Jason Reynolds is an automatic buy for me. Everything he writes is so beautiful. This is definitely something that should be in every bookstore, public library, and personal library.

It's a beautiful meld of art and poetry. Honest, sincere, heartfelt. and thoughtful, it doesn't feel like two separate pieces.

This book was incredible! The writing and the art were both beautiful. The words were simple but incredibly poignant and meaningful. The words and art went so well together. Jason is a master at making his readers feel so much through simple words and sentences. Such a meaningful book for the times we’re currently living through.

A short, poignant book set during the pandemic and after the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Reynold delivers searing and heart wrenching words, with moment of uplift and hope, while Griffin's illustrations bring the narrative home. Neither could exist without the other. This will mean so much to many people.

Jason Reynolds does not miss! I loved this. It is powerful, simple yet so complex, unique, and both the words and the artwork are beautiful. I anticipate this book will be well-received by my students and will spark many important conversations about race, the media, and family.

5 stars

As a long-time Jason Reynolds fan and as a person who has been teaching his work for years, I expect to enjoy anything he produces. What I did not expect is how novel the presentation would be in this one. It's a top recommendation.

One of many aspects to love about Reynolds is what a prolific speaker he is. A particularly favorite video is his discussion of books as time capsules of the period in which they are produced, and I could not stop thinking about that particular connection the whole time I engaged with this piece.

Like many of Reynolds's works, this is not a light read. It's about a number of current events and circumstances, including but not limited to race relations, Covid, stay-at-home orders, the horrors of the nightly news, and tech dependency. The main character is in a state of focusing on breath: breathing in, breathing out, and not being able to breath. It's impossible to interact with this work - especially with the addition of the complementary art - and not feel these characters' pain...and access our own.

This is another stellar work from one of the greatest writers of our time, but in many ways, for me, this one stands out from the rest. I'll be recommending this - and perhaps teaching it - for years to come.

I am a fan of all things Jason Reynolds writes, so I was looking forward to his collaboration with Jason Griffin for #AintBurnedAllTheBright. This book is gorgeous, without question. The text itself is short, with phrases pasted on to each page, incorporated into Griffin's art. However, the topics are current yet timeless; difficult yet hopeful. Highly recommend this purchase for all school libraries. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy.