The book switches between Happi's viewpoint in the present, Kezi's viewpoint the day of the arrest, a random girl's viewpoint the day of Kezi's arrest, and Kezi's grandparents/great-grandparents. The moments that take place in the distant past are used to highlight what is happening in the present, and explains the upbringing of the Smith girls and the impact of past racism on their family today. The past and present instances also combine to show how little has changed in terms of the treatment of those in the Black community. Kezi's viewpoint is a heightened awareness that something is going to happen to her. I was on the edge of my seat, constantly worried for her and wondering how she possibly could have died. The book was part road trip, part coming-of-age, part historical fiction, part contemporary romance, and part thriller. There was a lot going on, but it never felt overwhelming or too complex. The novel was told in a way that kept me interested and wanting to continue. The book also continuously points out the issues with the phrase "one of the good ones". The saying insists that who someone is, what they do, how smart they are, makes their life more important than others. Or, that there is a scale of worth for Black people, and your life is expendable, depending on where you fall. The more you live up to some unattainable ideal standard (created by a country that is always working to keep Black people at the bottom of the social hierarchy), the more the world will care if you are murdered (which is completely disgusting and degrading). "One of the good ones" continues to place importance on the wrong aspects of murder; no matter who you are, your life should matter. This novel rattles, it angers, it saddens. I went through so many emotions while I followed along with Happi and the group on their road trip. Felt their highs and lows. Experienced their pain while crossing those places where other Black people had been unjustly murdered, by people who got away with the crimes. Feeling their loss whenever they thought about Kezi and how amazing her itinerary was, how significant, and how she will never experience the journey. Learning about The Negro Motorist Green Book was fascinating; the history, the routes that Black people had to follow in order to be safe within the United States. Truly terrifying that you can both love a country and be fearful of living in that country. That to take one wrong turn or to run out of gas in the wrong part of the State could mean death. Honestly, caused goosebumps. This is also a novel about family and familial connections. Happi is so distraught by her last conversation with her sister, with realizing she never really knew Kezi, that she is working hard to strengthen the bonds with Genny. As well, it shows how the past adversely affects the present, both in harming those within the Black community and continuing to accept the blatant racism and prejudice from the white community towards BIPOC. It focuses on how connected we all are to those past atrocities and what it truly means to be an ally. Thank you to HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
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