How It Went Down

Kekla Magoon

Oct 2014 · Sold by Henry Holt and Company (BYR)

About this eBook

A 2015 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.

In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.

Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.

This title has Common Core connections.

Ratings and reviews

I got way more into this than I was expecting. It’s the story of a shooting in an inner city told from the point of view of different witnesses and people connected to the person who was shot. No one has exactly the same story or feels precisely the same. I tried to understand each perspective and feel what they felt. It’s not really the type of story that gives you any answers. It may change the way you think about things though.

It was OK..however, this wouldn't be on my suggestion list. By reading the synops & reviews, I thought I'd enjoy it more...but NO! Sadly to say, it didn't keep me drawn in at all. For the reader that I am...took me months to finish this read. 😞

I'm reading this in school right now and it's keeping everybody interested in classwork, rather than talking or on their phones and distracting the class. Plus I love how the characters give their own point of view.

About the author

Kekla Magoon is the author of several books for young adults, including 37 Things I Love and The Rock and the River, winner of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award. She is a New York City-based writer, editor, speaker, and educator.