All American Boys - One night. One incident. Two teenage lives forever changed. Rashad, a black teenager, gets brutally beaten by a cop for a crime he never committed. Quinn, a white teenager, watched it all unfold. Now, they’re both stuck in a mental fight. Rashad seeks justice, while Quinn battles his morals and emotions. With the world watching, they must make decisions that no teenager should have to make. Will they stand up, or just be another person lost in the crowd?
All American Boys is a heavy-hitting book that opens your eyes to the racial issues we still face today. Although it is a fictional story, it depicts multiple real events such as the George Floyd case and countless other cases of police brutality. Both Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely wrote in a clear, descriptive manner and made the reading experience better. However, the ending was not quite as satisfying as it could have been and was a bit awkward at times. Overall, All American Boys earns a 3/5. Related titles include Tyrell by Coe Booth and Dear Martin by Nic Stone.