The Black Kids 

by Christina Hammonds Reed 

5 out of 5 

Synopsis 

Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, this unforgettable coming-of-age debut novel is a unflinching exploration of race, class, and violence as well as the importance of being true to yourself.

Los Angeles, 1992

Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of high school and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.

But everything changes one afternoon in April, when four police officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.

As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.

With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them? 

Review 

Ashley has been given every advantage a teenage girl could want, but it's still not enough.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows Ashley. She's not a hero. She's not vocal and passionate about black rights, like her sister; she doesn't have to fight for a scholarship like LaShawn. She's never had to sacrifice anything in her life.

She's just a regular girl, who has normal concerns, and confesses that she can be selfish, but means well.

At 17, Ashley is a teenage girl - which is dangerous enough in itself. She is also one of the few black girls at a rich white school in LA. It's the early nineties, and the whole country is on edge after the beating of Rodney King was caught on camera. When the police responsible are acquitted, the black community and their allies protest against the injustice.

Ashley starts to reflect on what it means to be black in the US.

From the systematic racism all round her, that her parents have to warn her about. That being black, she always has to be perfect, so white people won't give her a hard time. Her white friends are casually racist, but Ashley knows they don't mean it, so she lets their ignorant comments slide.

The story is compellingly simple. The city might be burning in the background, but it doesn't affect Ashley's daily life. She still has the prom to look forward to, and deal with the connection she has with Michael - her best friend's boyfriend. She has to deal with the fact that her favourite college hasn't given her a definite answer, whilst they snapped up fellow-black student LaShawn.

With the way the world is now, it feels very familiar. Big, horrible stuff is happening, but they don't occupy every second. There's lots of little life things that we all experience.

As well as Ashley's experience of racism, there are lots of little stories and histories tagged on. Involving her parents, her sister, her nanny Lucia, her uncle, and other bits of news that Ashley remembers.

I'm not normally a fan of when stories diverge into other stories as it can sometimes feel like unnecessary filler; but this was really well-written and helped build the overall picture.

I really liked the ending. I thought it all reached a satisfying conclusion, without actually concluding anything! I liked that it doesn't rely on any one thing for Ashley to appreciate that she's happy. These teenagers have their whole lives ahead of them.

Overall, this was a great read. There are so many parts of Ashley's life that's recognisable, and so much that is eye-opening.

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