This book is amazingly Written(in poem format). The whole book is poetry! Athough I did get a little antsy in the middle so i skipped ahead to the class rap battle. That when I learn I missed the school riot in which the main character,Mason, becomes a victim of police brutality. Mason is a kid who wants to be a rapper. He enters a poetry class to strengthen his lines. He is also the child of a BLM activist. Mason just assumes after your attacked by police you are JUST A HASHTAG. (The books says their names George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake, Freddie Grey, & many more! Each on has their own poem.)Until one day he could have died because of police brutality. Then he becomes an activist like his mom. He is asked to tell his story make his voice and name heard. This book may be a trigger for some such as it speaks on slavery, immigration, white supremicy, KKK, and police violence!

This will be a good read for some one, but as for me I'm on the fence. Some parts I couldnt put down and others I was like enough. All the poems are beautifully written with precise care and sensitivity. Lisa Roberts took her time and made sure evey word was in the right place at the right time. This should be in schools.

Every time a book tries to approach books like racism, BLM, police brutality, a reader has no choice but be weary, so many times do authors mess this topic up , by downplaying it, not treating this topic with respect, etc... This book, however, does none of that. Not only is beautifully written with a poetic feel to it, nut the way Carter approaches these topics is perfect. The characters feel human and not just plot devices, the narrative feels real and not simply fabricated to prove a point. Overall one of the best books about racism and BLM I've read so far!!

I wanted to like this book so much but it was just something about it that wasn’t grasping my attention. It felt like it was kind of all over the place and somewhat confusing with the poems but some poems were good. Some parts were OK.

Thank you to NetGalley, Central Avenue Publishing, and Lisa Roberts Carter for the opportunity to read If You Knew My Name in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is told in a poetic verse style with every line carrying a fun rhythm and beat. The language and style is definitely something the author put a lot of thought into to execute the presentation of Mason's talent and story.

Mason would love to be a famous rapper. In the meantime, he enjoys rap battles and writing for his Black Poetry Class. The setup of the novel explores some of the different events that have triggerend and built up the Black Lives Matter movement. Mason, being black himself, doesn't want to become just another hashtag, like all the other victims, especially of police brutality.

When a local black man is killed by police in Mason's own city, the fear becomes even closer than he ever thought possible. Caught up in a school riot that he wasn't a part of, the police pin him out and he has that momentary fear that he will be just another hashtag. Through his own experiences, what he knows about the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality, and through his mothers experiences, Mason knows he must use his voice to speak for justice. But will people listen if they hear his full name first and maje judgements and assumptions before he can share his voice?

A thoroughly powerful novel that touches on some of the black people who were killed by police, the people meant to be protectors. There are many I hasn't heard of, and it was enough to investigate and look them up to know their face, their history, and not just their names.

Mason is a powerful character who uses his aspiration of performing rap to pass his Black Poetry Class. The skills he learns are life skills that can be applied to using his voice to fight for justice. The message here is very clear about not only finding one's voice, but making the choice to act. A must-read for contemporary teen readers.

A debut novel that written in verse, telling the story of 17 year old Mason Tyndall, an aspiring rap artist whose mother is a BLM activist.

He wants to become a rapper and make it big one day. Focusing on dropping rhymes and making beats. That is until he comes across a BLACK poetry class in school. He’s about to graduate and needs this class to pass. But little does know, that this class will not only help him become a better rapper, but also an activist.

I love that this book is written with so much rawness. It touches topics on racism, not only within the black community but also immigrants and people of color.
Within the poetry class , these topics are touched within the students. Different cultures come together and it’s not all pretty. Yes there is Black power radiating through the class, but there’s also White supremacy.

I found that so much of what was talked about in this book, is still relating to today, not just within the black community but with others.

This debut novel was so powerful. Police brutality is unfortunately a thing that is still very common and it sucks so bad but I love that the community came together to protest and be the voices for those who were silenced. Awesome book.

Here's a YA novel that explores the lived reality of what it means to be black in America, and for Mason, he starts his senior year of high school with his hopes high that it'll be a great year until the unexpected happens-and conflict, fear, anger, death everything he's not prepared for finds him-and the author did her best to ensure you walk through the angst with Mason.
I loved how the #SayTheirNames was incorporated here, a touch of lyricism to remind us of the lives lost.
Now, I also give major props to the book cover, and title-on getting my attention-it truly did. I'd love to see more covers like this.
What bummed me out was that in exploring a concept as rap, and for the characters here- it felt forced and there was more like the feeling of 'wannabe' teens and this made some characters fall flat. Maybe it was intentional, or not, but it would have been great to travel the journey with his circle of friends evident in some bit of character development.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

If You Knew My Name is a hard-hitting YA Novel about a young man going through a horrific event. Mason starts his senior year on a brand-new high to fall to his lowest depths. Forced into a class he doesn't want to be in and stuck in an event he's only ever read about. The only answer he has is to rap his way to justice. Which on paper sounds kind of crazy but it works really well with Carter writing here. Most of what Carter does is spectacular especially for the age range they are trying to reach.

However, a book like this does come with it faults. Most of the characters come off as flat or trying too hard. This is a problem I find in most YA now-a-days. With a story like this that made me cry really early into it I had higher hope. Every subject - which there is a lot - is talked about beautifully for the most part. It brings up important questions that I feel like most High Schoolers should be asking. And situation that are sadly too real.

I landed on a 3.5⭐'s. But couldn't recommend more.

This might be the best novel in verse I’ve ever read. The sheer lyricism and poetry completely blew me away. So much so that it is hard to believe that this is a debut novel. I’ll bet it’s amazing on audio, but it was so easy to find the rhythm in these words in my head with an e-copy. There are so many topics covered in these pages that need to be heard like cultural appropriation, racism, white guilt, colonialism and police brutality. It is heartbreaking to read at times because it is so brutal and infuriating, but so necessary to get the point across. Mason was such an amazingly written character and I loved his connection with words and also his relationship with his mother. I think this would be an excellent addition to a high school classroom. I can’t say enough good things about this book and I can’t wait until its release day so everyone else can be in awe of it too.
CW: mentions of slavery, murder, shootings, death, police brutality


Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.25

This is such an important book that touched on many topics and showed that even teens can have knowledge, strength, and power to educate people and stand up for their beliefs. Mason is a powerful character (as was his mama!) and you can’t help but admire him.

I particularly liked the poems told in the poetry class but wished the rest of the novel had been told in regular prose instead of in verse. I struggled with the cadence of those parts and felt these weren’t didn’t smoothly flow. However, the message is still there and definitely comes through.

This book is about the story of Mason as he navigates the increasing police brutality against black people during the pandemic. I really enjoyed how it was written in poems as opposed to a normal novel format. It really added to the message and felt supremely powerful.

I always find books in verse so intriguing. I think the author was masterful in telling a cohesive story this way. I enjoyed the characters and could picture certain situations happening, actually I have no doubt that situations like those in the book HAVE happened. I would recommend this one to anyone.

This was a really well-written and important read.
I feel like everyone can take away many lessons from this novel in verse and learn a lot from it. It shows the conversations we should be having in school (across all countries, racism and anti-blackness isn’t just a problem in the USA!) and honestly across all communities.
This novel is a prime example in how education can further acceptance and how important it is to not erase history, but talk about all of it. It also shows how even if you know you’ll never fully understand what a marginalized community is going through (when you’re not a part of it), standing with them and amplifying their voices can make a huge difference. I hope people will learn from this.
There are many important conversations in the Black Poetry class that this book is centered on, but also outside of it, especially about white privilege, and the lived reality of People of Color.
In the beginning of the book, I didn’t like the way Mason talked about girls and women, but he grew a lot through the course of his senior year and comparing his attitudes from the beginning to those in the end, you can really see the (positive) change, not only in regard to the way he talks to and about women.
The writing itself is mostly rhythmic, especially the rap lyrics/rap parts, but some (only some!) of the poems outside of it read more than hacked up sentences without any rhythm.
All in all this was a great novel in verse that I highly recommend.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

If You Knew My Name is a debut novel from Lisa Roberts Carter. It is a “novel in verse” (or better: “a novel in rap”) that tells the story of Mason, a Black student who hopes to be a rap star and who’s mother encourages him to join her in her BLM work. Mason enrolls in the first Black Poetry class at their high school. The teacher uses poetry, rap and even a “rap battle” to create a dialogue between the diversely opinionated students about their understanding and experience with racism. This novel can generate a lot of discussions as Carter weaves in #saytheirnames, CRT and many specific racial injustices.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC.

I’m not normally one for novels written in verse but I’m glad I tried this one. I really enjoyed the story and I enjoyed getting to see another side to the Black experience. I say that as someone who has not experienced it personally, and while the topics mentioned make me sad at the state this country has always been in, it gives me another piece to try to understand a life I have never lived.

I enjoyed watching Mason get to see how important the topic is, though I hated seeing the situation that got him there. I enjoyed Ms. Jordan, and while I did think it was odd to see her teach a class that is distinctly labeled Black Poetry, I really liked seeing her make an effort to give Black voices a space to express themselves without judgement or condemnation.

All of the side characters felt fleshed out enough to get the point across, in a written style that doesn’t lend itself to more detailed explorations that standard novel style books do. I liked seeing all the differences in opinion, and how they challenged each other during every class.

This story definitely opened me up to thoughts and conversations I hadn’t previously had, and I would definitely be interested in more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in an exchange for a honest review.

Wow, what a beautifully written and right on time piece of art. I hope to see this book in the hands of young people. I dont read poetry books often but I can not wait to add this to my collection. Wow. This author did a great job capturing the many emotions that Black folks are feeling during a time where there is some much racial tension in all walks of life. Hope this book reaches who it needs to.

A wonderfully original novel about Black Lives Matter and racism in America and how one student’s life is directly affected by police brutality. The story is without a doubt important and would be a fantastic addition to secondary school reading lists. Its poetic style was refreshing and I was blown away by the hard facts of racism in this day and age.
Although the story starts (& ends) with Mason, I felt that he was lost in the middle part of the book, and that, for me, was a shame. At times the styling of the prose is difficult to keep up with, but the message is powerful and needs to be heard.

This isn’t always an easy read as it covers real life experiences and holds up a mirror but it is a good read and for me a hopeful read. I particularly enjoyed the second half of the book - once the characters are known - which flies by with a real pace and rhythm.

Thank you to Central Avenue and NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book releases on May 28,2024. I think verse was a great way to convey this message and to get across what this character represents/stands for. I greatly enjoyed reading this unique perspective on BLM, police violence, racial disparity, the current day effects of slavery, among other essential topics. This book is as timely as ever and is one that should be added to "must read" lists for everyone. I did notice the formatting of some of the novel was off on my kindle which did skew the reading experience a bit and make it confusing at times, though this is something that could be resolved when the book is fully released.

Loved the writing style. Extremely relevant and heart breaking, but you'll be extremely glad that you read this. It'll be something that'll stick with me for a long time ❤️