All American Boys Hardcover – September 29, 2015

“All American Boys” tells the story of Rashad Butler (black) and Quinn Collins (white) who don’t really socialize but go to the same school. When Rashad is involved in an incident on his way to a party, he starts getting a ton of attention. Throughout the book, we see how Rashad recovers from this incident and how people he would have never suspected support him. This book has points that will have you almost in tears of joy and points that leave you in shock.I noticed a change in the book's theme as it book goes along. It starts off almost hateful but then it has a theme of generosity or support near the end. Without spoiling too much, the events of the first chapter are never forgotten about. With every page, you see the effects of what happened. A quote from the book, “Nobody says the words anymore, but somehow the violence still remains. If I didn’t want the violence to remain, I had to do a hell of a lot more than just say the right things and not say the wrong things.” , perfectly reflects how I felt reading this book.The two authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely try to maintain a balance between Rashad and Quinn. The middle of the book is very focused on Quinn and him dealing with betrayal and his friends, while Rashad is focused on more in the beginning and end of the book. I guess this makes sense because Rashad was just in the hospital, but I feel that there was more he could have done at certain points. The support given to Rashad by his friends, English, Carlos, and Shannon, is the opposite of how Quinn’s friendships are falling apart.I am disappointed that some parts of this book were not as challenging for me, and also that there was no real struggle for me in deciding which side I was on, but I think it was a very good book. Although there were things they could improve on, the message is good and the book as a whole is definitely a 5/5. The book is the perfect amount of pages to last you a good week or two, and it is immersing. There were parts of this book where I would not put it down until my kindle died.I have read this book twice and I am reading it a third time. I would recommend this to every reading teacher out there. This is a must read and can replace books like “Old Yeller” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” in required reading. It gives a good stance on current political issues and gives different views on those issues. Every library, bookstore, and online bookstore needs to have this book. This book will brighten the minds of the latest generation while giving them a good time. This book is one of the best books I have ever read, and that really says something about this book. I look forward to reading the author's other books.

This bold and compelling YA novel tackles a sensitive and potentially incendiary topic—police violence against people of color—in an effective and realistic manner. Told from the alternating perspectives of two adolescent male narrators, the story demonstrates quite vividly the vast differences that exist between the worlds that each teen inhabits despite the school and community that they share.Rashad, an African-American ROTC student, narrates most of his story from a hospital room, where he’s recovering from the brutal violence he suffered at the hands of a white officer, who suspected him of attacking a woman and robbing a convenience store. The officer is a close family friend of Quinn, a white, well-respected son of an Iraqi War vet who was killed in action. Quinn, who is Rashad’s classmate but doesn’t know him well, witnesses the assault and spends most of the novel struggling with questions of racism, privilege, and inequality.Reynolds and Kiely wisely keep Rashad and Quinn apart for most of the novel—and the effect is powerful. This technique highlights the disparity in their worlds and the impact that each boy’s race has on his life experience. Very much a contemporary novel, the story alludes to fairly recent and well publicized acts of police violence against Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and others.The novel is a quick read, yet that does not detract one iota from its impact or the authenticity of its social commentary. Reynolds and Kiely have crafted a gripping, trenchant narrative featuring believable characters coping with current social problems that have real consequences. This novel belongs in the hands of every teenager and secondary English teacher in the country.

My 13 year old is a reluctant reader so whenever I find a book he enjoys, I have to sing its praises. He had to choose any book he wanted for a social justice unit in his 7th grade ELA class. We narrowed it down to a few books but he chose "All American Boys" after reading a preview and enjoying it more than all the others. He's almost done with the book now and told me that this is the first book he's EVER read that he doesn't want to put down and looks forward to reading every day. I read it too and agree with him 100%. The book has a powerful message but it is easy to read and fast paced so you get lost in its pages. The book has led to a lot of really great conversations with my teenage son. I would give it 10/10 stars if I could.