish the third act had been slower. I loved the idea of the twist; I forgot the book had a Get Out comp in the tag line (and even still that could mean so many things.) But I felt as though the book was barreling too fast for the end. It left no room to see more characters approach healing in the aftermath of the reveal. I would have loved to have seen the messiness of healing unpacked as deftly as the authors tackled grief and the lasting ramifications of prejudice and trauma. It goes without saying I would have also loved to see a certain someone punished for their actions on-page.

Sometimes there are books that try to do too much at once. They set lofty, complex goals and intertwine that with a YA storyline. And sometimes those books are good despite something. For the first half of reading #OneOfTheGoodOnes, I felt like it was one of those books. We follow members of the Smith family in a storyline that jumps before and after "the arrest" and Kezi, the middle sister's, death due to events surrounding protests of police brutrality. We follow Kezi, her younger sister Happi, and an unrelated character, whose story eventually becomes related to the plot. The authors lean heavily on events related to those in the news today surrounding police violence against black men and women. They also explore many racial topics related to the history of sundown towns, The Green Book, and more. The Happi, her older sister, and two of Kezi's friends ultimately go on a road trip, following Kezi's activism and their family history

And that's when comes the twist--full of spoilers that I won't spoil--that I did not see coming. It wasn't trite to keep up the storyline. It was integral and poignant. Ultimately this is a story exploring, as the authors state, the concept of "The Good Ones" as well as racial violence by white men and women against black families for generations and its effects today.

Do not pass this one up. Many thanks to #NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy.

Beautifully and powerfully written, this new book from the authors of Dear Haiti, Love Alaine belongs in every classroom. The incorporation of the Negro Motorist Green Book makes this story unique and will pique the interest of readers. A moving exploration of family, identity, and prejudice, this story will engage a wide variety of young readers. Highly recommended.

There was a lot going on in this book. It felt like three different genres shoved into one book, and it didn't really work for me. The last section of the book felt like a departure from the rest, and it didn't feel like a natural part of the story. I also found it difficult to connect with the few "distant past" flashbacks. I understood the purpose of trying to connect the present to the past, but they really pulled me out of the story.

I think the message of this book is really important: every death at the hands of the police is wrong and tragic. If someone is good student with plans for college and the future their life is important; if someone is a high school dropout or a drug dealer their life is also important, and in both cases their death would be tragic and should be protested. I also really liked Happi and preferred the sections which she narrated. I just think parts of this story were muddled and jarring.

I. WAS. NOT. EXPECTING. THAT! What a captivating story. I was a little lost in the beginning because the book is narrated in alternative point of view, and I didn't know how the characters related to each other, although as I read on they connected in such an explosive way. This social justice novel is realistic fiction mixed with historical facts all rolled into a thriller. I enjoyed putting the pieces together like a forensic detective. I can't wait to share this wonderfully pivotal ol novel with my students.

The story of Kezi and her mysterious death takes you not only on a history lesson of the racism in the US but also on the length siblings and people that care take for the one they love and have lost from a senseless act in the custody of police. As a road trip is taken in honor of Kezi, secrets and misunderstandings as well as historic facts are realized by her 2 sisters and her BFFs.

This book had me intrigued from page 1. I can definitely see this on the screen. Well done!

A person doesn't have to be "one of the good ones" to be treated with dignity and humanity. The author does an excellent job of questioning that sentiment while weaving together the stories of Kezi, Happi and Shaqueria. The differing points of view give each character a voice that allows the reader to connect to them and understand that being human is what makes each person "one of the good ones". The plot moves along quickly and is engaging, however the last third of the book takes a sudden turn that doesn't feel connected to the rest of the story which left me feeling a little cheated. Still, this novel offers up a lot to discuss and was worth the read.

𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚗𝚔𝚢𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜. 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚜. 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕, 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚖, 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚒𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚜.

What are we doing when we add on a line like they were one of the good ones? Is a death justified if they weren’t one of the good ones? This book will make you think. It will also take you on a tour of some American history. And then you’ll think some more.

Wow. That was definitely an emotional book. Definitely a great read! The story had different POVs through a span of several generations and was beautifully written.