This is My America is a debut novel from Kim Johnson focusing on relevant issues in our justice system, particularly as experienced by people of color.

Innocence X is a fictionalized Innocence Project, with lawyers who work with death row inmates when wrongly convicted and investigate their cases, seeing if there is legal recourse to return a case to the courts. Tracy Beaumont, a Black high-school student, writes them repeatedly, begging for their intervention in her father's case. She has also educated herself and become involved in conducting Know Your Rights workshops to inform others of their rights when interacting with law enforcement and the legal system as well as trying to use her platform on her school newspaper to educate and challenge her peers.

Her mother and her siblings navigate life without their father, having to limit their encounters to prison visits. Tracy tries to find ways to captivate the attention of Innocence X as she counts down her father's remaining time and hope diminishes.

I've read stacks of books on the Black experience in the United States, and this book encapsulates many of those features, putting them into a narrative that may capture the interest of Young Adults and bring awareness to the realities experienced by people of color: mass incarceration, generational trauma, racism, white supremacy, and distrust for those in authority are the tip of the iceberg.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

This YA contemporary is for fans of novels like The Hate You U Give and I’m Not Dying with You Tonight. It is definitely a novel that we as white allies feel everyone should read. It’s a good stepping stone on the road to grappling with privilege and empathizing with BIOPOC and their experiences in an inherently racist system

Tracy is a compelling protagonist who faces a lot of harrowing things within a short period of time on the pages of the story. From lobbying for an appeal for her father’s death penalty sentence to proving her brother’s innocence in the murder a local white girl.

Johnson treats a lot of issues that are all too prescient. Among them are police brutality, systematic racism, micro-aggression to name a few. There is so much going on in this book that I want to press it into all my friends and family who like to claim that racism does not exist in the US. Read. This. Book.

The pacing is solid and at the heart of the social issues is this murder mystery that Tracy takes upon herself to solve. While I was not expecting a blatant connection to the KKK it was an interesting facet of the book that was difficult to read but important to learn more about.

Overall, we loved this book and recommend it as essential anti-racist reading. Also, for anyone looking for a good social issues contemporary.

Probably the most relevant and eye-opening book that I could of read right now. I’m grateful to of had the chance to read it! As a debut, this author knocked it out of the park. Perfect for fans of Just Mercy, and The Hate you Give.

This one was more that what meets the eye; and I absolutely loved Tracy. Her fight to free her wrongfully convicted father from prison is admirable and heart-breaking all at the same time. My heart was in my throat through most of this story.

This is a story I can definitely learn from, and recommend to all my friends! It is a great conversation starter, and I can not wait to see what else this author does with her career! I’m super impressed, and so proud that 2020 is bringing some great YA literature into the world!

This is My America is one of those books that as soon as I finished it, I needed to just walk away to compose myself because this book is an onslaught of emotions. This is also one of those books that should be required reading for everyone.

I’ll be honest, after reading the synopsis, I was a bit hesitant about picking this one up because I knew that this story would tear me apart, but what the author does so well as tackle timely issues with racial justice with grace all while delivering a truly addictive story that I could not put down.

In addition to the typical pressures that high schoolers are facing in that time period before college, Tracy Beaumont has the added weight of time ticking down to the execution of her father who is sitting on death row for a murder that took place seven years prior. Every week for seven years, Tracy has written a letter to Innocence X (similar to the Innocence Project) to take her father’s case. What Tracy doesn’t expect is for another murder to occur in her town, and now her brother Jamal stands accused.

There is a LOT to unpack in this book, and I will not be able to adequately do it in this review, so I at least want to hit on some of the key takeaways.

The author unapologetically puts mass incarceration of Black men front and center in this story as well as the consequences the families face as a result. Tracy’s family went from a two parent middle class household to a single parent household where they are struggling to make ends meet. We get an intimate look at how this has affected both Tracy and Lamar’s upbringing BUT, the worst part was that their younger sister NEVER met her father since their mother was pregnant when the arrest took place.

Another huge theme in this book is the generational trauma. The generational trauma of Black people was unsurprising. What I was not prepared for was the generational trauma of white people who are expected to uphold the racist beliefs within a family construct. This part of the book was incredibly difficult for me because I was angry and really wanted to offer no sympathy whatsoever. However, I do think that this is something that needs to be addressed and discussed more frequently in today’s society.

As far as characters go, Tracy is front runner of this book. She’s intelligent, fierce, loyal, and unwilling to give up on what she believes in. For a 17 year old, she is so rooted in her fundamental beliefs that I was in constant awe that she was a teenager. That being said, I think a lot of that has to do with what she’s had to endure and NOT to say that this is unrealistic.

I will be honest that there is a love triangle type of subplot in this book. There’s Dean, Tracy’s best friend and Quincy, a long time family friend. Dean is white and Quincy is Black. While I don’t think that a romance plot was needed in this book, I think the focus was meant to be more on the discussion of interracial dating and how the expectations for Black women versus Black men are vastly different. This is an ongoing discussion within the Black community, so from that aspect, I completely understood why it needed to be addressed, and I thought it was done well.

A lot of people are going to ask how this book is a different narrative to what we’ve seen with Angie Thomas’ The Hate You Give and Nic Stone’s Dear Martin, but I promise you that This is My America is not like this books. There is a much needed space for this book, and I implore you to give it a chance.

Thank you to Get Underlined for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

This is a fantastic book. Not only is it a timely commentary on the unfairness of the American justice system and systemic racism, but it's also a captivating mystery novel.
For seven years, Tracy has been sending weekly letters to an organization that helps innocent people on death row. Her father's time is running out and she's getting desperate. When the police show up and accuse her brother of the murder of a white girl, Tracy decides to find out what really happened. As she investigates, she uncovers shocking secrets her town has held for many years.
If you're looking for a good book about racism, make sure to add this one to your reading list!

This is My America by Kim Johnson follows Tracy, a high school junior who has been writing to Innocence X every week for 7 years, hoping that someone will hear her and help her father sitting on death row. Then, a crime is committed and her brother Jamal is the main suspect.

This book was beautifully written, and Kim Johnson's characters are three-dimensional and vibrant beings. While it does tackle heavy and always-relevant issues such as police brutality and violence, racism, white nationalism, and Black trauma, it still provides hope. I interpreted that hope not as a hope that things can change at a systemic level, but a hope and a belief in the strength of Black resilience and power.

Incredibly moving, one of my fave reads of the year, This is My America is a book everyone should read!

CW: police violence, murder, racism, white nationalism, Black trauma

Thank you to Random House Children and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this extremely timely debut novel. It reflects a lot of our current issues ie. racism, criminal UNjustice system. I devoured the book during Dewey's 24-Hour Reverse Readathon. It was fantastic and I can't believe it's a debut novel. I cannot wait for more from Kim Johnson!

A timely fictional narrative for today’s society. While the storyline is thought-provoking, and heartbreaking at times, the story itself moves kind of slow.

The beginning of this book grabbed me right away. As an adult with a teenage daughter, I had several perspectives going into this and all helped me to understand and feel. Although there were times that made me angry, it was only because of the reality and truths that this novel brings. A must read.

Thank you to Random House Children’s Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am so glad that I read this. It was a tough read and it made me look more into the United States prison system as well as other issues related to Black Lives Matter. This in turn meant that it took me a bit longer to read this one because of the heavy topics. I appreciate Kim Johnson for bringing these issues to light and writing this book. It was very well written and well worth reading. I definitely will be recommending this one to friends.

What a powerful book. I wish I’d read it with a book club, so I had a chance to discuss it with a group. I highly recommend it to everyone (FYI the audio is phenomenal)!

This is My America is a hard-hitting YA debut that is part mystery/thriller, part look at racism, the American criminal justice system, and how incarceration affects families. It's very, very good, but was also quite difficult to read at times.

Tracy Beaumont's father is on death row for murders he did not commit. Every week she writes letters to Innocence X (an organization modeled on the one led by Bryan Stevenson) asking them to take his case before time runs out. But then, her brother is accused of murdering a white girl from their highschool and he goes on the run. Tracy is determined to investigate what really happened and find a way to prove the innocence of both her father and her brother.

As a character, Tracy is determined and impulsive, often making decisions that are the farthest thing from cautious and safe. It made me worried for her, but her fierce pursuit of justice at any cost is also incredibly admirable. This book takes twists and turns that delve deeply into the insidiousness of racism in America, and the assumptions of criminality often made abut Black men and boys.

There are moments of peril involving police officers and white supremacists. And this does a great job of highlighting the serious and pernicious problems with policing in America, while not being entirely anti-police. There is a Black woman from Tracy's neighborhood who is new to the force and doing what she can to bring change from the inside. This is not portrayed as easy, but we definitely see what police work SHOULD be, versus what it all too often is.

We also get to see the complexities that can come with interracial romance, and the heavy burden that racist family history can lay on later generations. We get a bit of a love triangle that really effectively explores those issues, along with the challenges of figuring out the difference between friendship and romantic interest as a teenager. Tracy has a white childhood best friend who has always been there for her, and there may be something more between them, but his mom is clearly not a fan of the idea. She has another Black childhood friend who's interested in her, but they have complicated history. I think this is a great example of how YA can positively use love triangles to really develop a character and have them caught between worlds.

I think this is an incredibly strong debut that should be read and discussed. And it is very timely given what is happening in the world. I love seeing a few more Black authors writing in the mystery/thriller genre as well where it had been predominately white. Do use caution though as this first person narrative is quite intense. I will leave some content warnings below.

Content warnings include: racist language, threat of police violence, gun violence, white supremacist language and violence, including a burning cross and broken window, discussions of the KKK including lynching, obstruction of justice, imprisonment of innocent people.

This is not a comfortable read. Tracy is a character who doesn't hold back. She will do anything that strikes her as useful with little consideration for consequences. That can be hard to read. At the same time, it's an important plot. We sometimes have the idea that the justice system is right, that everyone has a fair chance when they get to trial. We forget that simply being arrested can lead to people thinking of you as guilty. Especially if you're poor or a person of color. I was interested to see how that would play out in this case. The thread between events were a bit tenuous. With big important ideas we need a tight plot, and this one doesn't quite accomplish that. But we also have a complex portrayal of racism, both blatant and subtle. That certainly makes it worth a read.

This is My America
Kim Johnson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With all that is happening today this book came at the perfect time. I quickly became invested in This Is My America- it follows the racial injustices so many families face today. Tracy Beaumont has made it her mission to try to save her father’s life. He was wrongly convicted and now sits on death row in Texas. Each week she writes to Innocence X asking for help from their organization to look into her father’s case. Just when it seems like it couldn’t get worse the police are now hunting down her brother Jamal - a rising track star with so much to lose. Jamal runs away, afraid that he too will be locked up. As this story unfolds there are many secrets that involve white supremacy and it is left to Tracy and Jamal’s best friend Quincy to uncover the truth and finally find the justice they deserve. My heart broke many times reading and as I felt broken for the family. I was in awe of the strength that Tracy had- she is a role model to young girls. This is a must read- I will highly recommend this book because it did open my eyes to racial injustices, KKK and I strongly feel like this book needs to be read! This book was beautifully written from start to finish and will stay with me for quite some time. A sincere thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy for my honest review.

www.instagram.com/donnasnotsosecretbookdiary

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12409011-donna-beiderman

#thisismyamerica #kimjohnson #bookworm #booknerds #booksofinstagram #booklife #bookofthemonth #bookbub #bookclub #bookclubs #bookclubbook #ilovereading #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookadvisor #BOTM #betweenthechapters  #goodreads #100bookchallenge
#readacrossinstagram #readingnook #bookreviewer

This book was so raw and emotional I loved the family aspect of the sister/daughter speaking her mind on what is right and wrong, I would recommend this book to everyone teens and adults as well!! 6/5 stars for me

WOW WOW WOW.

This book was literally amazing.
Such a powerful read.. from the first page to the last page that i teared up on.
It touches down on so much that goes on in this world.. regarding injustice, racism. etc
I dont want to say much in this review because i dont want to spoil but WOW some of the things in this book i read and knowing its still happening in the world is horrible.
This book was so educational but also a thriller genre at the same time.
Kim johnson should be so so proud of her work.
I loved reading about tracy she was such an amazing advocate and powerful voice.

This was one of the books i really wanted to read in 2020 and im so glad netgalley sent me an arc for this book it was amazing powerful emotional and everyone needs to read it because this world needs change and our voices are what will bring change into the world

READ THIS BOOK!!!!

I read this book right after The Hate U Give. While the general theme of systemic racism is still present, the story is very much different. In fact, this is a murder mystery, which very much surprised me!

It was a compelling read, moving along at a good pace. There were satisfying twists and turns and enough facts that kept the ending believable. Definitely pick this up if you like young adult murder mysteries!


You can see my video review here:
https://youtu.be/-j-d_THxcNg

This is a powerful story, perfect for the current political environment as people become more aware of the injustice out there.

Tracy is not your typical teen. She has a fire burning in her for justice and educating others in how to avoid situations. Her father being imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit and sentenced to death row set the stage for her crusade. But, the death of the school newspaper editor, who she knew, with the accusation that her brother did it sends her digging for the truth.

The story should have the reader reflecting upon their own experiences and how easily people can sweep things under the rug and act like prejudice isn't there. I did not witness heinous behaviors towards people of color in my deep south hometown. However, I've since learned that our little section of town was a melting pot that was not reflective of other areas. You can hear echos of this world in the small town in Mississippi we have recently moved to. Language that shows a bias towards certain groups.

While you will get a mostly happy ending, the author talks more about why she wrote the novel. Because, for many, there is no happy ending after being wronging accused and prisoned.

I highly recommend this read for upper middle school on up through adulthood.

“People will finally hear the truth. Wake up to the fact that Lady Liberty has failed us. Failed so many others.”

This Is My America delves into mass incarceration, racism in a small town and in the criminal justice system, hate and love. Tracy’s fight for justice for her father, then brother, is courageous and inspiring. Please pick up a copy of this book.

Could I personally connect to this book? No. I have no connection or similarities to the characters. Does it matter? Yes (but, hold on). It matters because reading books outside of our own norms teaches us about the lived experiences of others, builds empathy, and hopefully, opens eyes and hearts. Please read this book.

This was an incredible read. It's thought-provoking, heart-breaking, and uncomfortable, but also necessary. While it may be fictitious, too much of this book is grounded in the sad history/present of our criminal justice system. This book is so important and relevant to current race issues, and I think it's a must-read for anyone who comes across it!