By Ibi Zoboi & Dr Yusef Salaam
This book tells the story of a 16 year old American boy called Amal Shahid. He is black and Muslim and his name means ‘Hope’.
One night he is involved in an incident in a local neighbourhood. When the case goes to court he is treated as an adult despite the fact that his victim, who is white and also aged 16 is referred to as a boy. Amal is wrongly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison and his future is changed forever. Understandably, Amal is devastated and angry but he uses his talents in art and poetry to try to cope with his situation and fight for the justice which he deserves.
This is a disturbing story written from Amal’s point of view. It uses verse to describe the racism that Amal faces and explores discrimination and issues in the American justice system.
What makes this story even more powerful is that even though this is fiction, is it based on the real-life experience of one of the authors – Dr Yusef Salaam. In 1989, when he was 15, just like Amal, he and four other boys were wrongly convicted of assault and rape in the ‘Central Park Jogger case’. Their sentences were finally overturned in 2002 after the real attacker confessed to the crime.
I would definitely recommend this book for older readers (12 years and up). I think everyone should learn about these stories and discuss the issued involved but some of the language used might not be suitable for younger reader.
My score: 5/5
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