I was not familiar with the events of this before reading the book. It was great that the author told both sides of the story and helped bring light to both issues, the gender spectrum and the brokenness of the juvenile prison system.

This book was a profound must read. It taught me, made me cry and made me want to create change in any way I could. Great book club book and discussion starter.

A fascinating, timely read about intersections, the variety in communities, the problems with our justice systems and our education systems, gender, and race. Definitely an important book to get to teens and educators.

This book was super interesting and is an important read for teens and adults. Aside from the story being factual, this can be a great conversation starter for gender identity and the way the judicial system treats boys of color.

The author of this non-fiction book did a wonderful job balancing the story of two very different teenagers connected by a horribly, tragic, crime. This book highlights beautiful moments in each of the teens lives while exposing the issues surrounding juvenile incarceration, poverty, rehabilitation, and the cycle of those issues in communities all over the states. Slater showed immense compassion for Richard, who mistakenly committed a crime, but never denied it, while not condoning his actions. She brought a light to the strength of Sasha, their friends, family, and the whole LGBTQ+ community.

The style in which this non-fiction book was written makes it easy to read. Beyond that, I learned so much about LGBTQ+ people. There were so many terms I didn't know existed, or I wasn't quite right in my understanding of the meaning. That alone made this book so much more valuable for me.

I immediately put this on my staff picks at my library and will continue to recommend this for some time to come.

Starts dry, with lots of vocabulary, but picks up considerably. Be patient with this one, it's worth the effort. Be prepared for heartbreak, also.

A powerful story.
Bus 57 starts with an event but is really a book about people and relationships. I appreciate the objective perspectives that push the story along. This is a well told and researched book. The blending of points of view with facts allows the reader to have many moments of insight. At times it reads like fiction and at others, like non-fiction: an interesting blend.
Stories like this need to be told and read.

Slater shares the stories of both Sasha, whose skirt was lit, and Richard, the teen who wielded the lighter. The lives of both leading up to the bus ride and what occurred after are artfully shared, giving the reader insight into the lives of a non-binary teen with Aspergers and an African-American male teen, along with information about the justice system. Gripping, even in the discussion about the legal system and how juvenile defendants become adults in the eyes of the court. The story of Sasha and Richard is complicated. Slater, with a background as a journalist, does an admirable job of delving further than news outlets at the time and sharing in teen-friendly writing.

The 57 Bus was an eye opener. No matter what your personal beliefs are in regards to gender issues (heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexualism, etc) this is a book that deserves your attention. It’s a book about all those things and racism too. It’s a book that allows readers to get an inside glimpse at how our justice system works when it comes to dealing with underage offenders. Plus it’s also a book that details and brings awareness to the way we as human beings treat one another. I don’t have to agree with everything someone else does or believes. But it’s my responsibility as a human being to be decent to everyone - to treat them in the same manner in which I myself would like to be treated. I think that is probably the biggest take away you will get from this book. Be kind!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

Excellent nonfiction read for young adults. Give this to any student who is interested in LGBTQ topics, true crime or the juvenile justice system. Well written and informative while also building suspense and keeping the reader engaged. Highly recommend for all high school collections.

An interesting book about a real-life event that I had no knowledge of before reading. The format of the book was easy to read and did a good job of relaying the events while delving into the people surrounding the events.

I was gifted an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a tough, but important read for young people. Sasha is an agender teenager who loves to wear skirts. Richard is a classmate who hates Sasha because they are different, until the day he set Sasha on fire on the 57 bus. It's the true and tragic story of the hateful crime that changed both of their lives indefinitely. Slater tells this enlightening story with such skill and respect for Sasha's identity, that in the end, we readers long for a world in which that respect is universal.

What a timely and and important nonfiction title for teens. The subject matter is specifically relevant to the lives of young people today, and the story of these events is told with a deep level of empathy. Restorative justice is introduced in the aftermath of the fire and trial. The author doesn't offer simple solutions, but rather asks difficult questions and is honest in showing an immensely complex situation.

This book is full of important issues in today's world. I think it will make more of an impact on the youth today because it is a true account.

In November of 2013, teenagers Sasha and Richard didn’t have much in common. Sasha attended a small private high school, had a small circle of supportive friends, and identified as genderqueer (preferring they/them pronouns). Richard attended large, public Oakland High School and had already spent a year in juvenile detention. Their lives overlapped for a few short minutes each day on Oakland’s 57 bus. One afternoon, while Sasha was napping in the back of the bus, Richard flicked a lighter near Sasha’s skirt. It erupted in flames and left the teenager with second and third degree burns requiring surgery and months of rehabilitation. Sixteen-year old Richard, who admitted to being homophobic in a police interview, faced a potential life sentence if he was tried as an adult with a hate crime enhancement. Author Dashka Slater takes a remarkably even-handed look at the two young people, the crime, their respective support systems, and role of the justice system in what happened next. In particular, she examines whether a teenager can ever truly act as an adult, and whether adult prisons are an appropriate place for juvenile offenders to serve their sentences. While not a typical true crime story, The 57 Bus is an extremely compelling portrayal of a hate crime and its aftermath. The author deftly illustrates how gender is not always binary, and neither is right/wrong, guilty/not-guilty, just/unjust.

Thank you to Farrar Straus Giroux and Netgalley for the advance copy of this ebook. All opinions are my own.
•
5/5 for this outstanding book. It is based on a true story about a boy who, without really thinking on his way home one day, lit the skirt of a fellow passenger on fire, causing serious injuries. The fellow passenger was an agender person, which sparked a national a cry that identified this as a hate crime. Did Richard do it on purpose, or was he really not thinking? The story is peppered with enlightening facts about gender and sexuality, as well as incarceration data about African-American males. A must read.

Sasha, a white teen who does not identify with any gender, and Richard, an African American male, are on the same bus when a prank goes awry. Richard accidentally sets Sasha's skirt on fire and is now looking at the possibility of being tried as an adult.

At first glance one might think this ticks all sort of diversity and bullying checkboxes, but ultimately this is a tale of empathy that lingers in the reader's mind long after the last page is turned.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC.

Interesting book with many difficult complex subjects - gender identification, the justice system, poverty and gangs. Sasha's and Richard's stories intersect the day Richard tries to set Sasha's skirt on fire. This story will keep you thinking for awhile

Great, descriptive book. This will be a good way to bring up social justice with my teens in a way that will make sense to them.

Wow--there was so much emotion in this book. I cried, I got angry, I got a TON of great information in this case, and this portrayal of both victim and culprit is eye-opening. Thank God there is a book for teens that addresses gender fluidity head-on. I cannot wait to take this to schools to booktalk.