This book is extremely powerful and intense and I really loved it. It had a steady rhythm in both the points of systematic racism that this book touches upon, as well as the Amal's emotional narrative about his heritage. This touched upon many things that are currently being brought to light and I think could pair well with many classic books or replace books like TKAM and this is extremely relevant to our time.
I purchased the audiobook and I feel like it is really well done and could help since the book is a book in verse. It is a powerful narrative and I would highly recommend to students and others.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

An engaging well-written story. A lot to discuss with this book, so we have added it to our Young Adult book club list.

Excellent read and looking forward to sharing it with readers. Perfect for book clubs and groups as the content and writing style truly lends itself to discussion and dialogue.

Amal is convicted for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, he must survive in juvenile detention. He is an artist and must not lose himself. This is a powerful story written beautifully.

Beautifully written, raw and haunting. Could feel the pain and honesty of the writer. Filled me with a desire to do something and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

I love to read a good novel in verse, and this one is a solid, incredible addition. There is a skill in being able to create so much understanding and feeling while writing more sparsely. Powerful, important, and I will read it again.

Possibly more a 3.5-star read, I appreciated hearing this story in this way -- as a novel in verse. I felt present to injustices the characters experience, and able to learn about how the system affects individuals by watching personal stories play out.

I love Ibi Zoboi's writing and this collaboration is really special. The characters are compelling and you really feel their pain. The connection to books and reading is also really touching. I loved this book.

One of the selections from the student nominated committee for Illinois' Teen Readers Lincoln Award, PUNCHING THE AIR by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam is an #OwnVoices novel told in verse, like this:

On the day of my conviction

I memorize

my inmate number

my crime

my time

On the day of my conviction

I forget

my school ID number

my top three colleges

my class schedule

Amal's wrongful conviction and incarceration are eloquently described by Zoboi (American Street) and prison reform activist Salaam. The unjust treatment, physical intimidation, and solitary confinement drive the rage, confusion, and deep sadness which Amal feels. His art – painting and poetry – provide an outlet in this powerful, thought-provoking work which highlights the school-to-prison pipeline and other issues of systemic injustice. Reminiscent of earlier books by Walter Dean Myers (Monster) or Paul Volponi (Black and White), PUNCHING THE AIR received universal starred reviews (Kirkus: "a must-read") and is recommended especially for fans of Jason Reynolds and Elizabeth Acevedo.

Do I always like books written in prose? No. Did I like that this book was written in prose. YES! Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet, so the style of this book is particularly fitting. A huge theme within this book is art (drawing and poetry) as a form or self-expression, a way to express your truth, and a means of hope during dark times. And that's exactly what Amal has to lean on when he finds himself in the wrong place, at the wrong time and is sent to prision.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I found it fascinating that this story was inspired by the life of Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five. But in terms of the plot, I'm still left with a lot of questions, which intentional or not, I don't love.

Everyone should read this book - it's so important. I put off reading it because I wanted to be in the right headspace for it, particularly since it's a novel in verse, and I'm upset that I waited so long to read it. The fact that an author teamed up with a member of the Exonerated Five to write a book about wrongful incarceration was such a smart, vital decision, and I think this book should be on school curriculums across the US (and the world)

I need this book in my classroom IMMEDIATELY. I have recommended this title to no less than 50 people already. I am a huge fan of novels written in prose. While deeply intricate, it also makes students feel like they are reading something "shorter". This novel follows Amal as he is convicted and put in prison for a crime he did not commit. It is heartwrenching, poetic, and powerful. This is a MUST read for students, teachers, and human beings in general.

Dead to the world
but somewhere in our souls
we are both scratching at the walls
yelling to the sky
punching the air
to let everyone and everything know
that we are in here
still alive

Amal is sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Not that anyone is listening to him. He’s black and the victim is white. And in a coma. No one else can clear his name. Now he is in prison and angry.

On a scale of one to ten
how angry are you?

Eleven, I say

Amal is a reader, an artist, and a poet. He wants to join a poetry class but is too broken to care. The white prisoners are making his life a hell. He doesn’t want to join a black gang. It is only when his crush sends him a letter out of the blue that he grabs onto a tiny bit of hope and of life.

Zoboi make us feel Amal, inside and out. Past, present, and future. Her writing is phenomenal. Give this book to everyone.

Dr. Yuself Salaam of the Exonerated Five teams up with Ibi Zoboi to create a story about being wrongfully incarcerated. The verse format adds a layer of accessibility and helps readers "feel" the narrator.

Another fantastic novel-in-verse dealing with some pretty difficult topics, making them age-appropriate for readers 8th-grade and up without shying away from the dark realities of our criminal justice system. An excellent pairing with Bryan Stevenson's "Just Mercy" young reader adaptation, or with similar recent release, "This is My America" by Kim Johnson, as all deal heavily with the systemic racism inherent in our criminal justice system.

The only thing I did not like about this book was the ending- not the open nature of it, which felt appropriate and optimistic, but the abruptness of it. I think a little more falling action or lead-in would have smoothed out the ending. I found myself surprised that the book was over and having to scroll through several times just to make sure that I hadn't missed something.

Otherwise, any teacher considering this text for their classroom should know that it does have some dark and difficult moments, as the main character does not shy away from recounting the violence and hopelessness he endures while in prison. However, I think this book is all the more important for these difficult moments, especially as it humanizes the news stories and statistics behind America's prison problems. A worthy addition to any classroom library, social justice unit, book club rotation, novel-in-verse study, etc.

I struggle with novels in verse but this was fantastic. A poignant depiction of how the prison industrial complex is set to reinforce the school-to-prison pipeline. Required reading.

Punching the Air was read in one day, once I started I couldn't put it down. Ibi Zoboi is a writer who I know I will enjoy her books. In Punching the Air we follow Amal who is a very talented artist and poet. Who is unmotivated by the biased system that is his school. But one night his whole world is turned upside down when an altercation escalated and Amal is now convicted of a crime he didn't do. He's sent to prison where is slowly being overtaken by despair and rage. Then he turns his feeling into his art.
Just like Ibi Zoboi's other books, this one is just as powerful and lyrical. Her writing always punches me in my feelings and makes me fall for her characters. The truths in her stories, always break my heart. This book shows the injustices that is the judicial system for Black boys and men and what it's like for them. This book can teach people who don't believe how dark and painful this problem is. Amal is a great character to see through his eyes. I like seeing what arts mean to him. Punching the Air is told in verse, it shows racial profiling and the power of art.   I love the side characters, I enjoyed the caringness and how well they all mashed together. The relationships brought realism to this story.
This is a story about how words have power. That it doesn't matter if someone is telling the truth or lying, words have power. Everyone should stop and think about what they are saying and how it will and can affect someone.

The book was amazing. Written in verse makes this a quick read, but not an easy read. Our justice system is in need of major overhauls, and this book does a great job of highlighting these things. There were many parts that just gut punched me. I will definitely be adding this to my classroom library, and I would love to use portions with my ELA classes.

This was a quick and superb read! I was lucky enough to get both an ARC ebook and audiobook. I went back and forth between the two. Both formats are amazing! The narration is magnificent and the writing is wonderfully done.

An incredible novel-in-verse that examines the wrongful incarceration of a black teen boy named Amal. Based on the real life experiences of co-writer Yusef Salaam. One of the exonerated Central Park Five. Punching the Air is raw, powerful, and a necessary reminder of the systematic racism that still lies within our society. Very relevant,.. especially with the hate and division that has been created in our nation currently.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ebook ARC of this title.