Punching the Air was a moving and powerful look inside a correctional facility and how our protagonist, Amal, unjustly is sent there for a crime he didn’t commit.

The actor portraying Amal, gave a strength and empathy to this character that left the readers feeling his anguish and anger for a system that was working to break him.

As a white middle class women, this story opened my eyes (more) to the dehumanizing effects of incarceration and how the systematic racism that pervades our country carries on with institutions that our supposed to protect our communities.

A timely tale that was moving and eye opening. Will buy for my library’s collection.

This story takes the reader past the streets of unjust arrests, into the world of incarceration and how it affects, in this case, the young black men who are guilty until proven innocent. Written in verse, and read in a way that we feel we are inside of the feelings, not just thoughts. This is a must book for any library, and the realities of what happens in places we are not able to see.

I think this is an important book. However, I could not get through the audio book. I listen on the way to work and it is very slow. and I understand that the narrator is trying to convey a certain feeling, but I think it will be better for me when I read the book and not listen to it. I wasn't able to stay interested in it listening to it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow...This book makes it real. Punching the Air brings reality for our black.community front and center. It forces you to see the difference, to be a the voices cry for equity and justice. So powerful

Listening to this novel-in-verse was a unique experience blending poetry, art, social justice, and family drama. I prefer to read novels-in-verse in print to not miss out on the visual/verbal experience of poetry in print, but Punching the Air was so expressively read by the narrator that I don't feel like I missed the experience of reading off the page. The story and characters are believable, compelling, and impactful. Recommended for all readers age 12+. Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy of the audiobook.

This was brilliant and heartbreaking and required reading for every teacher. It's wildly important for young readers as well, and they are and should be the focus of YA. But as a teacher, I want to place this book into the hands of every educator I can.

Punching the Air is a beautiful literary piece of work that is one of a kind. Written in a poetic like prose, it tells a story of a young black male teen that was wrongfully convicted of a crime, much like the Central Park Five. Readers get to read (or listen in my case) to the teen go through the entire process of the trail to serving time in a juvenile detention center. Every single person should read this, especially teens. The narrator was exceptional and listening to it was a joy. I would love to see what it looks like as a written piece though. Five starts may not be enough stars for Punching the Air.

Done completely in verse. Amal Shahid has his life going for him, until he enter the wrong skate park at the wrong time. Now sitting in prison for something he didn't do, he tells his story and shares his feelings through verse.

Partially based on Yusef Salaam, who was accused of a crime he didn't commit and served almost 7 years in prison.

Told in verse, punching the air is a powerful, eye opening novel that shares a perspective not many of us will ever face or experience.

Written by Ibi Zoboi in collaboration with Yusuf Salaam - one of the Exonerated Five - this story follows Amal, a young teen who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time which results in a devastating injustice.

Amal’s experiences reflects some of those that Salaam himself experienced while he was wrongfully incarcerated. We get to see first hand how many injustices Amal faces in the prison system, and how institutional racism so easily allows for POC (specifically the Black community) to be targeted.

The format of this book was poignant and provided such an impactful reading experience. Being told in verse, you were made to feel the emotions Amal was going through even more deeply than you would have otherwise. Seeing how art was used as a way for Amal to save himself will resonate with so many.

This book is an absolute must read. The audio version of this was truly phenomenal and the narrator did such a great job capturing Amal. I highly recommend!

Beautifully written, powerful in its simplicity of language. This book encompasses all that is wrong with our society, our criminal justice system and the continued restrictions put on people of color who have never known the meaning of American equality.

I loved the narration of Punching the Air! The narrator brought the story to life. Amal’s story is so relevant and touching. I loved experiencing hope with him and finding his truth. This book is different from all others because it is inspired by Yusef Salaam. His experience informs the narrative and it makes the story more real.

Beautifully written account of life in a juvenile detention center. My heart broke for Amal and his situation, and the utter injustice of it all.

I’m really glad I got a chance to listen to this book and absorb the story. The narrator was fantastic. The emotion behind his voice was perfect for relating the authors message. I didn’t know until I read other reviews that this was actually a book of poetry. That made me love this book even more. This book is important, poignant and devastating.

Yusef Salaam, one of the exonerated five, co-authored this book. It clearly draws on his experiences to help shape Amal and his strife. Amal is a boy, in the wrong place at the wrong time. He makes one mistake that leads to life changing consequences. He speaks candidly of his experiences in jail, fighting for his dreams of poetry and art, and missing out on being a normal teenager. The injustices faced are mirror what happens in the actual world.

4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Punching the Air has a strong start. It pulls the reader into the story of Amal , a wrongfully convicted teen, as he serves his prison sentence. This is another difficult read that shows how systematic racism impacts the prison system and the education system. This is a necessary read for people that want to understand mass incarceration and how the effects teenagers of color. At some points I found it difficult to stay engaged, but overall this is a good book. I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator was good.

The verse and the message in this book are both incredible. While this isn't strictly autobiographical, I loved how Yusef Salaam used his experiences in the Exonerated Five to bring Amal's story to life. The way that Amal explored himself and his identity through art throughout his wrongful imprisonment was incredible. The narrator of the audiobook also did a fantastic job. I just wish this had been longer so we could see more of Amal's journey, both before and after the book's arc.

*Thanks very much to the publisher for providing my copy of the book via Netgalley!*

“words can paint black and white pictures, too
Maybe ideas have their own eyes
separating black from white as if the world
is some old, old TV show
our mind's eyes and our eyes' minds
see the world as they want to
Everything already illustrated
in black and white”
― Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam, Punching the Air

Do you ever read a book and wonder where has it been all your life? For me it’s this gem. Punching The Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam is a phenomenal novel written in verse, about Amal Shahif, a black teen artist, who is facing court and jail time for throwing a punch. As a white boy lies unconscious, the court builds a case of what they believed happened 

The story dives into topics of race/racism as well as how the justice  system in America fails and oppresses black people. We see Amal full of emotion and pain being forced into stereotypes that he is not by his white prosecutors such as “thug, criminal, animal etc” instead of a young boy who has a passion for art. 
The read was so impactful, you could feel every emotion of each page.

There were so many standout moments in the story. One that really hit home is where it talks about Amal, black, portrayed as a full grown man, who has never “laughed at Elmo on Sesame Street” or “splashed in a puddle” or “been afraid of monsters” compared to the white victim being seen as a “boy” even though they are the same age. 

From the moment I started this gem, I knew it was going to be something special. It’s also based on the experience of the author Yusef Salaam, who was wrongfully imprisoned as a teen. I highly recommend this read: 5/5 stars. Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for gifting me with this incredible read

I gave this book 4/5 stars.
this story is about a young black boy who has been wrongfully arrested and sentenced. It deals with racism, anger, sadness and how the power of act and expression can be freeing.
I loved the voice of this novel, it sounds like a teenager would sound full of raw and sometimes confusing emotion. The audiobook narrator captures this perfectly too. Like all poetry or novels written in verse there are certain poems and lines in here I found to be too cliché but I found they were mostly unique and powerful. I think everyone should read this story and look into the story and inspiration behind it (seriously listen to the afterwards) and understand that things like this happen everyday.
Overall, I may not connect with verse-style novels very well but this one took control of me, taught me things, and made me feel pain and joy. Also the audio book is amazing and so well done! It definitely enhanced the intensity of the story.

I really enjoyed listening to this title; the verse obviously lends itself well to being performed. The narrator was very soft-spoken. I would have preferred a stronger voice, as I felt that Amal's voice should have been a bit more confident.

Punching the Air is cowritten by Ibi Zoboi (author of American Street) and Yusef Salaam (writer, and one of the exonerated five). The audio is excellently narrated, and since this is a novel-in-verse, I think that audio was actually the best way to read it! This is a tough read, and while the authors make it clear that they want to imbue the novel with hope, there were often moments when it felt bleak. It's beautifully written -- the only downside to audio is that I don't get to linger on moving passages in the same way! The story follows wrongfully incarcerated teenager Amal (who's name literally means hope) who is an artist, finding his voice. It captures all of the raw emotion that he experiences in each of the visceral moments of this journey -- from the fight in the park, to the trial, to the everyday violence in jail. It captures that teenage impulsivity, and the way in which it has particular and extreme consequences for Black youth. If you enjoy Jason Reynolds or Elizabeth Acevedo's books, you'll enjoy this!

Excellent narration (sometimes they're not), superb writing. It is a story of educators who fail, a system that is failing, but above all, it is a story of the importance of art, written and visual, and the power of truth.