Description
All American Boys is a powerful young adult novel co-written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. The story is told through the alternating perspectives of two high school students, Rashad, who is Black, and Quinn, who is white. Their lives intersect when Quinn witnesses a white police officer, who is like a father figure to him, brutally beat Rashad after a misunderstanding at a convenience store.
Key Themes:
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- Police brutality and racial profiling.
- Systemic racism and white privilege.
- The importance of speaking out against injustice.
The book’s purpose is to initiate conversations about race and justice, giving young people a tool to grapple with complex social issues. It is intended to explore how a single act of violence can ripple through a community, forcing individuals to confront their own biases and decide where they stand.
