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qace90's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
amandamarieger's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was so good, and the topic is super important. I’ve never read a YA fiction book like this before, and I wish something like this book had been available when I was younger. This is the type of book I craved when I was trying to figure out who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. A book about justice, hope, and the terrifying reality for so many people in this country. The ending felt a little rushed, but that’s my only critique!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Violence
There is discussion of the KKK and Klan violence in this book. Please take care of yourselves.mizzlroy's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! This book was so powerful! From page one I was hooked and I stayed hooked until the very last word. This book is equal parts reality and mystery. It flawlessly delves into issues of social justice and the very real racism that still exists right under the surface of many small southern towns. Tracy is a champion for her family and I found myself cheering her on throughout the story. While this book is fiction, the reality of the issues is what makes this story so important!
bardo's review against another edition
5.0
What do you do when the justice system has failed you? Tracy is trying to save her father and brother from a bias justice system. While she tries to bring justice to her family, she will learn racism is rooted deeper in her community than she thought. This is My America is a powerful representation of the contemporary justice system. From the beginning, the reader thinks the story will surround the fight to free Tracy's dad, who has been wrongly sentenced to death row. As you grow accustomed to this injustice, Tracy's brother, Jamal finds himself running for his life. Johnson masterfully weaves both Jamal and his father's stories together. Combining social justice and suspense to create an elaborate conspiracy against the African American community. This book was absorbing and will not let you go until the very last page. The characters are multidimensional, creating dynamic interactions and controversial conversations. This is such a powerful perspective and needs to be read at every age. Johnson created a book that gives readers real-life advice through Tracy's community meetings as well as transforming social justice into an understandable action.
bbdelphine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sunshine_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
I am in awe. Kim Johnson, has written a gripping, powerful, and important story about the Beaumont family living in a rural town in Texas. Mr. Beaumont, a Black man, is wrongly accused of a murder he did not commit, and he has less than a year until his execution. We follow middle child, Tracy, who never stops trying to get justice for her father even though her family cannot afford a lawyer. She writes to the Innocence X organization every week to try and get them to take her father's case. In the middle of all this, Tracy's brother, Jamal, becomes a suspect in the murder of a white girl and goes on the run. Tracy races the clock to try and save her father and prove her brother isn't guilty. This unexpected and compelling book examines the ideas of justice and racial inequality with brutal truth and, somehow, hope. THIS IS MY AMERICA will be a permanent part of my library's collection, and cannot wait to recommend it to my students.
sunshine_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
I am in awe. Kim Johnson, has written a gripping, powerful, and important story about the Beaumont family living in a rural town in Texas. Mr. Beaumont, a Black man, is wrongly accused of a murder he did not commit, and he has less than a year until his execution. We follow middle child, Tracy, who never stops trying to get justice for her father even though her family cannot afford a lawyer. She writes to the Innocence X organization every week to try and get them to take her father's case. In the middle of all this, Tracy's brother, Jamal, becomes a suspect in the murder of a white girl and goes on the run. Tracy races the clock to try and save her father and prove her brother isn't guilty. This unexpected and compelling book examines the ideas of justice and racial inequality with brutal truth and, somehow, hope. THIS IS MY AMERICA will be a permanent part of my library's collection, and cannot wait to recommend it to my students.
lovelykd's review against another edition
4.0
Tracy's father is on death row.
For seven years, Tracy has written to Innocence X for help to overturn his conviction--to no avail; now, as the clock ticks down on her father's life (less than 300 days as the book begins), her brother is charged with the murder of a local girl; now Tracy has to decide which innocent life needs her focus the most.
I almost didn't read this book, for two reasons, 1) I'm weary of the trauma such stories evoke, and 2) I've read so many books like it that, at this point, they mostly feel the same ...and end the same.
I get enough disappointment from the news without reading it in a book.
That said, I understand there is a crucial space for stories like this to be told--particularly in the case of those that remain ignorant to their prevalence--because their remains a frustratingly inexplicable ignorance concerning how poorly Black men and boys are treated within the "justice" system.
Stories like this bring further awareness, of their prevalence, to the audience that will most determine the changes needed in the future.
As such, Johnson does a beautiful job of incorporating social activism into the story of this family.
For one, after her father is convicted, Tracy takes it upon herself to learn as much as possible about her rights via the Know Your Rights campaign; she becomes so well-versed in what you can and cannot do, when forced to deal with law enforcement, that she starts holding workshops about it so others can too.
As a contributor to the school paper, she brings attention to issues of social justice, and highlights the need for further activism as well as the importance of having good allies.
Lastly, it's clear Innocence X is modeled after the Equal Justice Initiative--in Alabama--and that subtle nod offers a thread worth following long after this particular story ends.
To include such pointed organizations and campaigns added value to the story because it's a starting point for those who either unaware of their existence or who, if aware, are interested in learning more about what they do.
The story itself takes place in a small Texas town, where racism is still openly exists, even if it's not spoken of in glaring ways; and it's clear said racism played a role in not only the conviction of her father but in the case of her brother as well.
Each character is given a cross to bear, and we are witness to either the discovery they're not as free of prejudice as they'd like to be or>we see how easy it becomes for them to choose sides when the time comes.
There's a bit of a love triangle and, while it seems like a detour, the dynamic it presents becomes important to the story itself.
Quincy and Dean--Black and white, respectively--both like Tracy.
Dean is seemingly the obvious choice, until Tracy's brother is accused of murder and goes on the run, and her history with Quincy (her brother's best friend and the son) rekindles a relationship trauma played a role in disrupting.
Tracy obviously feels a pull towards both, but I'm still not sure Dean or Quincy were the vest choice one for her; they both seemed to have a hero complex and the decision as to whom to choose seemed to hinge less upon compatibility than longevity.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is my own.
For seven years, Tracy has written to Innocence X for help to overturn his conviction--to no avail; now, as the clock ticks down on her father's life (less than 300 days as the book begins), her brother is charged with the murder of a local girl; now Tracy has to decide which innocent life needs her focus the most.
I almost didn't read this book, for two reasons, 1) I'm weary of the trauma such stories evoke, and 2) I've read so many books like it that, at this point, they mostly feel the same ...and end the same.
I get enough disappointment from the news without reading it in a book.
That said, I understand there is a crucial space for stories like this to be told--particularly in the case of those that remain ignorant to their prevalence--because their remains a frustratingly inexplicable ignorance concerning how poorly Black men and boys are treated within the "justice" system.
Stories like this bring further awareness, of their prevalence, to the audience that will most determine the changes needed in the future.
As such, Johnson does a beautiful job of incorporating social activism into the story of this family.
For one, after her father is convicted, Tracy takes it upon herself to learn as much as possible about her rights via the Know Your Rights campaign; she becomes so well-versed in what you can and cannot do, when forced to deal with law enforcement, that she starts holding workshops about it so others can too.
As a contributor to the school paper, she brings attention to issues of social justice, and highlights the need for further activism as well as the importance of having good allies.
Lastly, it's clear Innocence X is modeled after the Equal Justice Initiative--in Alabama--and that subtle nod offers a thread worth following long after this particular story ends.
To include such pointed organizations and campaigns added value to the story because it's a starting point for those who either unaware of their existence or who, if aware, are interested in learning more about what they do.
The story itself takes place in a small Texas town, where racism is still openly exists, even if it's not spoken of in glaring ways; and it's clear said racism played a role in not only the conviction of her father but in the case of her brother as well.
Each character is given a cross to bear, and we are witness to either the discovery they're not as free of prejudice as they'd like to be or>we see how easy it becomes for them to choose sides when the time comes.
There's a bit of a love triangle and, while it seems like a detour, the dynamic it presents becomes important to the story itself.
Quincy and Dean--Black and white, respectively--both like Tracy.
Dean is seemingly the obvious choice, until Tracy's brother is accused of murder and goes on the run, and her history with Quincy (her brother's best friend and the son) rekindles a relationship trauma played a role in disrupting.
Tracy obviously feels a pull towards both, but I'm still not sure Dean or Quincy were the vest choice one for her; they both seemed to have a hero complex and the decision as to whom to choose seemed to hinge less upon compatibility than longevity.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is my own.
i_dont_read_blurbs's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 ⭐️
"A school shooter can come out alive but a Black kid in
handcuffs on the ground can be shot, unchecked. An AK-47 in a white hand has more rights than a black kid with Skittles."
What a book. Not only was it powerful book that shows the diversity and hardships that must be faced, it was also a really good story! This book was written very well and I love the audio. I will listen to anything Bahni Turpin narrates!
"A school shooter can come out alive but a Black kid in
handcuffs on the ground can be shot, unchecked. An AK-47 in a white hand has more rights than a black kid with Skittles."
What a book. Not only was it powerful book that shows the diversity and hardships that must be faced, it was also a really good story! This book was written very well and I love the audio. I will listen to anything Bahni Turpin narrates!