Review of All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Authors

Erin E. Kloosterman, Cedarville UniversityFollow

Publisher

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

City

New York, New York, United States of America

Date of Publication

2015

ISBN

9781481463331

Date of Review

2019

Disciplines

Library and Information Science | Modern Literature

Keywords

young adult literature, reviews

Review

Rashad thought he was just buying a simple bag of chips before heading to a party with his friends. However, his convenience store trip turns dangerous when another patron trips over him, causing a police officer to assume that Rashad is shoplifting. The officer attacks Rashad, beating him on the sidewalk until Rashad needs to be hospitalized. Quinn, a student at Rashad’s school, witnesses the brutality and feels the reaction of the police officer is unwarranted. However, the police officer is Quinn’s best friend’s brother and has treated Quinn like a son after Quinn’s dad died in Afghanistan. Quinn must decide if he is willing to step out and talk about what he saw, and Rashad has to come to terms with the attack. Both boys grow exponentially throughout the novel, and when their story finally comes together in the final pages, readers will be moved to tears. This book is so timely and needed and would fit in well with any classroom discussion on current race relations. The tone of the book is ultimately hopeful, leading the reader to understand that reconciliation is possible, and the characters are so believable that readers will be able to jump into their shoes effortlessly. Highly Recommended. Erin Kloosterman, Centennial Library Intern, Cedarville University

Recommended Citation

Kloosterman, Erin E., "Review of All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely" (2019). Library Intern Book Reviews. 234.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/234

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