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jenmangler's review against another edition
Heartbreaking and devastating. There's a lot packed into this graphic novel, so much so that I think I'll need to sit with it awhile and then go back and read it again.
nithreasaigh's review against another edition
5.0
I love the premise of this book: the protagonist is murdered by an off-duty police officer in a "shopping while black" incident at the beginning of the story. His ghost is riding a subway in the afterlife with all the other victims of high profile police shootings. Alfonso watches his loved ones and society deal with the aftermath of his death in real life while, in the ghost world, the passengers take turns telling Alfonso their stories.
"No justice, no peace" is a common chant at protests, including those Alfonso observes as Black Lives Matter take to the streets to highlight the injustice of his murder. We see that this is true for the other ghost passengers on the subway -- one gets the feeling they are doomed to ride the train until the officers who killed them are brought to justice -- which appears to be never, as new ghosts appear on the subway every day. The author leaves us with the understanding that it is up to us readers to seek justice for these ghosts so they can rest.
I also love the thematic tie-in with Shakespeare's Hamlet, as Alfonso was supposed to play the role of King Hamlet's ghost in the school play before he was shot. In the play, Hamlet's ghost tells Hamlet he was murdered and cannot rest until Hamlet avenges his death...sound familiar? While revenge is not a theme in this graphic novel, justice most definitely is. The similarities between ghosts -- both victims of unwitnessed, unpunished crimes, doomed to a kind of purgatory until justice is served -- underscores this theme. Also, it’s not too much of a stretch to assert that “something is rotten in [a] state” where black men are three times more likely than white men to be shot and killed by police.
This book needs to be in every classroom library.
"No justice, no peace" is a common chant at protests, including those Alfonso observes as Black Lives Matter take to the streets to highlight the injustice of his murder. We see that this is true for the other ghost passengers on the subway -- one gets the feeling they are doomed to ride the train until the officers who killed them are brought to justice -- which appears to be never, as new ghosts appear on the subway every day. The author leaves us with the understanding that it is up to us readers to seek justice for these ghosts so they can rest.
I also love the thematic tie-in with Shakespeare's Hamlet, as Alfonso was supposed to play the role of King Hamlet's ghost in the school play before he was shot. In the play, Hamlet's ghost tells Hamlet he was murdered and cannot rest until Hamlet avenges his death...sound familiar? While revenge is not a theme in this graphic novel, justice most definitely is. The similarities between ghosts -- both victims of unwitnessed, unpunished crimes, doomed to a kind of purgatory until justice is served -- underscores this theme. Also, it’s not too much of a stretch to assert that “something is rotten in [a] state” where black men are three times more likely than white men to be shot and killed by police.
This book needs to be in every classroom library.
mdevlin923's review against another edition
2.0
The story was awesome, but the artwork and narrative style were confusing...overall it greatly detracted from the quality of the book.
staciloverock's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Police brutality
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Mass/school shootings
schumachr's review against another edition
3.0
i really really loved this graphic novel; the ending made me cry a bit. the art felt a bit messy to me, but that might have been the point. i would recommend this because it's a quick read, but has hit after hit.
clarag's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
About police brutality
4saradouglas's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the story, and overall the book had a great message. The low score stems from the art. There were often times when I couldn't tell what I was looking at for a bit because the art was unclear, and there were many times that I got lost as to who was speaking, again, because of the art and layout. I also wish the book were in color. Many of my students turn up their noses to graphic novels that are black and white.
ralphiereads76's review against another edition
4.0
This was well-researched poetic prose (no surprise with Tony Medina as an author) that I will definitely be handing off to students who are writing and thinking about gun violence, policing, and the Black Lives Matter movement... and to those who aren't, yet!