There’s a lot going on in “One of the Good Ones,” the new YA novel by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite. Gratefully, it speaks important issues, including racism, bigotry, the BLM movement, police brutality, LGBQTIA+, family bonds, legacy, social activism, identity, grief, guilt, young love, and more.

Throughout the book, the authors mention the refrain of “one of the good ones” as a way to describe a person our country deems worthy. Do society value Black lives more than others? Hell yes we do. And it’s 1000 percent wrong.

For the most part, our protagonist, 18-year-old “Kezi,” checks a lot of boxes for being deemed “good” or “worthy.” She’s a young, Black, well-educated, promising social activist with 100K followers on YouTube. But when she gets arrested during her first BLM protest, she’s immediately deemed unworthy by a police officer. Her Black skin makes her a threat and she’s unjustly arrested. Then another 18-year-old girl, Shaqueria—who’s a product of the foster system, an aspiring actress, and selling drugs to try to make ends meet—is also deemed as unworthy when she’s arrested on the same day. Interestingly, both girls don’t come home from jail. (No spoiler alerts here). Kezi is put on a pedestal by her followers, while Shaqueria’s life barely matters because she doesn’t have a family.

Why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed? Obviously, this dehumanization divides us and represents the harsh realities of systemic racism. The authors remind us that being human is more than enough to deserve life and love.

As you can see, there’s a lot going on, and this is just a tiny recap. I found that there was just a lot to unpack, especially with the back and forth storytelling from chapter to chapter. There were a lot of characters and point of views to keep track of, including Kezi’s two sisters, parents, distant relatives, teachers and friends. Plus, we hear from Kezi’s online stalker and briefly follow Shaqueria’s journey. For me, some of the story seemed a bit unbelievable (like what happens at the jail and on the road trip). But overall, I very much appreciate the themes that the Moulites took on as it will help YA readers learn what’s happening in our culture. Plus, much of the content serves a great history lesson by incorporating life before the Civil Rights Movement and the need for the Negro Motorist Green Book.

Special thanks to Inkyard Press for an advanced reader copy of the book, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I also purchased the audiobook to read along with the digital copy.

Wow... Are we sure this is a YA? I just finished and want to read it again.

This book is part history, thriller, social justice, LGBTQ, police brutality, family,  finding yourself, and more..

I cried, I laughed, I got angry, I was scared. This book gave me all the emotions.

It is about a family who loses a daughter/sister after she is arrested at a protest for a man who was killed by police. And how they are dealing with the grief. So her sisters go on a road trip she had planned that was from the Green Book, which was a book African Americans used in Jim Crow Era to travel safely. On this trip they are coming to terms with their grief and it is an emotional ride.

I highly recommend this book!

I saw Maika and Maritza Moulite and hit "request," and I certainly wasn't disappointed. This book tackles current issues while also being an entirely riveting story.

Trigger warning for racism, homophobia, police brutality, kidnapping, murder and deaths, etc.
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After teen activist Kenzi becomes a victim of police brutality, her sisters Genny and Happi honour her memory by going on the road trip that she had planned. Along the way, secrets regarding Kenzi’s death are revealed that once again change their lives.
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As you can tell by the trigger warnings, ONE OF THE GOOD ONES was a difficult story to read. This story was well crafted, with multiple POVs from different time periods. I did find it slowing down for a moment in the middle, but it picked up again. It all came together for a really powerful story of love, loss and survival. I was not expecting the mystery aspect to be as shocking as it was— I was reeling!
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Thank you to @hccfrenzy and @netgalley for sending me an eARC to read and review!
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4.5 stars, ONE OF THE GOOD ONES by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite is out now!

Honestly, I don’t even have coherent words to describe the impact of this book, the genre-bending plot, the marveling I have to do at Maika and Martiza Moulite. I’ll try to do it some semblance of justice, but really, the takeaway is: if you can get your hands on One of the Good Ones when it comes out on January 5. (It’s also by the same authors who wrote Dear Haiti, Love Alaine!)

One of the Good Ones is a multi-perspective novel that follows Kezi and her family, primarily her sisters, Happi and Genny, across several months, in addition to vignettes from their ancestors in the previous century. It tells the story of Kezi’s arrest and death at the hands of police, and how her sisters connect to her, to each other, and to themselves in the wake of her tragic death. It’s also an education in 20th century Black America and how the realities of racism and discrimination that we see today are vestiges of a past that is all too familiar. It’s a story about bonds, about justice and systemic racism, nods to Black and Brown folx’ place in nature + wilderness + agriculture, and at its root is about kids exploring their relationships and their dreams, about inter-generational trauma and how to unwind it.

AND there’s a reason it’s also compared to Get Out. 🤯 This book has everything! Suspense, amplifying representative stories, helping people feel seen + educating those of us who benefit from a system of oppression, showing us powerful but fallible characters who sometimes do unlikable things but ultimately, just like everyone in this world, deserve equality, equity, justice, peace, even if the media or white America wouldn’t feel them “one of the good ones”. OOTGO has me reeling, honestly. It’s just so good, so vital, pushes us so hard but with narrative, plot, and characters that make it simply un-put-down-able.

Thank you so much to INKYARD PRESS and NetGalley for this advance e-copy. And enormous congrats + thank you to Maritza and Maika for telling this remarkable story.

I was given advanced access to One of the Good Ones from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The novel, told from multiple perspectives, eloquently tackles racism, police brutality, coming out to religious parents, sibling dynamics and much more without glossing over the topics. There is a great deal of history woven into the story as the friends and sisters complete their sister’s journey using “The Negro Motorist Green Book”. The ending surprised me and was not something I would have predicted.
Read this book! You will not be disappointed.

I absolutely loved sister writing duo Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite's debut, Dear Haiti, Love Alaine—for its thoughtful, complex character development, inventive formatting, and deft use of history and popular culture. I knew that One of the Good Ones, which is described as The Hate U Give meets Get Out, would be a bit different in tone than the serious-but-funny Dear Haiti, Love Alaine. I was glad to note right away that some elements are similar: both books involve multi-media sources (in this case, historical fiction written by one of the characters about the lives of two of her great grandparents) and beautifully-drawn family dynamics. Both novels thoughtfully and sensitively incorporate major social justice issues, and both deal with the topics of identity and intergenerational trauma. In spite of all these commonalities, One of the Good Ones is a bit of a heavier punch—moments of levity are rarer here, and one particular plot line is heartbreaking all the way down. As was the case in Dear Haiti, Love Alaine, there are a number of elements at play here: this book is part sister/friends road trip novel and part thriller, and it's juggling two distinct historical fiction narratives, compelling cultural and historical tidbits about Route 66, two main timelines, and three primary narrators. The Moulites have pulled all of that off twice now, balancing all of these storytelling devices and delivering on beautiful writing and thoughtful, realistic characterization. I was thrilled to get my eyes on One of the Good Ones, and I know I'll be even more excited to read Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite's next novel.

I love how this novel explores the truth that all humans have worth, even the ones that aren't straight A students with a bright, college-educated future in front of them. The storyline about Kezi's sisters following her plan to explore the United States with a road trip of their own to help heal their hurt and honor their sister was beautiful. I did not like the plot twist near the last third of the novel. I felt that it cheapened the storyline. The message would have had more resonance without it.

5/5⭐️ to One of the Good Ones by Maika & Maritza Moulite

Thank you to the HarperCollins Canada and HCCFrenzy teams for an egalley to review!

This was such a compelling book, and one I believe everyone should read! The writing itself is lovely, and the multiple narrative perspectives are artfully woven together to tell the story of these three sisters and a book called “The Negro Motorist Green Book” (the title in the book itself), which suggested safe stops for Black people all over the US for gas/food/lodging ~ particularly in the Jim Crow South. Tragedy strikes this family, and we slowly uncover more of the mystery of what truly happened along with the sisters. It also brings in a familial, historical perspective to the story which adds an additional layer of complexity, intrigue, and historical information I didn’t know before. This sister author duo has so impressed me with their storytelling ability, and the history they have shared through this book. One of the main goals of this book is to break down the idea of the “good Black person” who is supposedly more worthy of social justice, anger, and activism to the public eye. This book shared some vitally important themes such as racism, tokenism, social justice, police brutality against Black people, family, friendship, and performative activism. Again, the writing and characters drew me right away into the story, which took some twists & turns, and ended almost breathtakingly!

This is a must read!! And also please check out reviews of this book from Black, own voices reviewers.

I featured One of the Good Ones as Book of the Day on all my social media platforms, included it in a weekly roundup and will include it in a monthly roundup of new releases.

t’s an understatement to say that I was touched.

I love that it was told in multiple perspectives with timelines switching before, during, and after the looming arrest that served as the catalyst for the plot. It created layers to the story and did a lot to build the relationships between the characters.

I am completely soft for stories centered around a family/community and this book about sisters, written by sisters, encapsulates all the emotions that I wanted it to bring.

— overall thoughts: 4.75 —

An equally strong plot and character driven story that will get you lost in the writing.

If I were to describe the story telling style, I would say it’s closest to Daisy Jones & The Six wherein you go through the process of piecing together the details of the story as the narration goes on. Clearly, I have a type since I have read Daisy Jones four times now. I just find that kind of writing style to be highly thought provoking as a reader. With the fact that it managed to turn a usually-contemporary-plot into a mystery/thriller… I stan.

Truthfully, my favorite aspect of it boils down to the fact that you see the way everything builds up to the twist in the end. Then when it drops, you’re left wondering why you didn’t see it from the very beginning.


“But as I sit here and contemplate all of these things I know as confidently as my own name, I realize you probably have no idea why I want to pursue this degree in the first place. Well, it’s because I’ll be able to dig into our stories. I can do my part to help pull together the threads of our past to form a better view of our historical tapestry.”

PLEASE. Do you see this writing?? T_T


There were discussions on teen activism and exploration on socio-political themes embedded all throughout the plot of the story… while still being a highly enjoyable mystery/thriller that is borderline coming-of-age. And really, I am always enamored by well-written sibling/family dynamics.

There are times when I find characters in YA contemporary novels to be unbelievable because of how they interact with people their age… but this was not that. It’s so cleverly written and executed while still being relatable to young adults of this generation. You’re given the chance to be able to get attached to each of the sisters between everything that is going on (including side characters wink wink).

This was truly a timely book when I read this with what went down in the US. It's truly disheartening to see how differently you can be treated simply based on your skin color and this book explores all of that.

↣ Fast-paced, exciting, and emotional mystery/thriller with characters that feel like you’ve known them forever. ↢

This might turn into one of my most recommended books.

*Thank you to the publisher -Inkyard Press- for sending me an ARC for their Winter 2021 blog tours. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: One of the Good Ones

Author: Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: LGBT+ characters, Black main characters

Recommended For...: ya readers, contemporary lovers, lgbt+ readers

Publication Date: January 5, 2021

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 16+ (grief, violence, police brutality TW, murder, generational trauma, coming out)

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 384

Synopsis: ISN'T BEING HUMAN ENOUGH?

When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic.

One of the good ones.

Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there's a twist to Kezi's story that no one could've ever expected—one that will change everything all over again.

Review: Do not read this book when you’re already sad. You’re going to cut onions reading this book and it’s going to give you a sadness headache. Or is that just me that gets those? Seriously though, this book is SO GOOD! I loved the story and plot and I loved that this book included something I’ve only read about before: The Green Book, which was this book that was published in the 1930s to help Black people travel and stay in safe places (seriously, more books should include this piece of history). The character development is amazing and the history and world building was amazing as well. This will definitely be a book I buy and reread.

The only thing I had an issue with was that the beginning was a bit slow but it definitely picked up.

Verdict: Highly recommended reading! We should know our history as a nation and how to best be an ally!

HOLY SHIT.

I am honestly still trying to process what I just read. I literally got hit with a mixture of Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, and Tiffany D. Jackson all at once with the dynamic sister duo of Maika and Maritza Moulite.

This book is INCREDIBLE. It is a poignant and timely story that tackles tough themes such as police brutality, systemic racism, grief, coming out to religious parents, historical Black trauma, and internalized racism.

One of the Good Ones seeks to dismantle the abhorrent ideology that Black lives do not deserve to be loved or treated with respect. This book beautifully humanizes Black people and shows the importance of our stories and honestly, our overall presence.

Amongst the heavy topics, there are moments of joy and reconnection with family and friends that I absolutely lived for.

I want to also note that this book is a mystery/thriller, so in addition to the incredibly important social themes, the thriller aspect of this story was equally riveting.

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Marisol Folks and the HarperCollins Canada Influencer program for NetGalley access to the eARC of One of the Good Ones by Maika & Maritza Moulite. This was the first time I received a widget outside of blog tour commitments, which is quite exciting. That said, this has not influenced my opinion. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Teen YouTube influencer and rights activist Kezi Smith has been murdered, and BLM groups are raising her up with the likes of Breonna Taylor, "one of the good ones," a perfect girl full of potential who was stolen from this world too soon. (Presented as one of two opposing stereotypes, opposite of one of the "bad ones," the hopeless cases, the street kids destined for prison bars.) The way Kezi is distilled and bottled by the movement makes her sisters Happi and Genny feel robbed and that their sister is being dehumanized. Meanwhile, there's an element of mystery to be solved surrounding the circumstances of Kezi's death. What her sisters find will change everything.

One of the Good Ones is told in a split timeline fashion, both leading up to and after Kezi's death, and POV is split between the sisters. We open on Happi's point of view at a rally not long after Kezi's murder, then jump to Kezi herself the day before she died, and move on from there. Each POV or time shift is clearly labelled, so readers reading in print or eBook should have no trouble keeping it all straight. I haven't had the opportunity to listen to an audio recording, so I'm not sure how distinct the different sister voices will be in that case, but I do think they have been written to be unique in their own little ways. They are sisters, there will be similarities, but their individuality was captured well.

I must admit, as I write this review I'm still not entirely sure how to review this title. I found myself not wanting to pick it back up whenever I had to take a break (and thanks to motherhood with a toddler breaks were not optional), not because it isn't a good book (it absolutely is) but because it's so real, so honest. This book is making all the same black girl experience, anti-black racism, rights activism statements as recent YA books before it like A Song Below Water (which I was reminded of right away) but I think this one has a lot more success. To use A Song Below Water as an example, since I've already mentioned it, that book takes all these issues and puts them on a fantasy race that co-exists in modern-day USA. There's a disconnect because the victims aren't human, and the history of this sort of racism doesn't easily graft onto what should be a potentially superior species. One of the Good Ones doesn't hide in that way. These are human teenagers. These are the real issues and tragedies happening in the real world, to real people, and nothing has been sugar-coated or dressed up. That's what made it hard to get through because it hurt to read something so honestly raw and devastating.

With that said, this book also lost me a bit for a similar reason to A Song Below Water. I don't want to spoil the mystery element here by giving anything in the latter half of the plot away, so I'll just say that as the surviving sisters investigate Kezi's death, some things they find, some leads they chase, end up distracting from the police brutality, social injustice message that the first half sets up. While A Song Below Water distracted me from the message by making me question how all of this grafted onto what should have been the oppressor race in that alternate history, not the oppressed, One of the Good Ones distracted me from the social message entirely by morphing into a murder mystery Agatha Christie would be proud of, but kind of seems to have forgotten that it started out as a social commentary piece about the surreal and disorienting experience of being the family held up as a symbol for a social justice movement.

I do understand that this book was multiple things, though. It's very much about how society perceives you, good or bad, where you fit, and "why can't we just be human?" It takes a long, unflinching look at religion and patriarchy. It explores LGBTQIA experiences, being closeted, coming out, and reconciling one's true self with family traditions and upbringing. For readers who are not marginalized (BIPOC, LGBTQIA, etc.) it teaches how to be an ally.

I absolutely loved the sister relationships in this book and how this tragedy drew the remaining sisters closer together. I also really loved how honestly it looked at being the survivors left behind in a murder situation (and this could be extrapolated to suicide or missing persons as well.) Everyone reacts differently. Some feel pushed into particular roles and expected to grieve in certain ways. I really felt the alienation of strangers trying to sympathize with Happi and her family, even though they can't possibly relate.

Overall it's a really good book with tough messages and a whole lot of emotion. I recommend this to absolutely everyone, and I recommend pushing through the emotionally draining parts. This is a story that needs to be heard. It's worth it.

"Isn't being human enough?"

This is definitely a thought-provoking book. The reader is asked to ponder who exactly the "good ones" are.

The authors, sisters, do a fabulous job of capturing a family's worst nightmare. I enjoy stories told from multiple points of views, as it gives a full picture of things unfolding. The characters' voices are distinct and realistic. Real, and difficult, topics and challenges are addressed. It's interesting to see how all the twists come together in the end.

This is probably best for a 13+ audience, perhaps even 16+, due to some themes, including violence.

This is a very timely book for the world around us these days. Some topics addressed include:
- Police brutality
- Social justice
- Racism
- Family relationships
- Friendship
- LGBTQIA+ (not a main theme)

*Disclaimer* I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

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The description of it being very The Hate U Give mixed with Get Out, is pretty apt. I didn’t fully connect with either when I read/watched them, which may be why I didn’t fully connect with the book. The author’s note of this book hit me the hardest. The discussion of palatability, humanity, and who is worthy of remembrance; it prompted quite a few minutes of reflection about how I took in the plot.

The storyline is solid, but I couldn’t help but feel a little detached from Happi; I think a little more insight into her childhood and why she feels so disjointed from her other two sisters would’ve gone a long way, though I do like how aspects seemed to be alluded to throughout the journey. A little more rounding out of Kezi (in the beginning) would’ve been great too.

After having reviewed and loved The Hate you Give by Angie Thomas, I was curious to see this recommended as a book to watch out for if you liked that. I was hooked from the start to the end.

I love books about sisters and the fact that two sisters wrote this meant it was going to be powerful for me. WHAT a novel! Three sisters experiences. One (Kezi) is a YouTube influencer.

Her death in mysterious circumstances leads her sister Happi and her best friend Genny on a road trip Kezi planned using The Green Book, a motorist's guide.

One of the Good Ones explores relationships, race love hate and more and is written in a way that sucked me in. I had seen the movie The Green Book during the time I was listening to this and so it was good to have background about the how and why behind this guide. The road trip in that movie was just as interesting to me as the one in One of the Good Ones.

The title begs us to consider who and what is considered good and bad in this world. Experiences and circumstances shape us. I really felt for Happi upon the loss of Kezi and did for Genny too, but with one being a sister and the other a best friend, their life experience with Kezi was different.

I have tried YouTube and have a channel. I'm not sure how much of an "influencer" I am, but I had fun making the videos I have. The book explores what influencers go through via Kezi's experiences which were interesting to witness.

I definitely wanted to continue the book once I started and felt the warmth of bonds between sisters and Genny as well as fear for Kezi then sorrow for them all. The writing is incredibly strong and well-thought out in a way that provokes emotions from readers. And there's a twist.....

Thanks to Maika and Maritza Moulite as well as Inkyard Press for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

Kezi, a popular YouTube influencer strives to take her activism offline for social injustice. Her very first protest quickly becomes a thrilling mystery when Kezi is arrested and killed. This book has a great message of how being murder as a black person is always justified by questions if you were one of the good ones. Kezi's death has everyone seeing the desperate need for change. So much is going on in this book, but it is worth the read. I sometimes feel like the less you know about a synopsis the more enjoyable it is when you pick it up. This is a book about deep social issues, grief, black voices, young adults, and a thrilling mystery. This book was on my most anticipated releases of 2021 and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read the arc.

I know that existing as a human being on this earth should be enough to deserve respect and justice. But it isn’t. Instead, we focus on those we deem worthy, for whom we allow ourselves to feel the weight of their loss. We mention potential not reached or promise of greatness gone unfulfilled, while others are erased from existence all together. But we are more than the good ones.
We are the bad ones.
We are the okay ones.
We are the amazing ones.
We are the nothing to write out about ones.
We are just...ones.

WHEW! What an incredible journey to be upon to start a new year of reading. Sisters Maika and Maritza Moulite weave an important and necessary tale about race, class, and social justice through the lenses of three sisters, Genny, Kezi and Happi who are about as close as three sisters can be + all the drama. The story centers around Kezi, a high school senior and now famous YouTube blogger who has built quite the following online and is ready to take her voice to the streets after another black man is killed without reason. Only when she does, she is tragically murdered at the hands of law enforcement and everything changes for her family, friends and associates.

Kezi is considered to be ONE OF THE GOOD ONES: excellent grades, doesn’t cause trouble, from a good family... and yet none of it is enough to keep her alive. As a means of honoring her memory, her sisters, girlfriend and best friend take a road trip she was not able to take herself beginning in Illinois and closing out in California. The trip is to take them along Route 66, exploring several destinations highlighted in the now famous Green Book and reconciling some of Kezi’s deepest exploratory desires. Including a trip to the Grand Canyon and a bridge in Edmund Oklahoma that has familial legacy ties. All of which are documented for her YouTube followers.

I loved this story so much. It is a reminder that we can never become numb to the injustices of this world no matter what and that we must keep hope alive for better.

Thanks for NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This multiple POV story covers the social unrest that is happening today with the life and death of Kezi. Kezi died at the hands of police officers. Her grieving siblings decide to pick up the torch of Kezi’s desire to travel route 66 following the Green Book. I like how young people will learn about this piece of history. Like the author's previous work, I felt like there was too much going on at the same time, which made it disjointed. It was a slow read for me. I think this is a book you will either love or hate. And it all comes down to the ending….You’ll either enjoy it or think it’s too unrealistic.