About this ebook
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?
Praise for The Black Kids:
'Should be required reading in every classroom' – Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin
'A prescient coming-of-age debut' – Elle.com
'Utterly brilliant' – STYLIST
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?
Praise for The Black Kids:
'Should be required reading in every classroom' – Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin
'A prescient coming-of-age debut' – Elle.com
'Utterly brilliant' – STYLIST
Ratings and reviews
4.0
3 reviews
L
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November 8, 2021
Beautiful ending. Fills me with hope. I enjoyed the journey with 'Ash', Reed shows us the multifaceted black woman, that we are more than our stereotypes and I'm here for it. Ash is frustrating and ignorant and privileged and just finding her way (like all other teenagers). At the heart of this story is a message of Hope for a better day and (for me anyway) the fact that humans are just human - flawed and imperfect. We are not a colour. We are not a type based on race. We are human and that is complicated enough.
About the author
Christina Hammonds Reed holds an MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. A native of the Los Angeles area, her work has previously appeared in the Santa Monica Review and One Teen Story. Her first novel, The Black Kids, was a New York Times bestseller and William C. Morris Award Finalist.
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