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kmkasiner's review against another edition
3.0
I'm Not Dying With You Tonight is about two high schoolers who get trapped together in a riot. The girls seem like polar opposites but they have to work together to survive the night. This is an action-packed, fast paced story that takes place in just one night. The writing is descriptive and I could picture the chaos of the riots, and after reading the acknowledgments, I know the authors put a lot of work into making sure it was realistic.
The benefit of having two authors is that the main characters each have a very distinct voice. I think I preferred Lena's point of view. I thought Campbell was almost a little too naive to be believable (example--using the word "jerks" instead of swearing in extremely furious moments). I wished we got a little more detail on their backgrounds, but there is a decent amount of character development for such a short book.
The book manages to pack some big issues into a short amount of time. I can see this being read in high school classrooms.
The benefit of having two authors is that the main characters each have a very distinct voice. I think I preferred Lena's point of view. I thought Campbell was almost a little too naive to be believable (example--using the word "jerks" instead of swearing in extremely furious moments). I wished we got a little more detail on their backgrounds, but there is a decent amount of character development for such a short book.
The book manages to pack some big issues into a short amount of time. I can see this being read in high school classrooms.
Spoiler
The ending was a little bit of a letdown. I wanted to know what happens to Lena and Campbell after everything, instead of leaving everything open to the reader's imagination.lovelykd's review against another edition
2.0
This story was tough to digest because it lacked believability in so many areas.
While I understand how easily a race-infused confrontation can escalate into riotous violence, the very origin of the chaos was not only avoidable but controllable. Everything seemed--and I say "seemed" because the events it set off felt outside the range of plausible given its idiocy--to hinge on a tense exchange between two teenage boys.
Said exchange happens in view of both Lena and Campbell--which is how they come together--with, apparently, no reasonable adults, or even school security, present.
By the time the school resource officers do arrive, there's a riot...then sirens ...then a gunshot ...then all hell breaks loose?
Everywhere.
In what universe does this happen without additional context?
Even if I could get beyond all of that nonsense, I could not get beyond the idiocy of Lena or the cluelessness of Campbell.
Lena continually tossed common sense and safety to the side in favor of hooking up with a boy. It didn't appear to matter that said boy was fine ditching, dismissing, and dissing her at every turn. She continued to have faith he would come through ...and I just ...no. I couldn't handle such willful stupidity in a girl who obviously had more than a little common sense.
Then there's Campbell.
Lena's desire to chase behind a boyfriend who, seemingly, didn't care about her, or her safety, for the better part of the story, was annoying; time and again she opted to call him instead of using any one of the options she had available to get out of a dangerous situation.
Then there was Campbell.
I know she's supposed to come across unversed in the ways of Black/white relations--and that's fine--but you'd have thought the girl never stepped out her front door, turned on a television, or read a news headline. She was always confused, or scared, or timid.
The one time she shows any backbone was during a situation where her safety was definitely at-risk and sitting the heck down/shutting the heck up would've not only been prudent but wise.
And yet ...whew.
It's not a stretch to say Lena and Campbell would've avoided this situation altogether had either been smart enough to dial a responsible adult or reliable emergency contact.
It had potential but the whole situation was too far-fetched to take seriously.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Sourcebooks Fire for the Advanced eGalley of this work. Opinion is my own and was not influenced by its receipt.
While I understand how easily a race-infused confrontation can escalate into riotous violence, the very origin of the chaos was not only avoidable but controllable. Everything seemed--and I say "seemed" because the events it set off felt outside the range of plausible given its idiocy--to hinge on a tense exchange between two teenage boys.
Said exchange happens in view of both Lena and Campbell--which is how they come together--with, apparently, no reasonable adults, or even school security, present.
By the time the school resource officers do arrive, there's a riot...then sirens ...then a gunshot ...then all hell breaks loose?
Everywhere.
In what universe does this happen without additional context?
Even if I could get beyond all of that nonsense, I could not get beyond the idiocy of Lena or the cluelessness of Campbell.
Lena continually tossed common sense and safety to the side in favor of hooking up with a boy. It didn't appear to matter that said boy was fine ditching, dismissing, and dissing her at every turn. She continued to have faith he would come through ...and I just ...no. I couldn't handle such willful stupidity in a girl who obviously had more than a little common sense.
Then there's Campbell.
Lena's desire to chase behind a boyfriend who, seemingly, didn't care about her, or her safety, for the better part of the story, was annoying; time and again she opted to call him instead of using any one of the options she had available to get out of a dangerous situation.
Then there was Campbell.
I know she's supposed to come across unversed in the ways of Black/white relations--and that's fine--but you'd have thought the girl never stepped out her front door, turned on a television, or read a news headline. She was always confused, or scared, or timid.
The one time she shows any backbone was during a situation where her safety was definitely at-risk and sitting the heck down/shutting the heck up would've not only been prudent but wise.
And yet ...whew.
It's not a stretch to say Lena and Campbell would've avoided this situation altogether had either been smart enough to dial a responsible adult or reliable emergency contact.
It had potential but the whole situation was too far-fetched to take seriously.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Sourcebooks Fire for the Advanced eGalley of this work. Opinion is my own and was not influenced by its receipt.
natbookreviews's review against another edition
3.0
Review of “I’m Not Dying with You Tonight”
⭐⭐⭐☆☆
“I’m Not Dying with You Tonight” by Kimberly Jones presents a compelling story about racial tension and the unlikely bond between two girls caught in the chaos of a violent race riot. While the book successfully sparks important conversations about prejudice and inequality, some aspects, like the decision-making of the main characters and certain scenarios, feel unrealistic and underdeveloped. Despite these flaws, it remains a solid three-star read, especially for younger audiences who can appreciate its timely themes and the urgent, fast-paced narrative.
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confusedteach33's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
An interesting exploration of racial divides that just fell a little flat for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Police brutality
Moderate: Gun violence
kassandrik's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.5 (rounded down). Listened as an audiobook. I picked this book because it was suggested by Helsinki Library app Libby and Big Library Read project. At first, I was not happy with narrators and plot in general, and I was about to drop the book, but I decided to challenge myself and be more open towards it. And I enjoyed it a lot: two narrators, two different background and worlds, purposeless violence and crime, friendship built during challenging times. Very good audiobook, liked it!
lyssa_lee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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? Yes
4.0
panon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
sambrumagin's review against another edition
4.5
An important book to read. I waiting too long to write my thoughts and I’m currently ill, but I think the message was powerful .
bookscatcoffee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this book until it abruptly ended. Literally refreshed my kindle twice to make sure there wasn’t a glitch. Other than that, I enjoyed the writing. It was sometimes hard to switch between the alternating chapters, but I appreciated seeing the perspective of each main character. Worth reading but expect the ending. 3.5 stars
YA fiction with diverse characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, and Abandonment
livkoa's review against another edition
naja, fand ich jetzt nicht bombe aber es war nicht unbedingt schlecht