Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Top knot h choice for beginning the exploration of— or continuing the conversation— regarding affirmative action, the power of protest, codeswitching, entitlement, and most importantly: self-determination.

The hint is blatantly spelled out in the title: REQUIRED READING. This is another must-add to your classroom library!

More than anything, Savannah wanted to get into Woodhouse University to make her mom proud and make all of their sacrifices worthwhile. However, when Savannah gets to school, she is met with a combination of outright racism and a series microaggressions that force her decide if she will sit quietly by while they continue or stand up for herself and her convictions.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

This book began with immense potential, as much as our main character Savannah herself. I was instantly hooked, the striking details of her life in Memphis vs her introduction to an elite Ivy League University. Unfortunately, like Savannah herself, this story gets bogged down in the racial hatred on campus. It certainly needs to be illustrated, but that’s literally all we got from the year, one attack after another. It was so blatant, which I’m sure is the case in some instances, but a feud between the senior student body president and a freshman girl seems so heavy-handed. I wish we could have seen even more of Savannah and her transition to college, with some struggles, along with day to day “normal” challenges, more of the relatable moments.

The feeling of growing up or spending time in a mostly white space is utterly relatable for me. While my college wasn't as homogeneous as Savannah's, I experienced high school with microaggresions I didn't even realize at the time. Yet the racism that Savannah experiences is on another level. Chasing the pride of the prestige, Savannah's family and her are set on the glory. But she doesn't realize the burden of the racism which falls heavily on her shoulders. The ways that these spaces revolve around apologizing for each other only.

That rarely see a need for change and gaslight you when you demand one. There Savannah has to balance her self and her identity. To wonder if she should play the game knowing that the stakes are even higher for her. Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman is rage inducing from the beginning. How the racism descends like a fog, submerging us into a culture of excuses for certain people. The way the white privilege and majority seek to excuse their behaviors - any excuse to not interrrogate their own selves.

I am torn about this one and really have had to sit with my feelings for a few days to write a fair review. I don't feel like I can say this, at times, felt a bit over the top because, as a white woman, to say so would be discounting an experience that I haven't lived. I don't know how common this experience is. So what I will say is this: if you are white, there are things you can learn from this book and you should read it. Beyond that, I am not in a place to judge a book about being black written by a black woman because her experience, story, narrative is the one that matters here, not mine.

Required Reading gives readers a glimpse into the type of racism that people of color face on college campuses. It doesn't matter how hard they work, they are expected to be better and are treated unfairly. I think many people of color will connect and relate to the situations in this book.

I'm still not completely sure how I felt about this one. Whether it was preachy, or whether it was empowering, because I can sort of see it both ways. Being a white female who didn't exactly experience much racism in the small town I grew up in, I found it hard to relate, but wanted to educate myself more on the subject. A worth-while read, just still not sure how I completely feel. 3 stars since I'm completely undecided.

we did almost select this book for our common read curriculum, It was an excellent coming of age read and perfect for students. It's a story that is very real for many

I don’t know why most books always have the teenagers solving the biggest scandals but this book followed this troupe. A teenager who wants to be accepted into a HBCU but has to deal with privileged people using her circumstances against her, battling racism in her school system, and a kid who has identity issues is all wrapped up in this book. There’s growth, self-discovery, and “justice” delivered in this fast past book. I would recommend this book to those who are trying to find their voice, if you ever been discriminated against, and for those who say they “don’t see color.” Young and old, all ethnicities, can benefit from reading this book. It brings a different perspective on some thought patterns out there in society and allows you to self-reflect on what biases and prejudices you may have. I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley. I got the audio version from my library and I noticed that the ARC at times didn’t match the audio. That’s to be expected however because ARCs are still the beginning stages and things can change with the final print.

This is a story that needs to exist in the world. It was very sad the whole way through with very little hope, but it is true to the experience it's portraying.

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman is *required reading for everyone.* Teens who are uncertain about where they fit into mostly white spaces will really click with this story. This is a story I wish I had as a teenager. It's unflinching in its truth about racism and privilege.

I really enjoyed this story and loved Savannah's character so much! She was honest, raw, and always told it like it is. Her growth over the story from someone who tries to fit in into someone who is 100% herself was so fantastic to witness. I can't wait to read Kristen R. Lee's next work!

A big thanks to Netgalley and Crown Books for Young Readers for granting me an advanced reading copy of "Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman" by Kristen . Lee in exchange for a honest review!

REQUIRED READING FOR THE DISENFRANCHISED FRESHMAN is a fantastic read into the inherent racism of Ivy League colleges and the constant fight that our protagonist Savannah has during her freshman year. While it felt exhausting near the end, it is accurate to how Black people must feel in modern times, and brings the point across quite well. I will admit that the ending was quite abrupt and felt incomplete, hence why I am giving it a 3 star review.

Characters were boring, and had an annoying twist. The main character was somewhat relatable, so I give credit to that. Plot wasn't as interesting as expected, but maybe because Realistic Fiction is something that Im just getting into.

Given the title, we are prepared for this to be a challenging read. We should expect it to push us out of our comfort zone and lead us to question the way we view the world. With that in mind, I'm not sure if this goes quite far enough. The racism that Savannah faces is so blatant. Lucas is a simple bigot, using his family's influence to get away with whatever he wants. That being said, the obvious nature of the racism might be the point. This young man gets away with something that is obviously wrong because he has power. And the Black students are expected to put up with it because they are a small part of the population. Now there are some side elements about what it means to be an ally that could have been developed more completely, making this a more complex and compelling read. Even so, it's a decent read that could lead to good discussion with teen readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before needing to switch to other books that were being archived. From the portion I read, this book is remains on my Goodreads "want to read" list. I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion when I finish it at a later date..

WOW! This book really hit home for me because I've experienced my college years at a PWI and an HBCU. I was happy that Savannah stood up for herself and found her tribe very early on in the book. The theme I got from this book was to always use your voice no matter what after.

My Thoughts:

This has such POTENTIAL, starting with the very appealing title of the book.

Sadly, this is definitely not required reading and it falls flat of everything that it could be. The publishers say this is a book for fans of Dear White People, so I will start there with the review of this book. Like Dear White People (DWP), this book takes on some stereotypes of characters from both sides of the color aisle in this PWI college (predominantly white institution). The faculty in DF (Disenfranchised Freshman) are clueless, toothless or feckless which means that the students can continue to act out. However, what this book is missing that is done so well in DWP is that sharp dialogue and humor in DWP that hints that there is something deep beyond the tropes and stereotypes from both sides. DWP shows characters that are flawed and nuanced, including the main character. Her "wokeness" becomes part of her flaw and her strength. I kept waiting for that in DF and was disappointed.

As teachers who are in their own battles around curriculum and diversifying bookshelves and curriculum, skip this one. I do not doubt that such overt racism happens in elite schools, but young adults need more tools around those more common micro-aggressions at universities across the country. You really can be destroyed by a million little paper cuts if you don't have tools to handle the more insidious micro-aggressions that are a reality in classrooms and work places.

From the Publisher:
Savannah Howard sacrificed her high school social life to make sure she got into a top college. Her sights were set on an HBCU, but when she is accepted to the ivy-covered walls of Wooddale University on a full ride, how can she say no?

Wooddale is far from the perfectly manicured community it sells on its brochures, though. Savannah has barely unpacked before she comes face to face with microagressions stemming from racism and elitism. Then Clive Wilmington's statue is vandalized with blackface. The prime suspect? Lucas Cunningham, Wooddale's most popular student and son of a local prominent family. Soon Savannah is unearthing secrets of Wooddale's racist history. But what's the price for standing up for what is right? And will telling the truth about Wooddale's past cost Savannah her own future?

A stunning, challenging, and timely debut about racism and privilege on college campuses.

I haven't read a contemporary YA book in a while, and I am so glad I picked this one up. Everything about this book was great. The writing, the characters, the flow of the plot, not a single miss. Really the only thing I wish was different was that it be a little bit longer! I thought a few parts could have been fleshed out a little bit more. But all in all the message is so important and the characters were so wonderfully real that it is a must read. The story and struggles of the main character will make anyone reflect on the individual and systemic racism in our society, and are so necessary for young readers especially to read. Thank you to Netgalley and the published for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.