I have to thank a dear friend for recommending All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. It is a very hard book to read, especially in our current times. But... I, and no doubt many other readers, believe it is an honest book that tells a story deeper than the words on the page. A story that is hard, yet needs to be told. Over and over again.

While I'm not sure there's much more I can add to others' thoughts, I can say that this book really got to me in a good way. Reynolds and Kiely handled the perspectives of both Rashad and Quinn in such a smooth and real manner that pulls readers into the story. It's hard to believe that the story takes place only over the course of a week, especially when it felt like a greater amount of time had lapsed. Maybe that was due to seeing the story from both boys' eyes alongside the gravity of the story.

There is such an air of hope by the end, and that leads me to feel hopeful for the world in which we live.