No words I write could do this book justice, but here it goes.

This Is My America tells the story of Tracey Beaumont and her battle in trying to get justice for her father, an innocent Black man who is sitting on death row. Every day, Tracey writes a letter to Innocence X, begging them to take a look at her father’s case. Tracey’s world gets further turned upside down when her brother, Jamal, is wanted for the murder of his girlfriend. Does Tracey stop fighting for her father’s freedom in order to help save her brother?

If you haven’t read this book yet, I suggest you move it to the top of your TBR! This one was such a powerful read and tells a story that unfortunately is very common in The United States. The number of innocent Black men and women who sit in prisons convicted of crimes they never committed is appalling. Stories like This Is My America are definitely important in bringing this issue to light. This one definitely will stay with me and gets 5 stars.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and Random House Children's in exchange for an honest review.

THIS IS MY AMERICA by Kim Johnson is an incredibly profound and relevant debut. In a year that has been fraught with police brutality and cries for a reckoning of this country's deeply racist history and institutions, Johnson's powerful book about the injustices of racism and mass incarceration is a necessary addition to the conversation. The characters are so well developed. Tracy is brave and passionate, and a heroine worth rooting for.

This isn't an easy read, by any means, but it is so incredibly important. I highly recommend it to everyone, and can't wait to read more from this author.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO THIS IS MY AMERICA BY KIM JOHNSON?
This Is My America by Kim Johnson is such an important book. The topic it covers is absolutely relevant to the world in which we live and move. I also think, unfortunately, many teens reading it will be able to relate. I knew that I had to read this book. When I saw that the audiobook was narrated by Bahni Turpin, my mind was immediately made up with regards to the format that I would read this book in.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Tracy Beaumont writes weekly letters to Innocence X which is a program similar to The Innocence Project – where the aim is to free people who have been wrongly convicted. Tracy’s father is an innocent Black man who is waiting on death row and his time is running out. Things go from bad to worse for Tracy when in the middle of the night, the police arrive at her house to arrest her brother Jamal. Unfortunately, Jamal is under suspicion for the murder of a white girl. Jamal is now on the run. Innocence X does end up taking on the case. However, this causes tensions within Tracy’s Texas town to explode – particularly between the police, the people who trust the police, and those who don’t. Tracy plans to get to the bottom of what has happened, but will also uncover some family secrets along the way.

WHAT DID I THINK OF THIS IS MY AMERICA BY KIM JOHNSON?
This Is My America explores the unjust incarceration of Black people in America. It goes into depth on just how unfair the criminal justice system can be – particularly when you are poor and of color. As it turns out, justice is not blind, as much as we wish it would be. I felt like Kim Johnson’s book is an honest and clear eyed look at the system. It does not pull any punches. Granted, I am glad that it ends on a hopeful note and everything plays out okay. Also, Tracy was interesting. I liked her passion and how she even runs know your rights classes.


HOW’S THE NARRATION?
As I mentioned before, the audiobook of This Is My America is narrated by Bahni Turpin. It is 9 hours 34 minutes long. Turpin is a total professional in her narration as expected. She’s a great narrator and absolutely nails this book. This audiobook is engaging. A must listen.

I did not know what to expect with this book. I was scared it was just going to be another cliche story about a wrongfully accused Black man but wow!
Kim Johnson wrote a beautifully nuanced story that managed to seamlessly connect the past with the present and even the future.

Her writing of every last character was intentional, every character was important.

The writing that Johnson uses in this debut novel makes it seem as though she is a seasoned author.
The utilization of language that was easy to digest allowed the story to flow easily.

The names of the chapters to the names of the characters, nothing was misplaced.

I want to preface this review by saying that as a white woman and because of the privilege associated with that, I haven’t had to face the microaggressions and police brutality that many people of color, including Black people face, especially now. I cannot speak to the representation of that in the book but I can speak to having a family member incarcerated.

I can speak for the fight for justice and wanting, wishing, and needing your incarcerated loved one returned to you. I’ve felt that life would be better, that everything would be fixed, if that person was home. Reading a book that spoke to just a small part of that experience was complicated. It was hard to read but also cathartic and at the end I felt like I was bursting with hope for these characters. I felt connected to them. I’m so grateful to Kim Johnson for that, and I hope others who might have experience with familial incarceration can also gain some comfort in this book, if only because the feelings that are so immediate and present are reflected in the pages.

This Is My America is a novel about Tracy Beaumont and her fight for justice for her father, brother, and the innocent people affected by corruption in her Texas town. Tracy’s father was accused of murdering an affluent couple in their town and unjustly sentenced to death row. For seven years, Tracy wrote to Innocence X to plead that they take his case and help clear his name. As his execution date nears, Tracy’s hope wanes and so does the chance of an appeal. And when a local girl is murdered, the police suspect Tracy’s brother, Jamal. With her brother on the run for a crime he didn’t commit, the town that once turned against the Beaumonts for the accusations against her father and then lauded her track star brother turns their backs to him too. With no other options, Tracy begins to look into the suspicious death of her classmate and fights to free her brother all while praying for their father’s appeal and uncovers the dark racist past and present actions of their neighbors.

This book is a triumph of justice and hope and full of characters that I only wish I had an ounce of their courage and tenacity. Tracy’s story is necessary and timely and should be read, shared, and awarded. It also made me furious, exhausted, and horribly sad. But it lifted me up and made me cheer for the Beaumonts and their friends and family. Tracy was a force to behold and a joy to follow on this particularly difficult journey. I’ve always been invested in the Innocence Project, and this book reinvigorated my admiration and respect for the people who advocate for programs like this. I hope it does for others too and opens the doors to people interested in racial and criminal justice just like Tracy.

Tracy has been fighting to get her father's conviction overturned, as long as he has been on Death Row. Now, with less than a year left, her brother Jamal is also arrested for a murder he didn't commit. Tracy is determined to prove their innocence, but gets entangled in something bigger than expected. A stark look at the history of racism in a small town and how it disproportionately effects Black Americans.

"This Is My America" is raw, real, and an absolutely perfect addition to YA shelves.

I could not put this book down! Tracy's determination to prove her father's innocence and save her brother from injustice leads her to discover hidden secrets about her town and the people in it. With lots of twists and turns, Tracy ultimately discovers what it takes to stand strong in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. This book is perfect for fans of "The Hate U Give" and "Just Mercy," and is a timely addition to YA collections in all libraries.

Wow! This book has me on the edge of my seat from the get go. As a wire middle aged woman, this story helped me see and learn about a party of the world I could never understand. I was awestruck. I felt the characters pain as they just tried to live life. Kim Johnson did an amazing job depicting life for a black boy in America.

I really enjoyed what this story did and the characters were good. I thought the writing was solid and the plot moved at a steady pace. This did, however, suffer from something I see in a lot of debut novels, where there are too many issues being tackled in one book. I felt that the main focus was handled well but there were a few plot points that I thought could have been fleshed out more.

When a classmate ends up dead, and her brother disappears and now he is wanted for questioning the main character doesn't know what to do, but she does know she wants to fight for justice and find out what really happened. When the classmate she suspects had something to do with the disappearance that happens to be related to the sheriff she knows she needs to do something.

This book really blew me away. Tracy, a high school junior whose father is on death row, writes weekly letters to Innocence X, a legal organization that works to exonerate wrongly convicted folks. The pain that Tracy and her family feel is palpable, and things become even more complicated when her brother is implicated in the death of a white girl who was dating the sheriff’s son. I wasn’t expecting this to turn into a mystery that tied together the crime Tracy’s father was wrongly convicted of with the murder her brother is accused of, but I thought it was very well done. A lot of heavy topics here - mass incarceration, private prisons, police brutality, white supremacy, murder, and more - but I thought they were handled masterfully,

I have went through a load of emotions while reading this. The first chapter hooked me from the very beginning. I was irritated with Tracy and heartbroken for her. I was torn between how I was supposed to feel for her during her brother's TV interview. I wanted to just tell her she was being selfish, but I have to admit that if I was in her shoes and my father was in jail, I would do anything and everything I could to get attention of an organization that gave me hope.

Tracy is selfish, but she is resilient and dedicated to her community. She stands up for those who can't and she puts herself in dangerous situations to find the truth because she knows that her town's corrupt police officers will shit all over it.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of This is My America by Kim Johnson.
The 17 year old protagonist, Tracey Beaumont, has been writing to Innocence X (i.e. The Equal Justice Initiative) to advocate on her father's behalf; she would like for them to represent him in a court of law to prove his innocence and reduce his sentence. Meanwhile, her brother gets accused of murdering his soon-to-be girlfriend. Now, Tracey is also trying to prove her brother's innocence. Will Tracey be able to salvage her family's name; and, save the lives of both her brother and father? This title is highly engaging because it is not just a contemporary social justice tale, but a murder mystery as well. This is My America is a timely and necessary piece that would pair well with Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

One of the best books I've read in a long time. Cannot wait to recommend this at the reference desk.

This Is My America is my favorite read all year! It should be required reading in every high school classroom. This gripping page-turner is one you'll read in one sitting and lay awake thinking about at night. Johnson's thrilling prose and poignant portrayal of race relations in this country are sure to spark critical, necessary dialogue.

Teach this book.
Talk about this book.
Give it to a friend.

Books like this will change the world.

Wow, wow, wow. This debut is truly remarkable. It covers important topics like racism, interracial dating, social injustice and mass incarceration without being preachy or one-sided. The characters all felt multidimensional and real and the whodunit plot kept me guessing. When I was finished with This Is My America, I gave it to my tween to read and we had a great discussion about the issues it addresses. This is more than YA - it should be a must-read for everyone.

This Is My America is the exact kind of book that people have needed both in present times and the not-so-distant past. Riveting, heart-breaking, inspiring, and fortifying, Kim Johnson sheds a light on the reality that many Americans live daily, from the Black men who are wrongfully incarcerated to the families that are left behind to try and keep the pieces together, and the intergenerational trauma that young Black kids are forced to live with without fully understanding why, just that they do. Tracy is a powerhouse of a protagonist, full of flaws and feelings and a hell of a fight. She's determined to right the wrongs that have been done to her family by the justice system and the community who turned their backs on them, and along the way, she demonstrates how this fight cannot be done alone, and that we all need to step up and join the cause.

Definitely recommended to adults, young adults, and kids alike.

Like Angie Thomas, Nic Stone and Tiffany Jackson, Kim Johnson speaks to the African American experience. Here Johnson exposes a truth that many Blacks live with daily. It’s part of why the Black Lives Matter movement has gained such momentum.

In this novel Tracy Beaumont has worked tirelessly to vindicate her father who’s on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. The days are ticking down to his execution date and Tracy is getting desperate to prove his innocence. When a White girl is suddenly killed and Tracy’s brother is implicated, the reality of police treatment of Blacks becomes a focal issue once again. Can the son of a convicted killer, especially a Black son, get fair treatment by the police? As Tracy’s attention now is divided between saving her father and helping her runaway brother, she struggles to figure out the truth of both murders. Her life has become a whirlwind as she uncovers secrets that lead to more questions. But with the countdown moving forward, how will Tracy be able to help her father while also proving her brother is not a murderer.

This is a book for the times. It addresses issues that fill our news every day. Teens will devour the book and it will join other outstanding novels that highlight some of the inequalities that are plaguing our society.
4.5*

I personally expected more from this book--the writing wasn't as strong as I hoped, but the concept is compelling and timely, and I think students will pick it up.