This book is so powerful and covered very important and current themes of police brutality and racism. The novel follows main character Ashley, her friends and family during the Rodney King Riots of 1992 in LA. Ashley, a black teen, has lived a fairly privileged and sheltered life until she has to face the realities of being a Black girl in the middle of race riots among a predominantly white school, neighbourhood, and friend group.

This novel is extremely powerful and highlights the racism Ashley and others like her have to face. I really enjoyed seeing the development of a historical event play out through the eyes of a teenage girl who is facing it with a little bit of distance but still highly involved. The diversity of this novel was obviously really great, so many BIPOC characters but not many LGBTQ+. I was a little disappointed with Ashley's character development, I felt like more could have been expanded on with her personal growth but I did enjoy her character and it was good to see the development we got.

The writing and pacing was a little off for me. I was a little confused to some of the flashbacks and way some things were written kind of in list format. The writing did not take away a lot from the narrative much though, it still held up but maybe leave out the little bit of romance. The romance wasn't really expanded on and felt like it was just kind of thrown in. I think it would have been better just as friendship. The one thing that I really didn't like was the word "Indian" used to refer to Indigenous/Native American people in the novel.

Overall, a solid debut. Would read more books by this author

Set in 1992 Los Angeles, Ashley and her friends are enjoying the last days of their senior year of high school. Being one of the few black students at her private school all Ashley’s friends are white. In the news the acquittal of the four police for the beating of Rodney King has started to change Ashley views on her sheltered upbringing and her friends.
As the riots in the city escalate Ashley’s concern about her activist sister and family increases.
I thought THE BLACK KIDS was an interesting and thought provoking read. It brought a fresh perspective to the ongoing systemic racism problems.
The writing is excellent and the characters are compelling. I would not hesitate to recommend THE BLACK KIDS.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read an advanced ebook of THE BLACK KIDS.

A very enjoyable read about growing up black in a community dominated by white people. Always great to have a new black voice sharing a new perspective in literature and definitely going into the recommended reads for students. Some language/drug use/drinking cautions.

Loved the balance of issues in this book and the character development was amazing. Also read really well from a historical perspective.

This was such a powerful book. It really took me back and as a Canadian, I actually learned quite a lot about the dynamics in the USA back then. I’d definitely recommend this to my friends.

Set during the riots in LA in the 90s, our protagonist is a young black teen who is struggling to maintain her status quo while attending a mostly white school. Ashley’s world is metaphorically and literally going up in flames around her as she tries to process her past, present, and future. This book starts off slow but catches up quickly after the first 20%. Ashley seems to be perfect but we start to see the flaws beneath her and everyone else’s veneer. The only issue I had with the book was that the poor choice she made never got resolved and the other character involved dropped off the face of the earth. The closure would’ve been nice but I guess it’s closer to life.

Copy received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

"If all the heroes in our stories are white, what does that make us?"

Set in Los Angeles in the 90s, The Black Kids tells the story of Ashley, an affluent teen spending the last days of high school hanging out in her friends' pools, with little more to worry about than who's taking who to prom. Then the police officers in Rodney King's trial are acquitted and the city explodes with hurt and anger. As the city quickly spirals out of control, so does Ashley's cozy, sheltered life. From her sister, whose activism is becoming more and more dangerous, to her friends, who don't all seem to see her the way they used to, to the other black kids at school, who wonder what took her so long, Ashley must come to terms with the fact that she is, in fact, one of the black kids and that means a lot more than she realized.

Set during the riots that broke out in Los Angeles around the time of the Rodney King beating, this book will resonate with today's teens as they grapple with the complexities of race relations in their world. Although I found some parts a bit contrived, the story of the rich black kid who has grown up in suburbia surrounded by white kids is definitely a mirror in which many people will see themselves and is a good counterpoint to all the books about black kids that are set in poor areas (don't get me wrong, those stories need to be told too. It's just nice to see a book that brings a different perspective). The way that Ashley starts to recognize the micro-aggressions she has been shrugging off in the name of friendship is really well done, slowly pushing her to realize how she has been ignoring these types of comments and actions for years. I also really appreciated how her growing relationships lead her to understanding privilege as a very multi-layered construct, one that she has simultaneously benefited from and been disadvantaged by.
The style will appeal to teen readers looking for an easy read but the content provides lots of fuel for deep, meaningful discussions.

"Sometimes, people, they see your skin and all they know of you is war" -Christina Hammonds Reed

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed was an incredible read. The story takes place in Los Angeles 1992 where we follow Ashley Bennett who comes from a wealthy family and one of few black kids from her high school. Accustomed to living a carefree, charming life, this all changes one afternoon when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man, Rodney King, half to death. As violent protests engulf LA and the city begins to burn. Ashely tries to continue on as if everything is normal while the world outside her sheltered life unravels and her family life begins to crumble. When her friends help to spread a rumour that could derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid LaShawn Johnson. Ashley beings to examine her life and what in means to be black in America

The booK was beautifully written. highlighting the injustice people of colour have faced in the past and are still facing today. As well as diving into important topics such as privilege, racism, family dynamics, friendships and identity

I enjoyed the characters, especially Ashely. her development from the beginning of the story to the end was amazing to see. Her inner dialogues during the good moments and the bad ones really allowed me to connect and understand her as a person. She was a flawed and confused individual who struggled with her privilege, family dynamics and accepted insensitive comments made by her “white friends.” I admired her self-reflection, growth and becoming the person she wanted to be based on situations she faced

Overall I loved the read, it was a perfect coming of age story exploring self-identification and what it means to be black in America. Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for this arc: 4/5 stars

I need to start off by saying, this is a must read, I absolutely loved it!
Taking place in the 90's, during the LA riots, The Black Kids explores the life of a young, wealthy black girl living in a white dominated world. Growing up with three rich white girls as her best friends, Ashley has never really given any thought to how other black kids at her school live their lives. With a revolution just miles from her home, Ashley learns through both family and school how different life is as she knows it.
This book has so many different subplots, but that's high school right? A series of mini-dramas that help shape you into an adult. Ashley comes across as a quiet observer to her own life, as she comes to learn about her family history, her peers, her choices and the current state of America. This book is a true BIPOC novel, and I highlighted so many passages to keep with me. I recommend to everyone to pick up this book that you won't want to put down.

Review by Lisa Pineo

*I received this eARC from Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My ratings: * I hated it ** It was okay *** I liked it **** Really good ***** Great

TW (trigger warnings): violence, death, racism, police brutality, white privilege, underage substance/alcohol use

Debut novel "The Black Kids" by Christina Hammonds Reed follows the Rodney King Riots in 1992 LA via a wealthy black teenager trying to fit into a white privileged world. 5 stars

Description from the publisher:
"Los Angeles, 1992
Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.
Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.
As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.
With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?"

A little background: I am a middle class white Canadian woman and not the intended young adult audience nor the nationality or ethnicity of the author. I do remember the Rodney King Riots, although news wasn't as fast and ferocious in BC, Canada as it must have the in the USA. I was in grade 10 then, living in a small town in Victoria and I had only met a handful of black people. We had plenty of racial and classist divide between white and Indigenous people with multiple Indian reservations around my neighbourhood so that's the prejudice I saw most frequently.

With that said, I really loved this book. Even without having lived any of the experiences Ashley went through, Reed did a fabulous job of putting the reader in the character's shoes. Unlike in "The Hate U Give" where the main character and her family live in a poor neighbourhood but attend a nearly all white private school, Ashley and her family live in wealthy, white neighbourhood, attend a nearly all white private school and, aside from a few scary incidents, are generally looked upon as belonging in that world. But when Rodney King is beaten nearly to death and the officers who did it go free, everyone around Ashley, and especially Ashley, are caught up in the riots, the race war, family divide, friendship status changes and secrets that demand to be told. Recommended to everyone old enough to deal with such violence and hatred among the human race.

An absolutely fantastic read which involved Black history. Very hard hitting, very moving.

The story in centred in 1992 Los Angeles Riots.

The Black Kids is a strong story set in the 90s and follows our Black MC Ashley as she navigates high school during the Rodney King Riots. Tackling race, disparity, violence and the overall struggle of finding oneself during such a tumultuous time in life: this novel is one you just gotta read. And you don't have to wait because it's out now! If you loved THUG or Queenie, this will certainly be one to add to your shelf.

I feel like I enjoyed the themes of this novel more than the characters, but at the same time, those characters served as perfect vessels for conveying the main themes in a realistic and engaging way. Even if Young Adult Black stories centred around racism are getting personally tiresome to read, Ashley Bennet provides a fresh perspective as someone who feels like a stranger to her own culture. I ended up relating to her because, although I didn't grow up privileged or wealthy, there was a point in my life where I was suddenly faced with the big picture of who I was (in my case, it was Freddie Gray in 2015). As its blurb says, The Black Kids is perfect for fans of The Hate U Give--as in, prepare to get emotional. 3.5 stars.

Ashley is the only one out of her friend group that’s black. She is almost done her senior year at her private school in Los Angeles and has her sights set on Stanford. The city erupts in riots and looting when cops are acquitted for the beating of a young black man, Rodney King. Ashley’s life as she knew it is gone as her family experiences the pain of racism and inequality in their community.

This is a great young adult read for a number of reasons. It has a diverse cast of characters that face their own individual perils such as domestic abuse, sexuality and poverty. It covers so many topics that are relevant to today and provides contexts for readers to really think about the current status of our society and how racism is rampant. I learned many things from Ashley’s insights and from how her family members dealt with the Rodney King case. The tone of the writing was smooth for heavy topics and Ashley was a great protagonist.

The story revolves around L.A around the Rodney King beating and subsequent acquittal of the officers that beat him. L.A is on fire and riots are happening, but for some black kids it doesn’t seem that bad as they live in the better richer part of the city. This is were Ashley, Ash to her friends, is from. She attends a rich mostly white school with only a handful of other black kids. Her friends are all white though and don’t get her all the time. As they riots continue and they kids are coming to the end of their high school senior year.p, Ashley starts to question whether she belongs with her white friends or if she should maybe make some new ones.
Christina does a superb job of making the riots and this time in history keep off the pages. Very good read.
#theblackkids #netgalley #indigoemployee

I just didn’t love this one it fell flat for me. I think there’s a great message here but I need something more to happen with the story.

'The Black Kids' is a teen fiction book. The author is an American and this is her first novel. The story is set in the early 1990's in Los Angeles, during the time of the trial of the officers charged in the Rodney King beating. Ashley is a black senior in high school. Her family is wealthy and all of her friends are white. As the city erupts in violence, Ashley tries to pretend things are normal, but eventually realizes she must figure out who she is and where she fits in. This is an excellent recommendation for teens and adults alike and the author has managed to include reference to various historical events of significance including The Tulsa Massacre of 1921. Historical fiction is at its best when you are entertained and educated and I think this one met that standard.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited for this books! THUG is one of my all time favourites, and I went into this expecting to find a new favourite , but instead found myself really disappointed.

The writing style just isn’t working for me. Most of the characters are so unlikeable, I just really don’t care to read about them. I mean with friends like these, who needs enemies 🤷‍♀️

After trying multiple times over a 3 week period, I have had to DNf this book at around 30%

I have been excited and eager to read The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed for many months now, after watching and interview with her talking about this book I just knew I needed to read it as soon as I could get my hands on it.

I loved this book, it might even be one my favorite coming of age books I've read in a very long time. Ashley Bennett is a Black high school senior living in LA during the LA riots of 1992 in response to the beating of Rodney King. Ashley is emotionally detached and very much tries to remove herself from what is going on. I have seen a lot of criticism for Ashley not being relatable but I have to disagree here. Trying to ignore what is happening, not wanting to speak about it, not keeping up with news purposefully is a response I see so often with people, and I was so happy to see that reflected in a book. I think it was so fitting for someone who has grown up in a fairly sheltered life (done so on purpose by her family) and being so young, you just don't know how to process events and injustices like this, especially if everyone excepts you to have opinions on it.

The Black Kids also included some important history like the Tusla Race Massacre, which is literally just not even taught in school, explores the complexities of family and family secrets, intergenerational trauma, light skin privilege, and even cheating.

I loved this book, I devoured it in a matter of 24 hours, and I cannot wait to read more from Christina Hammonds Reed!


Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for gifting me this copy to review!

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed is a Young Adult novel based in 1992 in Los Angeles when the Rodney King riots happened. The main character, Ashley Bennet, from a wealthy family is one of the few black kids in her senior high school year, whose parents provided her with everything and shielded her from a life of knowing what it means to be black in America.

Ashley was not aware of what most black kids in the USA were going through until the riots happened, when she realizes the racism based on skin colour even amongst her lifelong white friends. Ashley's sister actively participates in the riots, which her parents fear for. As the novel progress, we see Ashley finding her voice and standing up for herself.

This book educates people about the injustices people of colour have faced and continue to face because of skin colour. We recommend this book, as it explores topics of privilege, racism, identity and shows that nothing has changed over the past years as people are still treated badly based on something irrelevant as the colour of their skin. If God made us is different shades that is something of beauty, not something humans have any place to judge and choose.