I can't do this book justice in a review.  It is a study in opposition that paints a broad picture in limited words and offers hope despite the gritty reality of the topic.  Simultaneously pessimistic and uplifting, and highly recommended!

Absolutely loved this book. Not only was the content compelling, the arrangement of text on the page was unique and captivating. The ending was unresolved leaving the reader to imagine how the story plays out. I love and hate those endings as I am a reader that craves resolution; however, I understand the need for such an ending. I love everything Ibi Zoboi has written and Punching the Air has been added to that list.

This book deals with the wrongful incarceration of African American young men, told in lyrical first person poetry; Amal also uses art, rap, and art history to express his truths. The coauthors did an excellent job expressing sympathy and support for Black youth, and they shine a light on our flawed justice system. It is excellently written and is an important book that I hope gets into the hands of many young people.

Lyrical and genius, this is a must read. Amal’s story is impactful and relevant. It moves you through the words and poetry, shakes you to your core. 

The fact that this story is written based on one of the author’s life experiences awakens the reader’s soul.

This was a beautifully written novel that made excellent use of the concept of disrupting white space, both literally and metaphorically. Ibi Zoboi continues to be a powerful voice in young adult literature, and I'm excited to see more of what Yusef Salaam has to offer. I think books like this should be required reading in secondary settings because they help to build empathy and understanding when our nation seems to be drifting further and further apart.

This gorgeous, powerful book is a brilliant collaboration between Zoboi and Salaam. The parallels to Salaam's own experiences are clear and will bring the events of the Central Park 5 to a new generation; Zoboi's writing is poetic, lyrical, and vigorous. A quick read that will linger in readers' minds.

If you know the story of the Central Park Five, you have to read this book. And if you don't know the story, you have to read this book! Ibi Zoboi teamed up with Yusef Salaam to tell the story of young man wrongly accused and convicted of crime and how that young man spends his time in the jouvenile detention center. While it's not a memoir, it is based loosely on how Yusef Salaam used art as a creative outlet while he served his time. This book is a must read by people of ages and backgrounds. I will use it in my classroom to springboard the discussion about race and the way the judicial system, prison system and all American systems disproporionately fail and oppress black people. Through poetry and art this book tackles issues of rcial profiling and prison abolition. It is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Amazing.  I am always stunned when I can delve into a novel in verse and grasp so much feeling, so much character in so few words.  This book is so important - for kids, for teachers, for those who are quick to judge.  So powerful.  These words are musts for any YA collections or readers.

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

An incredible novel-in-verse that intimately examines the factors contributing to and effects of the wrongful incarceration of a Black teen boy. The poems had wonderful and natural flow, making me feel like I was reading prose. The imagery throughout was sharp and perfect. 

I would have liked to see the accompanying illustrations, as I assume there are some in the final published copy.

Another winner from Ibi Zoboi, this time in partnership with one of the exonerated Central Park Five, Yusef Salaam. It's a quick read, but it packs a punch. I liked that Amal owned the mistakes he made in the past but continually fought for his innocence in the situation that landed him in jail. The descriptions, the characters, the writing... I loved it all.

I went back and forth on this book listening on audio and also referencing the text version. It is absolutely beautiful in both formats. The story of Amal is difficult to read/listen to since he is falsely imprisoned, but the writing is superb and the narration is wonderfully done. I appreciated the author's note at the end detailing the backstory of how this book was born. Excellent.

What a gut punch of a book. The injustice screams out in every word, the comparison of jail to school to slavery, it's all a one-two powerhouse combination.

This novel in verse follows a wrongfully convicted black teen in juvenile detention. 

At Amal's trial, his character witness is his art teacher who is very hard on him and does not understand who he is. Since the person he "hit" is still in a coma and can't speak to the incident he is convicted and sent to juvenile detention. The guards are not supportive and Amal is trying hard not to go crazy in a place where he shouldn't even be.

I'm so glad this book exists. It tells a story beyond what I'm familiar with reading. It's a necessary read and a beautiful book. The pure lyricism on each page leads the reader through tribulations of a young man being put through the system where many of the other inmates look like him or feel like more than a statistic within the system. I looked forward to reading this and I am glad for the opportunity to read and review such a wonderful and moving book.

This book was amazing! It tied together for me some of what I've been reading and watching lately including When They See Us, The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton, and The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. This book adds a first person experience for YA readers to connect to of our main character convicted of a crime he did not commit. I was really taken by how his art and artistic perspective played a role in his time in prison. This book made me laugh and cry. I'll be recommending it to everyone.

"But here and now
it's not a classroom, it's a cell block
it's not a restroom, it's open stalls and showers
it's not a lunch room, it's the mess hall
it's not friends, it's inmates, felons, and delinquents

If I squint
I almost can't tell the difference"

This book is absolute necessary reading for teachers and anyone who wants to call themselves an ally. Amal's story is gut-wrenching and all too real, as Dr. Salaam can attest. We must do better.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me an e-arc of the book.  I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobooks of Punching the Air, and really appreciated the prose and verses and how it was not just a novel.
I find myself wishing I had this when I was younger, and how important this is now as a black person in America.

Excellent verse novel for teens, bringing awareness to wrongful incarceration and humanizing young people held in juvenile detention. The fact that Zoboi writes this in partnership with Dr. Salaam makes the story much more powerful, and I look forward to reading an afterword written specifically by him, something not provided in the advance copy. Amal was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and while he admits to throwing the first punch, he doesn't believe he should be locked up for the altercation with a white boy. The story illustrates how creativity and hope can save a person from despair, the prejudice and racism with which we treat inmates, how we can support young people in prison and also perhaps work against the prison-industrial complex and the school-to-prison pipeline. I wish there was more for students to read about these structural issues after they've been affected by Amal's story.

This novel is about a young man’s struggle to be a young black body in a world that is not set up for your success. A life upended by one moment gone terribly awry, with no way to prove the narrative falsely. Punching the Air is a glimpse into Amal Shahid's life after that terrible incident leaving a young white body in a coma. A brilliant artist and poet who has bared his spirit and thoughts through words and pictures not everyone can comprehend or chooses to. A  story of young man in a juvenile penal system fighting against the urge to accept the hand he’s been dealt and figuring out how to use the rage that has been built up inside of him. A young mother that has fought to make a good life for her child and prepare him for the reality of what it means to be cautious in a world where nothing will ever come easy. Punching the Air, does a commendable job of exploring the complexities of an existence that a large fraction of the population experiences and bringing some awareness to the forefront of those that never will.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

This novel in verse is incredible, and yet, soul crushing at the same time.

Written in collaboration with Yusef Salaam, one of the exonerated five, this poignant and timely novel draws on Salaam's experiences to shape the main character, Amal, a boy in the wrong place at the wrong time whose bright future is upended. As he is convicted of a crime he didn't commit and sent to prison, his rage and despair sink in.  Only when he gets back to his core, his art and the use of his words, is he able to change his story.

The poetry in this story is a work of art.  Such a timely and important piece.