All American Boys

This book is gives a realistic perspective of events than are happening around us today. As an educator, I would use this for a literature discussion for 8th grade and up. Tells both sides of a story. I couldn't put it down

This book is so powerful. I immediately felt connected with the characters and their different perspectives on the same issue. It's not often you get to walk in someone else's shoes and hear their thoughts.

A contemporary young adult novel which presents a story of police brutality from the perspectives of the victim and his family, the police officer and his family, and other supporting characters. Like much of what has been seen in various communities across the States, this situation creates deep divides in the community and destroys lifelong relationships as people take a stand with one side or the other. The alternating points of view are each associated with one of the two authors. A must read for today's world. It truly shows that nothing is as black and white as we might want it to be, and it's the gray area that brings out all the controversy

This is a powerful and compelling commentary on today's society; bringing together "Black Lives Matter" and "trust the Police" in a strong way. Told from the perspective of a black teen beaten by a police officer and a white teen who saw it, this back-and-forth novel told from both perspectives in an alternating style helps show the many shades of grey that can be applied to the relationship between black and white.

Extremely well written, topical, important book for young (and old) readers. I liked the way the author alternated the voice from Rashad to Quinn, back and forth. Young readers will like the story, the pace -- and have an opportunity to reflect on the reality of racism in our country.

Good book overall, but you will be disappointed by the ending. The cop beats rashad in the beginning, and most of the book is him in the hospital. Everyone decided to do a march after the video of him being beaten went viral. Throughout most of the book, rashad is in the hospital and the other character Quinn is giving readers his perspective as a witness, and how others are reacting around him, because he is close with the police officer that beat rashad. The book ends with the protest. Quinn joins it, rashad gets out of the hospital to join, and they march to the police station, lie down, and read off names of the black people who are victims to police brutality. Then, the book ends. No justice, no court case, no pressing charges or any consequence for the police officer. Overall, this book pretty good doe.

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." ~ Desmond Tutu

The quote above which I discovered for the first time in reading this book says so much about the community responsibility we all have towards one another. I have read literally over a hundred books this year, and I can honestly say that very few have impacted me afterwards the way that ALL AMERICAN BOYS has. Even though I am a 40 year old man of color living in Mississippi I have not experienced the blatant racism and discrimination that others have, but a book like this shows that you don't have to have experienced the events personally to be impacted and changed by them.

What authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely have done is take what is a storyline that has become all too familiar and showed through fiction that things don't change until we do. Through the characters Rashad and Quinn we are able to see how quickly life can change and how people take sides not necessarily based on truth but the connection we feel with one person over another.

Does discrimination and profiling exist? Yes. Does it make all people who look like the guilty or accused bad? No. And those two questions are great reminders as we go through life. In one night both Rashad and Quinn's lives were changed, but it was up to them how they allowed the events to shape them moving forward. Told in their respective voices, ALL AMERICAN BOYS highlights the need to get to know those around us, to understand what others are experiencing and to speak out when others feel they have no voice.

Deeply moving and sure to leave a imprint on your soul, this book and the story it tells is not one you will be able to easily let go.

This book is another that needs to be on all high school reading lists. It's a very tough read content-wise, but incredibly important, timely, and powerful. Overall, I would highly recommend this book. I think it should be read by everyone at least once.

More personal review:
When I first started reading, I really struggled with this book. I had to remind myself numerous times that this book was written for the "Teen" persona. Though after a few chapters, I got into the swing of things and stopped getting annoyed by little things like how pumped the teenagers were to reach Friday so they could go get wasted at a party.

However, I still had a few irks with this book. These included:

1) The use of the "NBD" acronym rather than actually writing it out. In my opinion, stuff like that works when there is texting or emailing occurring in the story, but I cannot stand when it's just thrown into the text randomly.

2) The numerous mentions of how office jobs (and even office clothes) are boring. One mention, maybe two would have been alright. But there were at least four. At that point I was just like, okay we get it....

3) How often the story made it a point to say that there are two sides to every story, but we didn't really see much of the "other side." I felt like we were really only shown Paul in a negative light, though some of the stories Quinn told made him look like a decent guy, I wish we had actually seen proof of that.

4) It seemed like the ending kind of fizzled out. I would have liked to see a bit more of a closing, like what happened with the trial, how things at school turned out, etc.

5) How there really wasn't much mentioned about how the school handled the situation. Maybe it's because I went to a very small school (82 kids K-12 my senior year) but I would have liked to see a assembly or something happen. It bothered me that it seemed like the school was just ignoring the issue.

My favorite lines:
"...trying to stare so hard at my own two feet so I wouldn't have to look up and see what was really going on. And while I'd been doing that, I'd been walking in the wrong direction. I didn't want to walk away anymore."

"Sometimes, when people get treated less than human, the best way to help them is to simply treat them as human. Not as victims. Just you as you."

I have recently finished the book All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Brendan Kiely has also written The Last True Love and The Gospel of Winter. Jason Reynolds has writen Ghost and Long Way Down. This novel is fiction.

In the book, All American Boys a kid named Rashad is going to a store named jerry’s on Friday to get food and drinks for the normal party at the end of the week. As he is looking through his bag for his phone he falls and it looks like he is stealing so he gets beat up by a cop. A lot of people start seeing this on the news and the papers and it becomes a big deal. Rashad’s friends come in and catch him up on everything and tell him about the crazy things going on at school. A bit of time passes when the whole school chooses a side, either Paul (the cop) or Rashad. Guzzo is the brother of Paul and he gets mad at a lot of his friends who choose Rashad’s side. Read the book to see what happens after this huge disaster.

In this book, the author wanted to teach a lesson that you shouldn’t always assume actions people are doing are bad, like in this book where the cop beat up Rashad because it looked like he was stealing a bag of chips when he was only really looking for his phone.

I enjoyed this book because it was really interesting and I wanted to see what would happen next to Rashad and his friends while I was reading it. This book also was about basketball and real-life situations which is another reason why I liked it. There were parts in the book that were a little boring like the parts where it was him in the hospital but all around it was a good book.

I would recommend this book to guys around my age because this is about high school and basketball and most of the characters are around my age or a year older. There are some graphic scenes in this book but I really liked it because it was about some basketball and other interesting topics. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5.

I have only read one novel written by Jason Reynolds but I have read nothing by Brendan Kiely. Both authors have created an important and powerful novel. All American Boys is about two high school teens who attend the same school. Rashad Butler is African American and Quinn Collins is Caucasian. One day Rashad goes to a convenience story to buy a bag of chips and is soon accused of shoplifting. A police officer ends up beating up Rashad so badly, Rashad is sent to the hospital. During this whole ordeal, Quinn is a witness. However, Quinn is conflicted. Although, the police officer is someone Quinn sees as family and a role model, the actions the police officer took against Rashad is wrong. Will Quinn march in the protest or will he side with the police offer?

Police brutality isn't a hot topic in most books these days. Yes, police brutality may be seen in a lot of books around the civil rights movement but this novel is about modern day. We think racism is over but it still exists everyday. All American Boys handles race where people are conflicted and don't know who they should side with. Some people speak up against the injustice and others assume that the police officer is just doing his job and Rashad is the troublemaker. We are living in a progressive age but how much have we learned from history? This cultural and racial divide needs to end. Are we still fighting for basic rights? Aren't we all of the same race? We all belong to the human race.

The novel is told in dual narrative from Rashad and Quinn's POVs. That ending! I loved the last chapter which is told by both Rashad and Quinn. Although Rashad has no clue who Quinn is, Quinn is conflicted through the whole novel about what he should do about what he saw that day at the convenience store. By the end of the novel, readers will find out what Quinn decides. The narratives are compelling and it's interesting to read from a victim's POV and a witness's POV of the attack.

I highly recommend this book to be read in high schools and I will be recommending this novel to my students. It's an important novel that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime

I'm not sure my words will be able to adequately express the importance of this book and the urgency I feel to get it into hands of my urban teens. This is a book to start conversations, in our classrooms and with each other. It's a book to make you take a step back and look at bias in your own life. The power in this book lies in the stripped down simplicity-two boys, two views, one incident, which, through the honesty and realness of the characters who are dealing with complex issues of race, community, perceptions, stereotypes, and assumptions, is able to address a timely issue in a way teens will be able to relate to without feeling lectured at. Reynolds and Kiely have written a story that stays true to the teen voice and the inner struggle of trying to understand things that don't make sense, and wanting to change but not knowing how, wanting to fight for what's right in the face of outside pressures, and how that all impacts relationships with family and friends. It's a gut-wrenching book because of how easy it was for me to picture my own students faces and voices in place of Rashad's & Quinn's, and in how it made me think about privilege while keeping the focus on these characters and the many real people who have been affected by racial incidents of police brutality. I especially appreciated that the two characters were the forefront, but had friends, teachers, and family who all affected their actions and decisions in a true to life way. It's honest, real, powerful, and oh so important. It's a book people need to read.

Rashad Butler and Quinn Collins are students at the same high school, just typical high school kids. Quinn is a star on the school basketball team. Rashad's not an athlete, but several of his friends are on the team with Quinn.

Rashad is black and Quinn is white.

One day, Rashad stops at the local bodega to pick up a bag of chips. A white woman accidentally trips over him, knocking them both to the floor. A cop sees them, and Rashad's backpack on the floor where it fell open, and leaps to the conclusion that Rashad was shoplifting. He seizes and starts beating on Rashad.

Quinn doesn't see what happens inside the store, but he sees the aftermath, when the cop, Paul Gallucci, has Rashad down on the ground, his face ground into the pavement, beating on him even after he's handcuffed. There's another witness also, a woman who records the whole thing on the phone once they're outside.

The cop, Paul Gallucci, is a friend of Quinn's family, the man who has been in many ways a substitute father to him since his own father was killed in Afghanistan.

Rashad and Quinn each tell their own stories of the days that follow, with different narrators voicing them. For Rashad, much of that time is in the hospital, as he recovers from his injuries. He's painfully aware that he could easily be dead, and despite what his lawyer tells him, he's not convinced being innocent is going to get him acquitted of shoplifting and resisting arrest.

Quinn has to square what he saw with what he's always thought and felt about Paul Gallucci, and decide what he's going to do about it. Rashad also learns some painful truths about his own father, an ex-cop.

This is a fascinating and moving novel, examining very real issues that affect us all, whether we all realize it or not. Rashad and Quinn, their friends, and at least some of their families learn a great deal, and it is a genuinely powerful story.

Highly recommended.

I borrowed this audiobook from my local library.

This. Book.

I was surprised by how much this book stuck with me - which really shouldn't have, because it's Jason Reynolds (who is the entire reason I selected this book from a handful of options for my YA resources class).

I found myself resonating most strongly with Quinn's chapters, as his point of view was one that I could identify with. Quinn, who is white, has never once had to think about walking into a convenience store for a bag of chips, for example, but once he witnesses Rashad being brutally beaten by his best friend's older brother - who stepped into the role of father figure after Quinn's father was killed in action in Afghanistan - all of that changes. Which usually makes me cringe, because the white people learning other people are human thing is old (THERE ARE SO MANY OF THOSE) and also, DUH other people are human. But instead of veering down that road, ALL AMERICAN BOYS actively wrestles with what whiteness means in our society through Quinn's point of view as he realizes over the course of the story that someone can simultaneously be a "good"or "nice"  person but also racist.

Meanwhile, Rashad does some hard thinking of his own while in the hospital, as he spends his waking hours wondering what he could've done differently to avoid his altercation with Paul. He's also caught in the middle between two sides: his ex-Army, ex-cop father, who advocates going along to get along; and his older brother, who's politically active and wants to shake up the system (much to their father's chagrin).

This book should be required reading for everyone.

#RashadIsAbsentAgainToday

This is such a powerful book. Even reading this book now, two years after publication, it's still so sadly relevant. This is one of those books that should be required reading for all teens, adults, and just..everyone. The book is told from dual perspectives, a black teen named Rashad, and a white teen named Quinn. Rashad is a model child, JROTC, never sticks his head into situations he shouldn't. And he was simply caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rashad was at his local bodega when he accidentally knocks a white lady over and this causes a small bit of commotion. Anyone else, and that would have been that. But, Rashad is black and a white cop immediately assumes the worst of Rashad when he sees Rashad reaching into his bag. The cop immediately drags him out into the street, beating him bloody. We know that Rashad has done nothing wrong, but in the end, he winds up hospitalized with no one believing that he is innocent.

Quinn goes to the same high school as Rashad, but can't immediately place him when he sees his friend's older brother beating someone outside of the bodega. Quinn has a front-row seat to everything that happened to Rashad once the cop dragged him out of the store.

This story proceeds to tell from alternating POVs what the people of the community choose to do in light of this incident. The cop involved was a bit of an older brother figure to Quinn, but when he expects Quinn to defend him? Quinn knows in his heart that what the cop did was wrong, but going against his family, his friends, turns out to be a lot harder than he expected. His classmates are choosing sides, and he's stuck between who to defend. Meanwhile, Rashad just wants the whole ordeal to go away, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. Rashad is lucky, they say. He lived. He'll survive. But he doesn't feel that way.

This story is poignant and so, so important. This story is moving and powerful and has an optimistic ending, something that so many black teens and young adults don't get when we see time and time again on the news that a cop has taken another life. This book will be uncomfortable to read. As it should. This book is well-written and the narrators did a wonderful job with the story. I very highly recommend this book.

I really love Jason Reynolds.

END OF REVIEW!

...jk, I have way more to say. I liked the dual-narrator thing that Reynolds & Kiely did in this book - even though I found Quinn kind of annoying, it was interesting to see this issue from two different sides. This story from only Rashad's perspective would have been super boring, since he's in the hospital the whole time, and the story from only Quinn's perspective might've been a bit too, uh, white-savior-y, but together the narrative becomes well-rounded and builds up to a very emotional final scene.

I want to compare All American Boys to Dear Martin and The Hate U Give, both of which I've read within the last few months, but despite covering the same general real-world issue, they're totally different; between the three books, there are at least four distinct points of view on the same issue. So if you've read one, don't dismiss the others as "more of the same," like I almost did. (Although: I do think they're written for different audiences. I won't describe who I think those audiences are because I'm probably completely wrong, but keep that in mind if you haven't read them all yet.)

Parts of this one felt kind of cheesy, though YOU KNOW the cheesy parts made me tear up (at work; the danger of audiobooks). In general, I liked Rashad's chapters better than Quinn's, but as I said before, you can't have either one without the other. The book wasn't perfect, and I didn't love all of it, but overall it was very good and I'm glad I read it.

All-American Boys is co-written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiley, a black author and white author, respectively. They were on tour together for two separate books when the George Zimmerman trial results were released. They both were conflicted, upset, and frustrated at the lack of community for them to talk with to share these feelings immediately. Instead, they ended up talking with each other and slowly developed not only a friendship, but the idea for this novel.

The novel is told from the perspective of Rashad, a black Junior ROTC member, and Quinn a white basketball player, who both attend the same high school, but don't really know each other. They both choose to go to a local corner store Friday night. Rashad is wrongly accused of shoplifting in the store, taken outside by a police officer, and beaten so badly he is hospitalized. Quinn sees the whole thing. Noting that the police officer is a close family friend and father-figure, he just wants it to go away.

This story is painful because it's all too familiar. But it's also fascinating because it gives the reader an eye-opening perspective about police brutality and racial injustice. The alternating chapters follow both the story of the victim and a bystander where neither wants the attention thrust upon them by being in this situation. Both Rashad and Quinn just want the spotlight to go away. However, the course of the story allows them both to understand the importance of what they went through and how their involvement in the dialogue and the movement is critical to their own peace.

This powerful social commentary is meant not to start a conversation, but to continue one. All-American Boys isn't particularly complex in its construction, but it does cover complex issues. They present only two viewpoints in a much larger conversation, but I hope that by reading this book, you can more solidify your own viewpoint and add your voice to the dialogue.

All American Boys paints the picture of everyday life for a black teenage boy in our society. From the perspective of Rashad, police in his neighborhood falsely accuse him of stealing from a convenience store, making his arrest go viral. This young boy has to face physical, mental, and emotional roadblocks from merely buying chips from a store. Not even his own parents believe his story based off of the stories told about young adults stealing from the convenience store. His story is all over the news causing an outrage from the school community. Not only does this put his family is an extremely uncomfortable spotlight, it also sets the witnesses up to see how honest the other side will be in such troubling and pressuring times. From the perspective of Quinn, the small incident seen outside of Jerry’s convenience store turned his life around while facing the contradicting mindsets of his white peers. Quinn sees the fights at school first hand and the spray-paint that says “RASHAD IS ABSENT AGAIN TODAY”, noticing that racism is a real thing and that police aren’t always protecting citizens the way they should be. Even though Quinn has grown up with Paul, the police officer involved in the incident, he finally sticks up for what is right in the situation. Finally, Quinn and Rashad end up seeing eye to eye.
Not only do I find it impressive, but I find it refreshing that this novel was not only written by a black man, but a white man as well. It shows both sides of “white privilege” and “police brutality”. I put these two things in quotes because of how often it is debated in society today. Both of these issues have more than one side to the story, which is why this novel needed two perspectives. Jason Reynolds has had first hand experience with the issues being discussed in this novel, including Rashad’s situation. This qualifies Reynolds to speak up for what he believes and what he has seen. Being a part of these issues first hand gives the audience a perspective of truth. He tells his readers how one mistake for a young black male and turn into a mistake for everyone. Rashad bends over for a second, but ends up thinking “before I could get myself together and tell her that it was okay and that I was okay and to make sure she was okay, the guy who worked at Jerry’s everyone knew wasn’t Jerry shouted “Hey!” making it clear things were not okay” (Kiely and Reynolds, Chapter 4, 21:38) Rashad has done no wrong, yet nothing ends up right. As a bystander, Quinn has seen the incident from a new perspective and even deep down, Quinn knew something was not right. He thought to himself when he saw Paul and Rashad, “the man I watched grind a kid into the sidewalk I don’t know was like someone else. Someone I couldn’t place, some hulking animal stalking the shadows of my mind.” (Kiely and Reynolds, Chapter 7, 2:00) Quinn relates to Kiely, who truly feels that white males and females need to speak up, and that we need to teach children to critically think about their roles in society.
There are always two sides to a story. Lately in the news, police brutality is taken only two ways. It comes down to the idea that the black male or female was not abiding by the law and the officer “had to do what they had to do to protect themselves” or the police officer is a racist who likes to go after black females and males. Either way there is one guilty person and one innocent person, and the media does not show these different sides of the story. Rashad was still trying to be light hearted about his incident, showing how he did not feel any sense of guilt since he didn’t do anything wrong. He needed to use this coping mechanism to get by. He tried to crack a joke that didn’t go so well and ended up thinking, “you could almost feel the temperature of the room drop like the way light dims whenever a cloud floats in front of the sun. I was that cloud.” (Kiely and Reynolds, Chapter 11, 21:16) Rashad put this blame on himself for being an outcast. These emotions are not what the media and other people are able to see. On the other hand, other races do not fully comprehend the amount of oppression these people of color face and the hard times that follow. After being told that riots were about to begin Quinn questioned, “to be beaten up or killed for it, was it worth it?” (Kiley and Reynolds, Chapter 18, 4:43) Quinn, as a white male, did not fully grasp the extent of how black females and males were treated unfairly and how much it gets to a person before they finally are willing to do all they can to prevent it. This just shows a part of how white privilege is creeping into society.
After listening to this novel, I have now seen police brutality from a new perspective. I am not saying that all cases are the same, but it is a sad, true fact that young boys of color have to walk around with the same mindset as they did in the 1950’s and 60’s. America needs to educate themselves on why race feels so strongly about these issues of police brutality. Certain students, such as Quinn, have these privileges that some other students of color do not have, yet they are too afraid to be judged and mistreated if they speak up. Young adults already face peer pressure on a regular basis for little things such as wardrobe and appearances, but America does not teach students to be honest, no matter what. The book is written extremely well, it gives both chances to understand how young adults in these situations act and feel. Not only does it show how people of color have to face racism, but Reynolds and Kiely shed light on the peer pressure put on these teens, how they feel like they have to take their own race’s side.

All American Boys is a young adult novel written by both Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. The story tells the story of how an act of racially-charged police brutality affects two teenagers, one black (Rashad) and one white (Quinn). Each chapter is a new day of the week and is split between the two characters’ points of view. Reynolds, who is black, writes the Rashad sections of the book, while Quinn, who is white, writes the Quinn sections. This method of splitting up the book was very interesting, and I found it to be effective. It gave each author a chance to really let their personal voice be heard and it let the different views of the two students really stand out from each other.
The story starts on a Friday, and the two narrators prepare to attend a party that night; after all, “Friday is just another word for party." Rashad goes to a store to buy some snacks before the party. While trying to get his wallet, a woman accidentally knocks into him and they both drop their things. In the confusion, the clerk begins accusing Rashad of trying to steal chips and a police officer who is there grabs him and attempts to arrest him by forcefully throwing him to the ground. Rashad feels incredible pain and begins moving, which the police officer claims is a sign of him resisting arrest. As the police officer gets more forceful, and blood starts to pour out of Rashad’s mouth, all he can think is “please don’t kill me."
Meanwhile, Quinn goes to the store with his friends to try and get someone to buy them alcohol. Outside of the store he sees Rashad being beaten, recognizing the police officer as Paul, the brother of his friend, Guzzo. Quinn is very shaken by the scene but leaves to go to the party with his friends. Specifically, Quinn is fixated on the look on Paul’s face as he was beating Rashad, stating “I couldn’t shake that look of rage I’d seen on the face of a man I knew and thought of as family."
Rashad is arrested, charged with a misdemeanor, and taken to the hospital. The doctors find that he has internal bleeding and tell him he will need to stay at the hospital for several days. His absence from school and televised footage of the beating spark debate throughout the school and community over whether Paul used unnecessary force, as well as whether or not the act was a product of racism.
Rashad struggles with all of this as he lies in a hospital bed, talking to the many visitors he receives. His father, who was a police officer, tells him about a time he shot and paralyzed a black man while on duty, forcing Rashad to feel that his “dad was no different than Officer Galluzo,” who had beaten him. He questions whether this specific man was at fault for the racist act or if it is simply the institution of the police force that is inherently racist.
Quinn, on the other hand, struggles with interacting with Paul at the Galluzo family barbeque he is invited to. Uncomfortable by the way Paul is asking everyone to support him and the way people are reacting to the situation, Quinn decides to leave. He cannot understand how everyone can be so quick to throw their support to him when he clearly did something wrong, thinking to himself, “maybe everyone else at the party was nervous for Paul, but I was nervous about him."
The story goes on to highlight the way that everyone at school responds to the incident as Rashad is absent for a longer and longer period of time. The various students split on whether they feel Paul did anything wrong or not; many students support him and feel Rashad deserved it, while others see the incident as another example of racism and police brutality. Quinn and Rashad are forced to come to their own terms with the incident and decide which side of the story they want to be on. Neutral is not an option: as one student quotes Desmond Tutu, “if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."
In all, I found this book to be incredibly well done. It very fluidly transitioned between points of view, which can be tricky with two different writers. However, each writer clearly cared deeply about the subject matter. They wanted to tell the story from the point of view of people from their own backgrounds, black and white, and I feel like that really makes the story feel extremely real.
In a time where incidents like the one portrayed in the book are happening more and more frequently, this book proves to be an excellent resource for young adults struggling to make sense of this senseless violence. An easy read, All American Boys can and should be used in schools as a way to educate students on the ways racism can creep into different parts of society.
Racism can be confusing for children, and many adults, of all races and backgrounds. This book shows a frequent example of institutional racism through the eyes of high school students who are coming to terms with their own thoughts and feelings on the subject. This allows the readers of the book to develop their own thoughts on the subject as they learn about it, too.
I feel that the message this story tells is an incredibly important one for the youth of America to hear, especially in today’s society. I cannot recommend this book enough to any high school age person. Schools should seriously take note of this book and consider adapting it to their curricula, as I feel that it could be an extremely beneficial learning tool. Racism is alive and well still in America, and students need to be aware of that.

When Rashad, a black teen, is brutally beaten by a white cop for a crime he didn't commit, and Quinn, a white classmate, witnesses the beating, both boys' lives are forever changed. For Rashad, an ROTC kid whose father has always emphasized the need to stay on the right side of the law, the beating shows him how quickly he can be misjudged due to the color of his skin. For Quinn, a high school basketball player whose father died in Afghanistan and whose best buddy on the team is the younger brother of the guilty police officer, the incident leads him to recognize his own unconscious racism. Issues of power and privilege play out as the two boys' lives intersect and as a protest rally forces both to choose sides--even if it means going against friends, family, and team.

Needless to say, ALL AMERICAN BOYS is one of those "ripped from the headlines" novels, based on the highly publicized police beatings and shootings of unarmed black men that have given rise to the "Black Lives Matter" movement. That's both a strength and a bit of a problem, as the book becomes rather too pedantic in the second and third acts, with the two boys' first-person narration (especially Quinn's) feeling more like political talking-points than realistic voyages of discovery. It would have helped, I think, if Rashad weren't so obviously innocent and the cop so obviously racist right from the start; if there'd been some doubt as to whether the cop's reaction was excessive, the novel might have felt less "rigged," less predetermined to make a specific statement. Along the same lines, I'd have preferred it if Rashad were less of an obvious victim, which tends to shift almost all of the tough choices onto the white Quinn. (Yes, Rashad has to stand up to his dad, but that seems a far less significant transformation than Quinn's awakening to his own and his nation's racism and his consequent decision to alienate friends, family, and team--and, possibly, forfeit a college athletic scholarship--to stand up for what's right.) Another weakness of the book is some of the dialogue and internal monologue, which feels a bit forced, as if the authors are trying too hard to capture the "authentic" sound of today's teens.

Notwithstanding my reservations, this is a powerful book, and one that will likely be more eye-opening for young people than for a reader such as myself who's been deeply aware of and involved with these issues for my entire adult life.

This story had me gripped from the first line. In addition to brilliant writing by the co-authors, the book offers brilliant dilemmas. Without giving spoilers, I was so angry with what happened to Rashad, from the initial beating to all the fallout from that incident. Also I identified with Quinn. And it's hard to admit that. Some of Quinn's questions and internalization made me cringe because how many times have I asked myself some of those questions, or how many times have I just assumed what I saw on the media was true? And how many things have I ignored? Even after I finished the book, I continue to ask myself questions. As I go about my day, I'm wondering about the assumptions I make and have made. And (again trying to avoid spoilers) just when I would vilify or justify something I'd read in the book, the authors would toss another dilemma into the mix and I'd be thinking thinking, thinking. I highly recommend this book.

[...]

Favorite Character

Spoony – He’s the best kind of big brother. He watches out for Rashad – he gives him a couple extra dollars for snacks when he needs it and makes sure the media have a “respectable” picture of his little brother when the situation calls for it.

Favorite Line

This book has so much we need to hear.

“Look, if there are people who are scared of the police every day of their lives,” Jill said, determined, “I’m going to live in fear of them for at least one day to say that I don’t think that’s right.”

“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.”

Fun Author Fact

Reynolds and Kiely were put on a tour together and didn’t know each other. It was right after the Martin-Zimmerman court decision and Reynolds was concerned he wouldn’t be able to keep his cool if Kiely said something insensitive on tour…but an ongoing conversation and friendship happened instead and this book is the result.

Is this worth a book hangover?

Absolutely. All the time. Please read it. Then share it. Then make that person share it. It’s a well written story but it’s much more than that.

Read These Next

This Side of Home by Renee Watson deals with gentrification of a neighborhood and dealing with the collision of communities or anything by Jason Reynolds, like When I Was the Greatest or Boy in the Black Suit.

How much can a book rattle you? This book rattled me, rattled me more than you can image. Why? Because of what it evoked inside of me. The book speaks truth if you can handle the truth about racism and about injustice. I’m not going to stand on a platform and tell you about racism and injustice but I will tell you about not speaking up. I was irked at Quinn who kept quiet about what he saw, about what he witnessed because … because he was scared. It bothers me…..yes it does, when someone has information and is scared of the ramification of doing what is right. Anyone, if you know something, you know the truth, and it will help a situation, you need to unload your mind and tell someone what you know. Whoever you are, don’t be like Quinn, unload your mind quickly, and do it unanimously if you have to, because it just might make a difference in someone’s life and your own. For Quinn, he had Jill to unload on but he still had a lot on his mind. The whole incident happened quickly, Rashad kept repeating that he did nothing wrong but the officials wouldn’t believe him. Maybe things would have turned out differently had the individuals been of a different race, we don’t know that and we can’t consider different scenarios, we have to deal with the facts. Rashad was African American and Paul, the police officer was Caucasian and there are two different versions of what occurred, Rashad’s and Paul’s. Whose story do you want to believe? I hope as you read this story it gets under your skin, gets you fired up or at least gets you thinking about life, that is what a good story will do.

When I hear about racial issues on the news, I always wonder, at what point did these issues became racial? Why do they decide to lean that way and who decided to lean it in that direction? As I read this novel, I felt I knew the answers to a few of these questions but I still wondered why, why did he decide to lean that way?

Covering racism and police brutality, All American Boys is a beautifully written book that tore me up. Reynolds always has the best dialogue in YA, and I found myself impressed with Kiely's writing too.

I'm not really sure this book will open anyone's ears or eyes to the horrors of the broken system taking away the lives of (mostly Black) people of color and robbing them of a peaceful life. If the news of real, once-breathing people doesn't wake privileged people up to reality, I doubt a fictional character getting hospitalized by a cop will.

But I think this book can help some scared Black teens (and adults) find comfort. To know their everyday fears aren't just in their head and that someone sees them. REALLY sees them. And I think everyone else will find this book is a reminder of why we all need to fight for change.

I wasn't feeling Quinn's storyline for the longest. I just wanted to read about Rashad and his sketches, wanted to think of ways I could dive into the book and hug him. But by the end, I realized how necessary this contrast was to make the book stronger as a whole.

Have tissues ready for the end, because it's easily one of the most powerful moments in YA.

I wish I had read this more quickly. I think reading it in tiny chunks during class every so often really took a lot of the oomph out of it. This is an important book and readers who love The Hate U Give or Dear Martin will also love this book. It's complex and multi-faceted. It doesn't just say police are bad. Nor does it say that everything will be ok. It says that we have to fight for what we believe in. We have to fight for what we know is right. This generation will be the one to do it. I have every faith in them. They are reading and learning from books like this and they will take over the world.

As a teacher, I got this to read along with a 7th grade student, who chose it for a book report book. Though the reading level and topic were well above his level of understanding (he never ever watches the news) this book was too important for me to dissuade him from reading it. With guidance, it was successful. He was able to make comparisons to his ELA reading, The Diary of Anne Frank. Borrowing an audio version from the local library definitely aided in comprehension. (My read-alouds were met with many giggles due to the language.) My student assured me that he wasn't offended by the language; he commented, drily, "I ride a bus to school." Even though he was unable to finish reading the book before Spring Break, he (essentially a non-reader) was motivated by the storyline enough to finish it during vacation. That's saying a LOT.

The novel “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely centers around the lives of Rashad and Quinn, two high school student athletes. When Rashad is brutally beaten for a crime he did not commit and Quinn happened to both be there and be lifelong friends with Paul, the cop who did it, the struggle becomes a compound nightmare for the both characters and the reader. One would assume that police brutality would be the largest theme to come from this book, and while it plays a large part, it is overshadowed for me by the themes of responsibility and accountability. Quinn, thoroughly shaken by the rage and pugilism shown by Paul when attacking Rashad, wants to just tune it all out and forget it has ever happened, going so far as to not want to watch the video of the attack again despite everyone taking sides after seeing it. Quinn eventually, with the help of his own conscience, and the consul of his close friend Jill, accepts that he has a responsibility to take a side and stand up for what he believes. The climax of this change is when Quinn thinks back on both the man his father was and the idea of the man Paul wanted to become by being a cop, both of them wanted to help people in the end. Quinn’s deciding dialogue comes to us as he consigns himself to march for Rashad with his classmates: “where was I the year all these black American boys were lying in the streets?...I didn’t want to run away anymore….I wanted to turn around and run right into the face of it.”(Reynolds & Kiely, 2017, pp. 251-252)
Social fears and repercussions play a large part in the dynamic of “All American Boys”, these come both in the form of Rashad’s straight-laced father and Quinn’s immediate second family of the Cambi’s and his friends in the Galluzzo family. A disheartening blow to Rashad is that his own father questions his actions and story of the events that transpired on the day of the attack, citing Rashad’s attire and his refusal to believe Rashad did not fight back. This internalized racism that Rashad’s father presents itself in how he critiques his sons, a thorough example is against Rashad’s brother, Spoony. Rashad recounts how his father always hounded Spoony: “They’ll think you’re selling drugs,…Why can’t you get a haircut? Why can’t you dress like a respectable adult?” (Reynolds & Kiely, 2017, pp. 51-52), this coupled with his first question to Rashad, “Were you’re pants sagging?” (Reynolds & Kiely, 2017, pp. 49) points to an existing scrutinty that Rashad lives under and has both public and private consequences for breaking. Rashad’s social fears and repercussions come from what he does and what he presents as a target for an inherently racist society and how that society will choose to selectively portray him for stepping out of line with the model version of himself his dad wants for him.
Quinn’s social fears however are illustrated by what he chooses not to do. If Quinn does not march and does not side against Paul, he gets the privilege of staying within his own circle and not having to deal with the idea of Racism being a permanent part of his life. There is also the threatening aspect of retribution and exile from a community that does not see this racism and sees Quinn’s acknowledgment of it as betrayal. This is done masterfully in the lead up to Paul’s surprise barbeque. My heart raced and my stomach churned in tune with Quinn from the very idea of the barbeque and his time there. Paul’s presence is a threat in and of itself, aside from Quinn’s own witnessing of the incident, Paul’s physicality is brought into the fore as both a reminder of the incident itself and his power: “frigging hell, he had scabs all over his knuckles-….I could still feel the pressure of his fingertips like a ring around my elbow.” (Reynolds & Kiely, 2017, pp. 110-113). Quinn’s repercussions from not staying loyal to his family and friends whom mostly all support Paul mean exile and possibly violence like the kind and possibly worse that he suffers from Guzzo later on in the book.
The duality of the Authors, Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely really helps to lend legitimacy to the narrative. Jason Reynolds lends his experiences, realistic characters and the parallel of their lives to real People of color as a Black man writing about Black and POC characters. Reynolds, with a bachelors of English from the University of Maryland , has written around 12 books, all centering around people of color and the issues he knows they face in the day to day life in America. Reynolds states emphatically in the FAQ section of his website that: “My job is to try to peel away some of the layers and walls to expose the humanness and the connectivity in us all.”. ("FAQs")
Brendan Kiely brings his own qualifications to the table. A former high school teacher, Kiely states in his websites mission statement that “I want my work to participate in relevant cultural conversations.”(“Education”). His collaboration with Reynolds on this book certainly helps to meet the standards he puts forth in this statement due to the heavy social commentary and current issue of police brutality that specifically targets young black men which is so prevalent in our society. Brendan himself in a staunch anti-racist advocate and someone who grapples deeply with identity and systematic racism. It is all of these qualities that make him a perfect co-writer to Reynolds for this passionate book.
My only true critique of the book would be the irresolution of the ending. Naturally as a reader I can appreciate what Reynolds and Kiely have assumedly tried to do here by having no clear “good” or “bad” ending for Rashad, Quinn, or the judgement of Paul. However, as a reader I too can feel the conflicting emotional need for closure. It is through the murky but hopeful ending of “All American Boys” that I leave feeling a bit cheated after the rollercoaster of emotions I had been feeling in my read-through. Overall I give the book seven stars out of ten.

This book is incredibly powerful and beautifully written. I requested a desk copy of this book from my English Department to consider for my Young Adult Literature course. Other reviewers have said it -- this book is a must read, for so many reasons. Obviously the message is important and timely, that's a given. But what is even more remarkable is the way the book came to pass with these two authors, a black man and a white man, collaborating in a unique way. Each author providing the voice of the two main characters has produced a book that I'm not sure could have been as effectvely written by one single author of either race. Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, I can assure you my future students will be reading your work, talking through its essential message, and, since many of them will become teachers, I predict this book will become a work talked about in so many classrooms in years to come. Thank you for this book that needed to be written by two authors like you!

I really liked this book! I was assigned to read it as a summer reading novel for school, and I expected not to like it very much. I assumed the book would be another story about racial issues and overcoming them, but I was intrigued by it because it had a unique format, told from alternating points of view. The authors portrayed the issue of racism in a unique way that I had never seen before, bringing it to life through characters of my age. They made it relatable to high school life and navigating its challenges such as gossip, lunch tables, vigorous classes, and never-ending homework. As the main characters dealt with these challenges, they became relevant to me. I would definitely recommend this book to young adults. The book may be too mature for children younger than the high school age because of the strong language it uses. It is a great book for teenagers and helps to initiate conversations about current events. I could relate it to the Black Rights Marches, LGBTQ Marches, and Women’s Rights Marches that are happening in our world today. I feel like it teaches many valuable lessons of stereotypes and standing up for what you believe in, and should be read in other high schools!

I love everything by Jason Reynolds is why I decided to pick up All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. I was not disappointed. This book discusses what happens when a young black man is wrongfully beaten and arrested and the affect that has on the community. I loved all of the characters, Rashad and Quinn, figuring out where they stand and what they want to do about it. Everything that Jason Reynolds writes and touches is a must read.

My school assigned All American Boys to the students as a summer reading community book. I will be a senior this year and was a great book! It is about two boys, Rashad and Quinn, whose lives are intertwined after a terrible incident and the two never even knew each other. When a young African American teenage boy, Rashad, is accused of stealing from a corner store, the Caucasian police officer who is in the store steps in to handle the situation. It goes terribly wrong for Rashad when the police officer brutally beats him for no reason. Quinn, a Caucasian teenage boy, happens to be arriving at the store right as the arrest and beating are taking place in front of the store. Quinn sees the entire attack take place and battles with his feelings of loyalty to his close family friends, who happens to be the police officer invoked and the right thing to do. These two boys go to the same school and have mutual friends, but they are not friends. All American Boys is told from the perspective of each boy and the struggles they dealt with as a victim and a witness. The topic of police brutality and the killing of an unarmed black man is covered on the news on a weekly basis. I feel very strongly about standing up for what you believe in and I think the community did the right thing by protesting at the end of the book. I really liked how the authors told the story from two different perspectives. I would recommend this book to anyone high school and up. I think teachers should read it too. The authors give such different viewpoints of one incident, when in reality, there is only one truth to the story.

After being introduced to me as a summer reading book from my school and receiving many positive reviews from my peers, I finally decided to read this book. After reading the back cover of the book, providing me with a brief summary, I began to form a few expectations. The plot really intrigued me, as I could relate to the characters in the story. I understood the inner conflict occurring in both Rashad and Quinn and could see the importance of choosing once choice over another. I think this story sends a very important and thoughtful message, especially in the world of today where racism is abundant. In this story, Rashad, a black teen, becomes a victim to police brutality just as so many others experience today. This story inspires a call to action in its readers to fight against the racism and respect one another regardless of race or sex. I would recommend this book to an older audience who is prepared to hear about the harsh but accurate depiction of the beating. However, this is a well written story that teaches many lessons, so I would recommend this to teenagers of all ages. I think the morals described in this story would be especially important as these young adults begin to become more independent and mature. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I thought the authors treated this sensitive subject very well and promoted the overall understanding and support perfectly.

If you're looking for a light and frothy read, this isn't it. But this is exactly the book it needs to be to tell this story.

Written with clarity and compassion, All American Boys tells the story from the view points of two boys with vastly different background in a racially charged neighborhood. Rashad is brutally arrested for a crime he didn't comment and Quinn silently witnesses the crime. Its a tough story, but the ultimate message is about learning, opening minds and taking a stand. Change can come without the violence and there are moments in history when you have to pick a side.

This is an important story and, sadly, all too current. Let's hope more people read this book so we can, one day, look back on this as an important period piece.

This was an excellent read. All young men should read this book. We are in a state of unrest in our communities. I believe we are near a tipping point with all of the police brutality and killings of people of color. The book shows there are two sides to every story and I hate the fact that if someone speaks out against injustice about the killings of unarmed black men and women you are somehow anti-police!

I believe this book should be required reading in all middle and high schools.

This book is a very powerful book, I would recommend it to teens in high school or young adults because it does cover some sensitive topics. It goes through violence, police, and how colored people are treated differently, etc. It's a narrative book told from 2 people's perspectives, it is a much easier read when it is told from someone's point of view because it puts you in that person's shoes. Some teens or even adults may relate to this book or the characters so it gives a connection between the reader, and the book. I related to some of the basic parts about high school because there was always gossip or a ton of homework for them. All American Boys is a good example of how colored people have been treated for so long. The perspectives that this book covers comes from the teens, and their struggles. It gives a valuable lesson about stereotypes, how people shouldn't be judged by their color or gender, and that you should believe in what you want to believe in. The whole book is overall well written but it is mostly one character in the hospital the whole time, while another talks about his feelings. It could've had more excitement throughout the story, but in the end they had a march for the victims who were brutally beaten by police. Nothing happened to the police who were very wrong in the story, the book just ended. The ending could've been better but I would still recommend the book because it really teaches people something.

Rashad and Quinn are two sides of a growing debate. Rashad is beaten by a cop for stealing, when all he was doing was checking for wallet. He's judged because of his skin and he's sent to the hospital for it. Quinn sees the beating, but doesn't want to speak up. Mostly because the cop that did it...is his best friend's brother, and basically the only guy role model Quinn has had in his life since the passing of his soldier father.

What follows is a crazy ride that we see way too often in today's headlines. People think Rashad's a thug. His pants hanging low or a mis-represented picture from online could create the picture for any of those wanting to absolve the cop that did it.
Reading about Rashad and how his family deals with the beating was beautiful and quiet and loud all at the same time. Meanwhile, reading Quinn's dilemma made complete sense and worked so well for telling the opposite side what happened.
I did feel that sometimes the beating took over some of Rashad's character development and seeing him outside of what happened, but I think that's also the point. Rashad is one of many, one of many black americans being taken down because of what they look like. It's an important book, one that I'm glad I got the chance to read.
(Also, the cover is amazing and captures so much of what this book is fighting for)
A great, powerful read.

“Had our hearts really become so numb that we needed dead bodies in order to feel compassion in our hearts?” This quote from All American Boys does a great job of giving the reader an idea of what the novel is about. All American Boys is written by Jason Reynolds, author of multiple award winning novels. Reynolds has written Ghost and As Brave as You, both award winning novels. These awards just reflect how good of a writer Jason Reynolds really is. This novel is about Rashad, a black teen who experiences a horrible event that will make him a household name. And Quinn, a white teen who experienced the event . Throughout the town they live in, and the whole country, there is a lot of controversy over if what was done to Rashad was right. Sides are quickly formed, and Quinn is caught in the middle. He has a lot of friends on one side, but his lifelong friend, and father figure on the other side. He is forced to pick a side, and break some relationships in the action. Some themes from this book are “You give a little to take a lot”. This of course comes from Quinn having to pick sides and break relationships to form one that is greater. Another theme I found is, “When times are tough, you must rely on yourself”. This is true to both Rashad and Quinn, as they use themselves as a mentor to get them through what happened. This novel is written in first person, although the story is told through both Quinn and Rashad. When you read this book you can an inside view of what a victim and witness think and do. I believe the people who would like this book would be anywhere from 14-30 years old. The book is written from a very young person's point of view, so I think it would be more understandable of it was read by someone that was around the same age.

I was given a chance to read All American Boys in my 7th grade Language arts class. We read this book for a project and I’m very glad I got paired with this book. The main plot for All American boys is an African American boy named Rashad that gets in the middle of an incident and ends up getting assaulted by a white cop. Quinn is a classmate that is a bystander of the incident and is also friends with the cop. Rashad is absent from school and his point of view is from the hospital. Quinn is telling his point of view mostly from school but some homelife too.

After I read this story I didn’t I didn’t feel the same about this topic than I did before. The author did a good job making me feel how the characters did. This book is about more modern situations with racism and makes us realize how unfair we treat some humans. There is 2 point of views in the story. Rashad is written by Brendan Kiely, and Quinn is written by Jason Reynolds. This book really opened my eye about racial discrimination. It gave me questions that if I were Quinn and had to choose which side I’m on, would I ruin my friendship and go on Rashad's side or would I stand up for my friend who assaulted an African American boy? I like how there is 2 point of views from 2 different people because it gives me an understanding from both sides. It is really exciting to see what Quinn does and which side he picks for the incident.

“Rashad is absent again today.” This quote is from the book and connects to the theme of the story, All American Boys. This quote is very popular at Rashad’s school, and is relating to the incident. To me, this quote is protesting against what the cop did and is basically saying Rashad is absent every day because the cop assaulted him. This quote relates to the theme in my opinion because the theme is all about racial discrimination and how the cop may have just assaulted Rashad just because he was black. Therefore, this quote is relating to how Rashad not only doesn’t show up to school anymore but he can’t go to school because the cop assaulted him. The next quote that is important to the story is when Rashad’s Dad says to him “Never fight back. Never talk back. Keep you hands up. Keep your mouth shut.” Rashad’s dad is telling Rashad this advice because the cops stereotype African American people and if you move or wear the wrong thing, they will think you are trouble.

After all, I really recommend this book for all people and especially people who are interested in Racial Discrimination. I really enjoyed reading this and it helped me explore this topic and learn more about it. If I could read this book again, I would and I believe everyone should read it.

I was a big fan of this book right up until the very end. I enjoyed the social commentary and really liked the different viewpoints that the authors were able to incorporate. I did not, however, like the final few pages. I think it was very heavy-handed and didn't really like how the authors chose to handle the "protest". Other than that, I thought it was a very well written book. There are some drinking and drug references, but nothing that mature 7th graders (and up) can't handle.

** spoiler alert ** A story told by two boys, Rashad and Quinn. The story takes place over a single week. On the first day Rashad is wrongly arrested and beaten by a white cop outside of a corner story while Quinn witnesses it. The story follows both boys as they work through/deal with their experiences.

The book was really good, HOWEVER, it says for ages 12 and up so I bought the book for my 12 year old son to read and I am complete against all the foul language. Why would they use so much profanity in a "children's book." Not happy about that part.

“The pain was a color--white, a crunching in my ear as my bones in my nose cracked.” “was hitting the other guy, again, and again, smashing his face in the sidewalk.” Rashad and Quinn were all star athletes for their high school years. They each face a problem from one action. Hospitalized and mad Rashad sits. Quinn watching, looking, seeing, and running, or trying to run.
Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely were two complete strangers who became best friends in an unlikely way. Both were frustrated with racial profiling and they wanted to make a difference, thus All American Boys was born. This book received 26 awards for writing and racial equality. It's writing is magnificent and touching and it's a true wonder to read. Not only does this touch on racial profiling but it also forces parents to start talking about it, even if they don't want to. This book would be and should be enjoyed by all.

Such a good read and so relevant too! It very nearly felt like it could be an actual story taken from today's headlines.

If you're as upset about the constant barrage of police brutality which seems to be becoming more and more prevalent, as most people, or want to give the youth in your life something powerful to read, look no further.

This book has a lot of depth to it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it and the fact that it left me with the general impression that you can't always judge a book by its cover (you'll understand that when you read it), we all wear multiple faces and have multiple identities. Which ones we choose to embrace is up to us.

The book is good and has a very interesting and well done story. I like how it switches between Rashad (the black teenager) and Quinn (the white teenager) since it provides two very different perspectives on how people deal with or experience police brutality. Reading the beginning and the middle of the book is thought provoking and provides a lot of suspense, but the ending is a little disappointing. Don't go into this with high expectations, because you'll be underwhelmed once you finish. However, it is still a good book, and 10 bucks isn't a bad price, so you should get it.

I read this as a follow up to The Hate U Give, and I can’t help comparing them in my head— the writing, the style, the characters, the stories. I can see why this was suggested as a companion novel, but they are very different books.

You should really read them both.

This book is so important!! Holy shoot. This book was so good. Totally believable and such an important book to read, especially with all the craziness going on in America right now. Jeez. And the alternating narrators and voice actors were perfect. Well done, friends. Well done.

I read All American Boys for a project for school. I was supposed to read a book based on racism, and I can't help but say that this book was the best candidate for it. All American Boys is a story of Rashad who gets assaulted by a white cop, and Quinn, a white teenager who is in the same grade as Rashad and witnesses the crime, and is also friends with the cop. It was a good book because it was super realistic, it's an example of what still goes on today. It has two different perspectives, Rashad's and Quinn's. Rashad's perspective is just based on how he didn't do anything wrong yet he got assaulted mostly because of his looks, while Quinn's perspective was about not know what to do, he was in a really bad and awkward position where he didn't know if to walk away from what he had saw or stand up for what he thought was right. The end on the story was a big too corny, but overall this was a really good book which I do recommend!

Timely and vivid, this is a fictional portrayal of the sadly frequent news stories and real-life individuals who fall victim to the effects of a racist American society. Pair this with Kekla Magoon's HOW IT WENT DOWN for some heated and healing discussions about the countless shades of gray that color interactions among people of every race, variations on race, and particularly between white authorities and non-white young people, boys/young men in particular. Read both.

My town is rocked right now by the Grand Jury decision to not prosecute the officers who killed 12 year old Tamir Rice. My heart is broken, but while I'm deeply concerned about the resurgence of ugly racism in the US, I'm also aware of my limitations of grasping the impact. Like everyone, I've had my hard times, but they have never been triggered or worsened by my skin color.

This young adult novel is the story of two teens who are caught up in the midst of a race-driven police brutality case -- all too common in today's headlines. I read the story for myself, although I'm not the intended audience, and was so moved.

However my five star rating is more based on the potential of this book to open conversations with teenagers. During the eighties it actually looked like we'd made headway in eliminating the the worst of racism in this country, but all you have to do is read a comments section to realize that we've failed with my generation. I passionately hope that the children coming up now will be better people.

Let's make this book required reading in all English classes. And at all family Thanksgiving Dinners. We shouldn't have to still be begging people to recognize and respect the humanity of their neighbors.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I am absolutely floored by this book. It is amazing, timely, and really, really important. Everyone should read this - all teens, educators, parents . . . just everyone. It is a really great look into a huge issue many face today, especially for those who want (need!) to understand what many go through on a daily basis and the way institutionalized racism has an effect on society.

An absolutely necessary read as a parent and important for you to read with your children (Middle School on up). It is tough in places but the narrative provides hope. In addition, the work, with two authors telling the same story allows us to see how everyone has their own perspective and how to move out of that perspective and see people where they are.

This is a "One Maryland One Book" that the state of Maryland wants all who live in Maryland to read! I don;t always agree with the book they choose, but this one was a very interesting and a fast read. All about Police brutality, both Black & White policemen. A heart rendering story told by Rashad a Black boy and Quinn a White boy.

In alternating viewpoints of Rashaad and Quentin, we see a personal view of police brutality and racism in today's world. Though the account is fictional, the writing and outside references are all too real. This is a great book written for teens that approaches this controversial topic in a managing (though still very emotional) manner. I would highly recommend!! Oh and male main characters so I can see this being very appealing to teen boys.

This was a great selection for the "One Maryland One Book" program for 2016. The audio was good too. In years past, books have been chosen for this program that were not super-relevant to Maryland. I hope this book sparks real discussions about race and police brutality, all across the country.

Authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely successfully pursue two different characters, Quinn (white) and Rashad (African American) in their new novel ALL AMERICAN BOYS. The colloquial diction in the book perfectly expresses the thoughts of two high school teenagers who think about normal things like basketball, school and girls. The only exception is this huge society divider called race. Just as the back cover says, “racism didn’t die after the civil rights movement” and racial profiling runs rampant.

Through ALL AMERICAN BOYS, the authors show young readers that the struggles for African Americans still exist. With recent police brutality incidents and dead African American teens, this novel highlights what it means to get involved. Rashad is in the hospital with severe injuries for no reason; he was attacked for looking suspicious, and is now an innocent victim for a crime that he didn’t commit. Quinn has no clue who Rashad is, and his role model is the one who beat up Rashad. As a result, Quinn doesn’t know what side to be on. His indecision drives the plot for the entire novel.

Never before has a novel been so spot-on in terms of modern social issues. ALL-AMERICAN BOYS makes so many parallels between fiction and reality; what’s on the news becomes all too real of a nightmare. Also, Reynolds and Kiely make their characters incredibly relatable, helping to successfully capture their audience.

I would recommend this book to all young adults. ALL-AMERICAN BOYS is wonderful because typical high school students struggling to find their identities can relate. Just like Quinn, young adults will gain some perspective on current social issues that may convince them to get involved.

Reviewed by Yasemin B.

Very good coming of age tale, focusing on two boys who want the same things in life but have such a different experience trying to go for them. I loved both main characters, and except for the first few pages !loved the book.

All American Boys is a timely, much needed, powerful book that everyone should read, young adult or not.

"Would I need to witness a violence like they knew again just to remember how I felt this week? Had our hearts really become so numb that we needed to see dead bodies to feel the beat of compassion in our chests? Who am I if I need to be shocked back into my best self?"

This book is bold. It is simple in its narrative, yet profound in the questions it posses and almost answers. I am happy to included it in my course this year as we discuss race and class. Dr. Bickmore's YA Wednesday is always on top of things. Check it out.

I'm glad it was written, but it could have been better. Quinn is a terrible character. I couldn't have cared less about his internal conflict, and dreaded reading his POV chapters. I was more interested in Paul, and the reasons behind his viscous attack on Rashad. The book alludes to racism, but doesn't investigate how it is taught in our society, and is not a quality people are inherently born with. If that point was developed through Paul's POV--possibly in flashback--than the book would have been much better.

It is so very contemporary that it calls the reader to think about both the story and today’s America. Race relations come to life through two intertwining points of view.
I see this as a valuable read for high school students, their teachers and all parents. I had trouble putting it down and when I wasn’t reading it I often found myself thinking about the story.
I recommend it.

I loved how well the authors dictated the thought processes that these boys both went through as they processed what had happened from their different perspectives. A thought-provoking read, and a great conversation starter.

Contemporary story that follows a young black man who experiences police violence and the young white man who witnesses it. Explores community and family along the way. Strong plot. Good midpoint twist. Neither sentimental nor preachy. It ends in exactly the right place. A well executed story. The partnership between a black and white writer adds authenticity to voice.

This book tells a out the racism in our real world. Also, Rashad, the first main character tells how blacks are being mistreated. I give this book 9/10 because of profanity. But 10/10 because of the storyline.

Best book I have written in many years. Considering all our country is undergoing with undercurrents of hatred, this is not only a timely read, but a book that will force you to pick a side and take a stand. There is power in unity!

“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.

Rashad and Quinn are two sides of a growing debate. Rashad is beaten by a cop for stealing, when all he was doing was checking for wallet. He's judged because of his skin and he's sent to the hospital for it. Quinn sees the beating, but doesn't want to speak up. Mostly because the cop that did it...is his best friend's brother, and basically the only guy role model Quinn has had in his life since the passing of his soldier father.

What follows is a crazy ride that we see way too often in today's headlines. People think Rashad's a thug. His pants hanging low or a mis-represented picture from online could create the picture for any of those wanting to absolve the cop that did it.
Reading about Rashad and how his family deals with the beating was beautiful and quiet and loud all at the same time. Meanwhile, reading Quinn's dilemma made complete sense and worked so well for telling the opposite side what happened.
I did feel that sometimes the beating took over some of Rashad's character development and seeing him outside of what happened, but I think that's also the point. Rashad is one of many, one of many black americans being taken down because of what they look like. It's an important book, one that I'm glad I got the chance to read.
(Also, the cover is amazing and captures so much of what this book is fighting for)
A great, powerful read.

All American Boys forces readers to look into the things many of us would rather not think about or address. It gives perspective on people, action, and what morality truly means. The only reason it doesn’t have 5 stars is because the ending was a bit abrupt...