This was a great (if somewhat heavy-handed) look into the gentrification of Northeast Portland through the eyes of a Black 16-year-old, whose whole neighborhood is changing rapidly as Black residents are pushed out to make way for middle- and upper-class White-owned businesses and residents. Maya is a relatable and passionate protagonist who does not shy away from discussing and addressing racism, classism, and tokenism. Her twin sister Nikki responds to the gentrification of their neighborhood in a different way, and ultimately Maya is able to see the validity of Nikki's reactions and actions too.

My main criticism of this book is that I would have liked to see it address intersectionality of oppression a little more thoroughly. While it dealt with race and class, it did not deal with how these two "isms" interact with sexism (despite the central protagonist being a girl), and there were no LGBTQ characters or characters with disabilities (except maybe Z, who was more of a Chekhov's gun than a 3-dimensional character). I did appreciate the diversity of Black characters: driven, college-bound students Maya, Devin, and Charles; alcoholic and abusive Mrs. Darlene Jackson (the mother of Maya's best friend Essence); Maya's father who is a civil rights activist and mentor for Black boys; sycophantic school principal Mr. Green; knowledgeable old Mr. Washington; inspiring and brilliant journalism teacher Mrs. Armstrong.

I also felt like some of the story arcs got dropped along the way rather than being resolved, which was a bit unsatisfying.

I hope this book is read in middle and high school classrooms, and that it is used to help students identify and act against various forms of oppression, particularly racism and gentrification.