Review by Booklist Review
Ayo's mother is the heart of the Black civil rights movement in Harlem. Since Ayo was a small child, she was raised to take over her mother's nonprofit organization, See Us. Ayo is well versed in the subtle and not-so-subtle nuances of racism in her neighborhood, and her mother has armed her with enough information to fight racism and injustice as a youth leader for See Us. Ayo loves her mother, but she doesn't necessarily want to follow in her footsteps. Ayo's world gets turned upside down, however, when her mother gets shot, and Ayo must find a way to work through her rage and grief to become the daughter her mother always wanted her to be. Arnold's powerful story unfolds the complexities of the life of a Black child in America and how their Blackness is an aspect of their character permanently stitched into their skin. This book is rich with Black history and truth, and Arnold aptly proves the point that there are indeed two Americas. A powerful read for justice-minded teens.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
As the daughter of Harlem's most influential activist, 14-year-old Ayomide Bosia has always had a keen awareness of the often lethal societal injustices that affect the everyday lives of Black community members. Ayo's mother, Rosalie, is the founder of See Us, a civil rights activist group that challenges police brutality and institutional racism, and provides support to Harlem residents. While Ayo has an unfaltering belief in Rosalie's mission, and sees herself as a budding activist, she struggles to balance her desire to be a "normal" teenager with her mother's expectations that she eventually take over See Us. But when Rosalie is shot during a televised protest and subsequently falls into a coma, Ayo--who assumes leadership of See Us--is overwhelmed by her community's needs. Arnold (The Year I Flew Away) depicts even the narrative's most painful moments with compassionate prose, exploring Ayo's struggles to navigate her newfound responsibilities, her frustration with an unjust system, and her mourning of her quickly vanishing childhood with nuance and heart. A lively, complex cast and their unignorable plea for safety, respect, and equality rounds out this potent novel. Ages 12--up. (Aug.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--At 14, Ayo "just want[s] to be normal"--hang out with friends, maybe even have a boyfriend. But Ayo's mother, Rosalie, is the revered founder of See Us, a Harlem-based civil rights group. See Us was supposed to be Ayo's inheritance…but never this soon. As Rosalie lies in a coma after being shot by police, Ayo faces the biggest challenges of her young life. Cox hasn't yet reached a dozen audio credits, but her extensive acting training and experiences are on full display as she imbues Ayo with an impressive emotive range; ironically, the accomplished performance make the few stumbles (Thighland for Thailand, "progress" pronounced as a noun when used as a verb) seem more obvious. VERDICT Cox deftly intensifies Arnold's insightful mother/daughter narrative gloriously intertwined with powerful social justice awareness and inspiration.
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Review by Horn Book Review
Everyone in Harlem is asking: how much? How much longer do they have to wait for change? How much are their lives worth? As the daughter of a civil rights leader, Ayomide Bosia has spent her whole life fighting racial injustice. With her fifteenth birthday approaching, Ayo just longs to be a normal teenager and wonders how much more of herself she has to give. Then her mother is shot by police at a rally. While Mom lies in a coma, Ayo must figure out what's important to her and what role she wants to play. Arnold (The Year I Flew Away, rev. 7/21) provides a window into the experience of a (fictional) contemporary civil rights activist's family member, showing the sacrifices that both parents and children make. Teen readers will relate to the challenges of trying to live up to adults' expectations while being true to their own interests. This novel should appeal to readers who enjoyed Thomas's The Hate U Give (rev. 3/17), Stone's Dear Martin (rev. 11/17), and Watson's Love Is a Revolution (rev. 3/21). References to famous Harlem figures such as James Baldwin, Countee Cullen, Arthur Mitchell, and Zora Neale Hurston allow for deeper discussions of the history of Harlem as a place for Black intellectual thought and art. Nicholl Denice Montgomery November/December 2022 p.78(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fourteen-year-old Ayomide struggles to balance life as an activist with her desire to simply be a regular teenager. The year Ayo was born, her mother, Rosalie, founded See Us, an influential grassroots civil rights group. Similar to Black Lives Matter, See Us focuses on issues impacting Black people--police brutality, racial profiling, and an unjust prison system--but with a local focus on Harlem. Despite being raised in the movement, Ayo is ready to move on and experience life like any kid her age. After an emotional conversation, her mom lets her step away from See Us. Then Rosalie is shot by police at a protest and ends up in a coma, and Ayo must decide if she can take on a leadership role and resume the fight for justice. The main characters are Black, and Arnold seamlessly weaves into the story historical information as well as facts about current issues related to the presumption of Black people's criminality. The campaign Rosalie organizes after an unarmed Black man is killed by police is especially poignant, shining light on the disproportionate number of Black victims in fatal traffic stops. The way Arnold poses the question of how much one must "pay for the crime of living while Black" will prompt both Black and non-Black readers to ask difficult questions of themselves and society at large. This is simultaneously an intimate story with rich character development and a call to action. A powerful novel about systemic racism that challenges readers. (Fiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
