Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
"I wonder if growing up in a war zone disarms you so you can't even tell why your heart races, just the constant awareness that it does.”
This debut novel by Christina Hammonds Reed takes you back to 1992 during the Rodney King riots. It is Ashley Bennet’s senior year of high school, and the biggest concerns in her sheltered life revolve around getting into Stanford and hanging out with friends. All of this changes, however, when the Rodney King verdict is delivered and Ashley accidentally starts a rumor about a fellow classmate that leaves him suspended from school. After realizing her mistake, Ashley is determined to right her wrongs. During Ashley’s quest for forgiveness, she starts spending more time with those outside her social circle and begins to learn more about oppression, race, socio-economic privilege, and what it means to be black in America.
Despite the heavy issues that are addressed in this novel, Reed successfully intertwines the complexities of being a teenager throughout the story. Instead of sugar coating serious issues, Reed challenges readers with her thought provoking tone and relatable characters. While I thoroughly enjoyed this story, Ashley’s “friends” were far from likeable. Of course, while I disliked how they talked to one another, it would have been difficult to showcase how Ashley was before the Rodney King trial without describing her relationship with her friends. Their relationship brought clarity to the lifestyle that Ashley was accustomed to, and it helped me understand the importance of Ashley’s journey of self-discovery.
This story reads like contemporary fiction, and if it weren’t for the Rodney King trial, you could almost forget that this took place in the 90’s. That, in itself, speaks volumes for the progress of our nation. Reed hits you with the truth and further reinforces issues that are still prevalent to this day. Despite its fictional nature, The Black Kids is seemingly a call to action that is meant to incite change and challenge what we have come to consider as the status quo.
If you enjoy The Black Kids, I recommend reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles.
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