A story about Starr, a Black teenager who sees her friend Khalil get murdered by a police officer (for the second time), and dealing with the consequences: the reaction from her family, her Black neighbours and her White school friends; the increased attention from the media and the judicial system; processing her “fight or flight” instincts.

It’s an unflinching, uncompromising look at police brutality and the realities of being Black in the USA. (I suspect much of it holds true in other countries as well, but the story is set in the US.)

The narrative flows quickly and easily and I was gripped by the characters and plot; it’s easy to read even if the subject matter is heavy. I’m glad I finally popped it off my stack.

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