What I Loved:
This. Book. UGH! It was amazing, and I loved every word, every page.
How I Felt:
This story truly impacted me. I stopped and started the reading of this to consider the words on the page. While this was a fictional story, it rings true over and over again. Tracy’s comments on the racial divides in our society were spot-on and continued to make me think. Her investigation into what really happened the night her brother was accused of murder gave so many opportunities to show readers some of the horrible injustices that are a part of America today.
The plot features a young girl, Tracy, who is trying to get her father’s death sentence overturned before it is too late. She relentlessly writes letters to Innocence X, an organization that assists people in their legal needs, but she has yet to hear back from them. Just as she is beginning to give up on them, her brother is accused of murder, and Tracy is reliving a nightmare for the second time.
The characters were wonderful. Tracy is this sassy, smart, determined young woman. I loved her relentless pursuit of justice for her father, and then for her brother. The other characters were the perfect supporting cast to complete this story and to tell it right.
Overall, I was absolutely in love with This is my America. I enjoyed the story and found it to be a quick read, as I couldn’t put it down. I think that it had some hard-hitting ideas that are important to read about, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it!
To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend This is my America to ALL readers! This was a poignant book that needs to have a voice in today’s world.
Where to Find This Book:
This is my America by Kim Johnson is available at these sites!
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads | Audible
Dear Martin meets Just Mercy in this unflinching yet uplifting YA novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system.
Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organization to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time—her dad has only 267 days left. Then the unthinkable happens. The police arrive in the night, and Tracy’s older brother, Jamal, goes from being a bright, promising track star to a “thug” on the run, accused of killing a white girl. Determined to save her brother, Tracy investigates what really happened between Jamal and Angela down at the Pike. But will Tracy and her family survive the uncovering of the skeletons of their Texas town’s racist history that still haunt the present?
Fans of Nic Stone and Jason Reynolds won’t want to miss this provocative and gripping debut.
Just the Facts:
This is my America by Kim Johnson
Genre: Young Adult
Page Count: 416 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: July 28, 2020
Kim Johnson held leadership positions in social justice organizations as a teen and in college. She’s now a college administrator who maintains civic engagement throughout the community while also mentoring Black student activists and leaders.
She is also the graduate advisor and member of an historically Black sorority. This Is My America is her debut novel and explores racial injustice against innocent Black men who are criminally sentenced and the families left behind to pick up the pieces. She holds degrees from the University of Oregon and the University of Maryland, College Park.
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I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
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