The Black Kids

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Pub Date 05 Aug 2020 | Archive Date 22 Jul 2020
Simon & Schuster Australia | Simon & Schuster Children's UK

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Description

Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, this unforgettable coming-of-age debut novel is a unflinching exploration of race, class, and violence as well as the importance of being true to yourself. 

Los Angeles, 1992

Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of high school and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.

But everything changes one afternoon in April, when four police officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.

As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.

With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?

Praise for The Black Kids:

'Should be required reading in every classroom' – Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin
'A prescient coming-of-age debut' – Elle.com
'Utterly brilliant' STYLIST
Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, this unforgettable coming-of-age debut novel is a unflinching exploration of race, class, and violence as well as the importance of being true to yourself. 

Los...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781471188190
PRICE $13.00 (USD)
PAGES 368

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Average rating from 14 members


Featured Reviews

4.5 Stars

It is heartbreaking that something set in 1992 is so relevant today. This book presents the realities of systematic racism in a clear and thoughtful way. We follow Ashley a black high school senior in a predominantly white high school, Ashley struggles with fitting in on many levels and I think finding your place and finding your family are also themes in this story.

I was not born at the time of the Rodney King riots and I wasn't born in America. Although I was aware of the riots happening this was a great way for me to receive a perspective on these events. Reading this book has also prompted me to find out more about the Rodney King riots. It is up to us to build a better future and we have a responsibility to do so.

I was given a Netgalley ARC in exchange for a review.

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”We have to walk around being perfect all the time just to be seen as human. Don’t you ever get tired of being a symbol? Don’t you ever just want to be human?”
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This book couldn’t have come at a more timely moment and sadly shows how little growth we have done since the 90s (and even earlier) to stop the systemic racism towards those of colour. I really enjoyed following Ashley’s story and seeing her personal growth throughout and I thought Christina’s writing was wonderful and really made me feel like I was right there with the characters. A cross between YA contemporary and historical fiction this is a book that I recommend everyone add to their TBR lists this year as although the subject matter is heavy, I really think the topics it touched on like race, class, mental health, family issues etc are all written in a way that can be relatable to all ages and hopefully will encourage some necessary conversations. A wonderful debut and I can’t wait to see what Christina writes next!
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A big thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Australia for this advanced digital copy to read and review!

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In The Black Kids Ashley is coming of age in her senior year of high school in 1992 in LA, against the backdrop of the Rodney King Riots. Scarily mirroring recent world events nearly 30 years later.

This book is powerful. It had my heart beating fast. It’s a must read for everyone, because of it’s severe relevancy to our world today. I once heard that the only way to touch someone’s heart in a way that enacts change is to tell them your story and get you them to understand you. Looking at people and at their misfortunes on mass isn’t as effective.

Sometimes you think you understand how someone feels because they tell you. But, you really don’t know how they feel, how they’re seeing the world or how they are responding to the world around them and how the world around them is responding to them until you take a look inside their mind, which is exactly what you get to do with this book with Ashley.

The characters were all well crafted and realistic. I found at times that the author would jump back in time when Ashley would reflect upon how a present event related to a past event and that I would get a little lost. But, this doesn’t diminish the power of this book.

If you’re white and you want to read more about racism, because of the injustice it cause even now, don’t turn to To Kill A Mockingjay, it’s written by a white woman, it will confirm what you already know. Read The Black Kids; it’ll open your eyes.

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This book was absolutely PHENOMENAL!! I was so invested and hooked from the very first page to the very last. The story and characters were so incredibly written and I feel like I have learned and taken away so much from this book.

PLOT:
I think the plot in this book was very well thought out and executed and spoke of very relevant situations. It flowed really nicely and there were never any parts of the story that dragged or moved too quickly. I definitely need to give the author credit for creating a book that is both so enjoyable, heartbreaking, and moving all at the same time. This book talks a lot about racism, and racism pertaining to class, and I genuinely think the author did such an incredible job at making this book hold such importance and being very educational all the while being an incredibly well written and rounded story.

CHARACTERS:
Firstly I’ll start by saying that there was a lot of really great representation in this book so I definitely applaud the author for that. All of the secondary characters in this story were all written so well, and I feel as though we got a lot of really well developed and multi faceted characters which I really loved. As for our main character Ashley, I honestly adored her. I think one of my favourite aspects of this book was the journey Ashley went on throughout her life from learning what racism was, to growing up dealing with it, to understanding how it effects her and her life, as well as learning to stand up for racism both aimed towards herself and others. Seeing her experience life going to an upper class school being surrounded by rich white kids and experiencing racism on a daily basis really was such an interesting journey. Really getting a glimpse at the racism that happens when class comes into play was so eye opening, and I do feel it was actually very educational in the sense that I felt I gained so much more knowledge on how racism can impact a young person’s life especially when class and wealth comes into play.

OVERALL:
I genuinely enjoyed this book so much and would highly recommend it to absolutely everyone. It covers so many crucial topics that need to be discussed and I think it was just such a beautifully written story that everyone should have the pleasure to read!

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The Black Kids is a coming-of-age novel set during the 1992 Rodney King riots in LA. The main protagonist is Ashley, a sheltered Black teenager who grew up in a nice neighbourhood, goes to a private school and has only white friends.

When four LAPD police officers are acquitted of brutally beating Rodney King half to death, violence engulfs LA. Ashley tries to continue on with her normal life, but then her sister gets arrested, her uncle's business gets looted and she gets a gun pointed at her face by a police officer.

The Black Kids is about race, class and Ashley's quest to figure out who she is and where she belongs. If I was to describe the writing in three words, I would say it was atmospheric, descriptive and honest. My only minor issue was that I would have preferred fewer characters. But otherwise, this book's synopsis is (unfortunately) just as relevant today as it was in 1992. The Black Kids is perfect for Angie Thomas and Elizabeth Acevedo fans.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

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The Black Kids
Author: Christina Hammonds Reed
Genre: YA Historical
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ • ✨ / 5
Reviewed: Maya

[Trigger Warning: racism, racist slurs such as the n-word, police brutality, suicide, death of a relative, mentions of cancer and chemotherapy, person at the last stages of AIDs]

Read this book. Go find a copy and read it. I didn’t even realise until I reread the synopsis about 25% through that this was set in 1992 because it is scaringly similar to 2020. The world-building was too realistic and I had never read a book that discussed the racism, police brutality and Rodney King’s murder during this time period, which clearly showed the way that history repeats itself. As a white, Australian teenager I have never experienced any racism or witnessed/been targeted by police brutality, so obviously I will not speak on their behalf, and instead I will read books by people who know this first-hand so that I can become more educated. The characters were written so well and felt so real; I really liked Ashley and the development that she went through. Reed has a gift because her writing is amazing and there was always a drive to keep reading this book. I nearly couldn’t believe this was Reed’s debut book and I will 100% be reading every single book that she will write in the future. This book *needs* to be read in every classroom because it is such an important read and would open up so many needed discussions. I recommend this book for everybody.

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