This one packs a punch. It’s set in 1992 LA during the Rodney King riots and we follow high school senior, Ashley, as she navigates college applications, familial tension, racism and friend drama, all while trying to find her place in the world. I loved how uncomfortably realistic most of the characters and situations were. The reader is forced to sit in that discomfort as Ashley comes to terms with the covert racism of her close friends and peers. It’s difficult, yet so important.

Despite being based on a true event, 28 year ago, it’s pretty hard to ignore the fact that in 2020 the same issues are prevalent. Much like how I list The Hate U Give as a must-read, The Black Kids is just as important.

The Black Kids is a stunning debut from Christina Hammonds Reed. It takes place during the LA Riots in 1992, following a 17-year-old Black girl through her last days at a mostly white private-school. To say it’s relevant today is a massive understatement.

It’s no wonder this book is being optioned as Reed, thanks in large part to her own real-life experience, has created a dramatic chronicling of those important times.

With historical context, near perfect prose, and a cast list perfectly conceived, this is a big winner. And the film should boast one of the great soundtracks of our time if they stick close to the source material.

4.5 stars!

Ashley Bennett is in her senior year at high school spending more time skipping classes and hanging out with friends rather than going to school. In the backdrop to her senior year, protests and riots erupt in L.A. Ashley's older, newly married sister Jo becomes active in the riots and supporting the call for justice for Rodney King, and her parents who are convincing her to stay out of it. Ashley has a front row seat to both being active in the fight for justice and avoiding it; with her parents trying to seek comfort in the rather privileged (wealthy) life they have built for themselves.

This slow burn of a book really packs a punch. Ashley was a great character to follow: she has incredible character development; she is flawed and confused, and has some incredible learning moments along the way. You can't help but like her and root for her. The Black Kids is an excellently written coming of age story exploring identity, what it means to be Black, and how ignoring a problem doesn't mean that it will go away or not impact you. Even though the story takes place in 1992, it is still incredibly relevant today.

Reading this was very similar to how I felt when I was reading The Vanishing Half. Reed's writing is so poignant and profound, at the end of every chapter or breaks within chapters I had to sit for a minute to digest what I just read. Reed takes the reader on a beautiful journey with Ashley in coming to terms with her identity and how her relationships with family and friends strengthen and fizzle out because of this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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"How do I tell people I barely know that I'm angry and sad, but also embarrassed? That I feel that anger along my spine, holding up the very shape of me, and in my fingertips like a curled fist. That the sadness is like a dull ache, heavy in the muscles fighting to keep my head up"

Wow. Just wow. What an incredible debut from a brilliant new voice. The Black Kids is the story of Ashley Bennett, a black teenager living in LA during the Rodey King riots of 1992. Ashley's family is wealthy, and she spends most of her time with white kids at a school for privleged youth. But when the LAPD murders a black man and protesters begin to rise up, it starts a chain reaction within Ashley's life as she begins to question everything she always told herself about who is "us" and who is "them".

This book astounded me. The writing was phenomenal, lyrical, almost like prose, but still sometimes read witty and bright like a traditional YA narrative. Although the plot was set against the backdrop of the 1992 protests, the subject matter is so alarmingly familiar that it could easily be taking place in 2020, which is obviously just disheartening. We see Ashley experience so much growth through the novel as she re-examins her identity, and Hammonds Reed somehow balances youthful levity and the captivating and harrowing commentary on racism in America both during the 1992 riots and today.

This book is being recommended for those who loved "The Hate U Give" (is there anyone who didn't???) but I think it's a thing of beauty in its own right. I loved it and will definitely be buying a physical copy.

This debut novel follows the story of high school senior Ashley as she navigates relationships, priorities and the challenges of growing up. The 1992 Rodney King riots hang over the story and have a profound impact on Ashley’s journey and challenge her previously held beliefs. This is well written and compelling story that should be a must read for high school students and adults alike. If you enjoyed The Hate U Give, this would be a great book to add to your reading list!

I really wanted to like this book. It started out okay but then it dragged and I couldn't see where the story was going. Currently I have it as a DNF. Perhaps I will return to it again in the future.

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from Christina Hammonds Reid and Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I loved Ashley's perspective of the Rodney King verdict and subsequent riots and how her thoughts changed as she discovered more of her family's history and her own identity. I thought this nook was very relevant and I would love to see another book featuring Ashley set during our current BLM movement and how her views and thoughts may have changed over the years.

I'd rate this a 2.5.
I had a hard time with this book-it took me forever to get through, despite being extremely excited to read it.

The Black Kids is about a teenager named Ashley, who is living in LA during the Rodney King trial and following riots. Ashley, and her group of friends, are navigating life in LA, finishing high school and hanging out, through all the turmoil. Life gets more complicated when Ashley unintentionally starts a rumour about one of her classmates.

I thought the premise of the book was so interesting-but I was surprised that it didn't exactly focus on the Rodney King riots, that was a side plot. The book focused on Ashley and her senior year, with her friends and family. Let me start by saying that almost everyone in this book, except perhaps Lucia, Lana, Harrison and LaShawn (and his friends) were so extremely unlikeable. Ashley's friends were shockingly horrible people. Ashley herself wasn't much better, she was selfish, never stood up for herself or others until the end and engaged in a lot of wrong behaviour. She forgave to easily and very clearly didn't know who she was, which is fine, but hard to read. I was shocked at a lot of things that were said and done in this book and do think it is important to be aware that people still treat each other this way today.

I really enjoyed the end, despite skimming through most of the book. The highlight of the story was the relationship between Ashley and LaShawn. LaShawn was the best character by far, he was so real, so sincere and true to himself. There were other moments I enjoyed as well, I think the author successfully captured the experience of a black teenager living in LA during that time, there were a lot of horrible, shocking events that occurred which were extremely sad but necessary to know about. Ashley's parents had molded her to be this young woman who was unaware of what was around her, they wanted to protect her from things which is understandable, however this just made her accept things she shouldn't have. They were so judgemental, her sister Jo was all over the place and the rest of her family she wasn't that close to.

The writing felt extremely choppy to me, I felt like so much was mentioned that didn't need to be, it kind of jumped around from here to there without much connecting it. There were a couple of times I thought the story was over, but kept going. It really wasn't what I thought it would be at all. I appreciate the author covering important and difficult subjects, race, sexuality, familial challenges, prejudice, etc., however, the book just didn't stick with me, it was hard to get through.

PDF : je suis malheureusement incapable de lire ce format. Ça me vexe car ce livre avait l'air vraiment bien.

If you enjoyed The Hate U Give, then you will probably enjoy this YA novel that is wonderfully written and explores topics such as simply coming of age, friendship, family relationships, mental health, race, racism, police brutality and social justice.

Set in 1992 during the Rodney King riots, this novel is relevant to the world in which we still live in today. The main character is Ashley, a Black teenager in a mostly white school and she is a senior getting ready to graduate high school and move on. When Rodney King, a Black man, is beaten by four white police officers who are then acquitted by the jury, the riots that occur cause Ashley to start really thinking about life.

The riots are the back drop to the story, which at its core is very character driven and talks a lot about the choices we make and the friends we keep. I think the characters were really well thought out. This was an eye opening and enlightening read that I think adults and young readers will enjoy and also learn a lot from. With the current times and recent events, I think that this book is very relevant. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this one.

Christina Hammonds Reed's The Black Kids is a novel you won't be able to put down. Beautifully well-written, heart-wrenching and candid, this story interweaves a narrative of coming-of-age, friendship, race, racism, and social justice set during the 1992 Rodney King riots, sadly relevant to the world we are in today.

I absolutely loved Reed's strong development of characters, specifically Ashley, the protagonist. Through Ashley's perspective, questions of identity and belonging are explored as she wrestles important questions in search for truth and justice.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and cannot recommend it enough. Thank you Christina Reed for this important and impactful narrative. As a Junior High and High School English teacher, this is a novel I will have available to my students.

A special thank-you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this advanced copy.

This book takes place in 1992 during the riots that occurred following the brutal beating of Rodney King by police officers. For obvious reasons, this story is extremely relevant today. I think this is a book that everyone should be reading right now as I found it extremely interesting and enlightening to be in the head of a young Black girl during this time. I thought Reed did an amazing job with the characters in this book; the relationship between all the members of our main characters' family was incredibly complex, especially the relationship between Jo and everyone else. It took me a while to warm up to Ashley since she kept making really bad decisions but I think she had a very satisfying arc. My only issue with this book is that I didn't totally love this writing style; the narration would often go back and forth between talking about current events and looking at our main character's memories and I sometimes had trouble figuring out which one was happening. That being said, I'm really happy I read this and look forward to reading some own voices reviews of this book and assure everyone to seek those out as well.

tw: racism, police brutality, cheating

Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with access to an early e-arc for an honest review.

The Black Kids is an ambitious and powerful debut novel from Christina Hammonds Reed!

It’s an unapologetic coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the 1992 Rodney King Riots. It features complex characters and relationships through a unique perspective; Layering in thought provoking commentary on systemic racism, identity and class.

My favourite thing about this book was how character driven it was. Each character interconnected and impacted one another, which gave a full three sixty perspective on how far and deep the important issues raised can go.

With the current times, I found this book more relevant than ever. It’s an insightful and educational read that you should be including in your 2020 reading list.

The only reason I am docking a star is because I struggled a little bit with the growth/character arc of Ashely (the M/C). I also did not agree with one of the choices that she made because I felt that it took away from exploring more important aspects of her characters relationships.

Title: The Black Kids

Author: Christina Hammonds Reed

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Suggested Reader Age: YA

Genre: Contemporary, Historical Fiction

Triggers: Suicide, violence, racism, N word, swearing, teenage sex, alcohol, drugs

› I was 10 years old when I watched Rodney King being beaten by the police on TV and it stayed with me for the rest of my life. I requested this ARC from Netgalley because I wanted to know the riots from the perspective of a Black person living there. Reading a story told from the perspective of a teen about an event that took place when I was a tween was an experience I cannot explain. At first, I thought The Black Kids was a 4 star read for me, but as I write this review I'm realizing I loved this more than The Hate U Give and if that was 5 stars then this is definitely 5 stars.


"First things first: be pretty. Never take up too much space; your breasts, arms, lips, hips, thighs, and even your nose should always be just so. If your body should spill over just so or not quite fill it up, well, honestly, I don't know what to tell you. Just don't. Be a good girl, but not too good..."


› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 10 The characters are well-developed, real, but not always likable - and that's okay! I'm learning to embrace the idea that characters don't need to be likable to be well-written.

› Atmosphere: 8 Some of the descriptions and world-building felt just slightly not quite enough for me.

› Writing Style: 10 I love the writing style and I can't wait to read more from Hammonds Reed. It's unapologetically RAW and authentic and at times, painful, but necessary and refreshing.



" 'Cause, like, it's not just about the cops, right? It's all of it. Yes, the LAPD is racist as hell, and black and brown communities get policed differently than white ones. That's a fact. But also, the schools suck. There's no jobs. You don't give people any opportunities to make something of themselves or to see a way out of the shit they're dealing with every day. There's no hope. And when kids turn to gangs or drugs, people act all surprised. Like, what the f___ did you think was gonna happen?' "



› Plot: 8 I wouldn't say this is a page-turner, but I did want to keep reading. I didn't feel the climax, but liked the ending (not a pretty ending wrapped up in a bow).

› Intrigue: 9 I did want to keep reading and wanted to know what was going to happen.

› Logic: 10 I wasn't confused at all, everything made sense.

› Enjoyment: 10

add up the scores
find the average 9.3

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• The Black Kids is a coming of age story about identity, systemic racism, sexism, privilege, and out-growing friends. It's been 29 years since Rodney King was brutally beaten by police, and yet, here we are in 2020 and George Floyd was killed by police. We MUST stand up for justice. Black Lives MATTER. As a Canadian white woman, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read a book providing me with an insight into the lives of Black people. This is a must-read for ALL readers.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.



*Quotes taken from an ARC copy and subject to change*

Christina Hammond Reed’s The Black Kids holds nothing back. From the book’s very beginning it packs a punch and throughout, the hits just kept on coming. There is a lot to unpack in this novel and Reed does a great job of showing all of the inner-workings of Ashley’s life and just how all the moments depicted in the book were culminated to make up just who Ashley is due to what she’s experienced. From an affluent African-American family, Ashley already sticks out like a sore thumb amongst her group of friends because she is Black. There are a plethora of micro-aggressions she has to put up with and navigate through the book that will leave readers cringing, and likely wanting to scream (at Ashley's so-called friends and just out of frustration).

There is a particular moment in The Black Kids that stuck with me even after I put the book down. The excerpt reads: “We have to walk around being perfect all the time just to be seen as human. Don’t you ever get tired of being a symbol? Don't you ever just want to be human?” For Black people, this seems to be the standard. Even Ashley’s grandmother points out to her that she needs to be better than everyone else in the room just to get the smallest piece of pie or the bare-minimum - and sometimes, one doesn’t even get that. Even at Ashley’s absolute best and brightest, her light is dimmed by those around her who treat her differently or expect she is meant to be a certain way simply because she is Black. In The Black Kids, Reed perfectly demonstrates the struggle that Black people face day-in and day-out and just how tired we are.

With the riots happening around her, Ashley finds herself wondering just where she fits in with all of it. While the book is definitely a coming-of-age story, it is one unlike any other I've read before. And while the book is about Ashley, Reed does a great job of showing the experiences of others who are not Ashley. For example, there is a scene where a group of young Black boys are being harassed by a police officer and when Ashley and her mother arrive home and her mother tells her father about what transpired, he asked if they did anything. Her mother replies that there wasn't anything that could be done and that she didn't want herself and Ashley to become targets themselves. Painting the experiences through those who look like her and her family, but are not her and her family was an important way of showing readers that while all people do not go through the same struggle, they still experience it in various ways.

The Black Kids is a brilliant exploration of systemic racism, class and family dynamics from the very first page. This book should be on everyone's radar. It is important, timely and a page-turner. Be sure to add The Black Kids to your TBR lists; you won't regret it!

The Black Kids takes place in Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots of 1992. During the same time period, a teenaged Black girl named Ashley is growing up in a predominantly white world — the neighbourhood she lives in, the school she attends, and even the people she befriends. The story unfolds with Ashley’s struggles to discover who she is and where she belongs.
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This story covers a lot of hard-hitting topics: coming-of-age, family relationships and history, teenage friendships, self-identity, and of course, race and racism. Ashley’s about to finish high school and go discover the world but she has yet to discover herself. She always felt as though she wasn’t Black enough to be apart of the Black kids but truly not able to fit her with her white friends either. She continually faces micro-aggressive and blatant racism from those around her and she also feels as though her parents are holding her back from the realness of being a Black person. When Ashley’s sister Jo becomes an active part of the riots, she starts to dig deeper into her self-discovery. Personally, I found the rawness of the book very compelling; I finished it in a day! As well, the historical aspect was educational. As a reader, I felt as though I was learning alongside of Ashley. As she was discovering more about her identity and family history, I was being exposed to things I’ve never heard of before (e.g. King Riots, Greenwood Massacre). However, I will say that though the themes covered are considered hard-hitting, I didn’t really feel the “hit.” It was more of an informative reading process for me.
Finally, I want to say that this is a story of it’s own regard; Black stories need not be compared to other Black stories just to garnish praise and recognition.

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been trying to broaden my horizons with reading lately. More genres, more controversial topics, my POC authors, etc... this book was offered at a great time. I really enjoyed this read. It really made me think how everyone sees things differently. It brought to light more topics of racism and stereotyping. It was just a really good read and everyone should pick this one up.

Ashley is a teenage girl growing up in Los Angeles in the 90’s. Her family is upper class and sends her to a school that is predominantly white . Being one of the blacks in the school her experiences are different then a lot of the other students. Los Angeles is also dealing with the fallout of the Rodney King Verdict and the riots that are taking place. These riots have a direct impact on Ashley’s family as her grandmothers store is destroyed by looters and rioters. Ashley must navigate her relationships with her family, friends as well as continuing to learn about her family history and her race.
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I really enjoyed this book, growing up as a teenager in the 90’s it brought me back to some of my own experiences in high school. I also really liked the musical references mentioned in the book as I am a huge music fan and love 90’s music. This book is about racism, Black families, classism, white privilege & identity. I encourage everyone to read it, although it takes place in the ‘90’s it’s such a timely book.

This is a coming-of-age story set in 1992 during the Rodney King trial and the LA Riots. With this debut, Christina Hammonds Reed shows the tensions of the time and addresses many issues that are still pertinent today - systemic racism, micro and macroaggression, Black identity and white privilege.

The story centres around Ashley, a teenager who is one of the few Black kids at her predominantly white private school and has led a very sheltered life. Through her eyes we witness the microaggressions from her white friends, how the LA Riots affect her immediate family as well as her extended family who live in the neighbourhoods experiencing the riots.

There were parts of this book that were amazing, particularly the issues addressed and the different POVs that were included. I also liked that the story focused on a well-to-do Black teen who doesn't directly experience the Riots, yet feels their effects through those around her. But the story fell flat for me with its slow pacing and the muddled feel when the story repeatedly jumped back and forth from past to present. I was also hoping for more depth in Ashley's relationships with her family.

This book is compared to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and it addresses similar issues but I'd say with less grit, tension and character development than THUG. The Black Kids concludes on an encouraging note and will hopefully push teens to learn more about the LA Riots and how these same issues continue to influence our Black communities 28 years later.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars - This book is extremely important and needs to be read by YA readers everywhere. This is a brilliant coming-of-age book, taking place in 1992 but really, could have taken place in 1962 and 2020 - only furthering the impact that this book will have on its readers. In just over 360 pages, this books tackles racism, privilege, feminism in addition to depicting the trials and tribulations of a young teenager. Ashley's snarky inner monologue was refreshing - even though she was a lost, flawed and scared teenage girl. The writing was simple but impactful, I was highlighting quotes on every page. There were certain parts in the plot where I almost cried for how meaningful the lines were but also because Ashley's voice was so authentic to the character, I felt like she was my friend. I think Reed handle the scenes dealing with racism, racial profiling and police brutality perfectly. She also painted a really hopeful ending for the main character (even if it was not necessarily the happiest of endings). I really, really enjoyed it.