Reviews with content warning for Child death - The Cost of Knowing

Even though I did like it, I am disappointed in this book because I really wanted to LOVE it.

The thing that I enjoyed the most was Alex's and Isiah's relationship and how it blossoms as the story goes. How gentle Alex gets with his little brother, and how loving and trusting Isiah is... How they show their love for each other without any shame, because there shouldn't be any shame in that, despite what society says. The softness and the tenderness shine through. It made me teary and even weep many times. I wish we had more of it, but that's the whole point of the book, so...

Unfortunately, that was just 200 pages out of more than 300. The pacing felt off to me, especially the beginning which was dragging. The last 40 pages, after the main event, were also tedious to go through; I honestly didn't care for it and it seemed weirdly laid out to me.

The writing was repetitive, I honestly got sick of Alex "cancelling visions of him unlocking his phone then unlocking it". I think the author should have given more credit to her readers and assume that we would remember how these visions work without spelling it out for us every single damn time. Repetitive also in the concepts and ideas that the characters have, especially concerning how to break the curse. They seemed to have a breakthrough every time but it was always the same idea. Again. We get it.

There were also elements that I personally didn't care that much about, like the romantic subplot but that's personal I guess. The take of the author on the other themes explored in the book: family, legacy, racism, anxiety, was nicely done. The "joy in the face of adversity" theme was, I thought, beautiful, and written with true sincerity and love from the author. I hope she gets to write that book about Black boy joy because I have no doubt it will be amazing.

Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to my expectations and I feel like so much more could have been done with the same premises, plot and characters.

Content Warnings

elwirax's review

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Trigger Warnings: death of family members, visceral description of anxiety, racism.

"A man who doesn’t protect his family is no man either but one man can’t protect everyone, and a boy shouldn’t have to try"

"The Cost of Knowing" was a difficult book both in terms of subject matter and giving an overall rating. Alex's anxiety throughout was so strong it was almost palpable. He was constantly worried that his brother, Isaiah may die at any moment and there was no way he could stop it. These types of emotions were bound to put the reader on edge as well, which made it that much harder to read about.

Despite this, there were moments where these stresses were somewhat aleviated. I loved seeing Alex and Isaiah grow closer as brothers through their shared powers and rap music. The scene at Shiv Skeptic's concert was amazingly written and I loved seeing Isaiah's character so happy. Their love for eachother is particularly evident here and it really hit hard especially when paired with the ending.

The author did an amazing job of addressing slavery and Black history, as well as the difficulties of being a Black boy in todays society and having to grow up too fast as a result. Ancestry was incorporated into "The Cost of Knowing" really well and brought a deeper meaning to story.

However, many of the side characters such as Talia fell flat and the world building wasn't really fleshed out. This book relied heavily on repetition particularly in terms of Alex's power (which was understandable) but quickly got tiring. I also think the last 15% was slightly rushed and could've been drawn out more for a better conclusion.

Overall, it's clear the authors intent was to focus on familial love and the struggles Black people face due to racism and this is exactly what was accomplished. I would definitely recommend reading "The Cost of Knowing" to those who can.

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atjude's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Cost of Knowing is a perfectly decent book. There were a lot of themes we’ve seen before – ones that are still important, don’t get me wrong – but from an objective storytelling point of view these themes are not especially unique. I think my favorite part of this book was at the very end in the authors note. Brittney Morris shared that she set out to write a book about joy and found that before she could do that, she had to write a book about joy-despite. I really like how she expressed that, and it’s something I’m going to keep in mind as I continue to read books similar to The Cost of Knowing.

This book is about Alex and Isaiah. Ever since their parents’ death, Alex can see into the future. The longer he touches an object in the palm of his hand, the long he can see it. For him, it’s a curse. He finds himself living in a place of fear and anxiety and he just wants it to go away.

From a character point of view, I think Isaiah was my favorite. Isaiah is the most honest characterin the book and the best motivated. He seems to be the only one taking time to understand his world… despite the fact that for the first half the book, Isaiah early leaves his room. My main concern about characterization was how abruptly individual behaviors changed. A single comment would adjust the course of the relationship – for good or bad. Direct actions didn’t seem to have any long-lasting consequences. In fact, the most spontaneous and unthinking the characters were being, the more the story moved forward.

Morris’s writing style is easy to read. It’s light on descriptor and spends most the time in the characters heads unravelling their thoughts. I think I’d like a better overall balance, but it wasn’t bad, especially considering she was inhabiting a character with a slightly different life experience from her own. The thing that bothered me most about the story from a technical point of view were he first fifty pages. Everything that happened in the fist fifty pages was summarized in the book’s summary blurb. The beginning of the book was far too slow and then it wrapped up and people moved on far too quickly. It made the pacing a little wonky.

Should you read The Cost of Knowing? Absolutely yes! It’s a sibling story, a quiet sort of superpower story, a story calling out racism of all shades, and it is a book about overcoming your fears. It’s an overall enjoyable read and certainly something I’d recommend picking up at your library. It’s also a quick read, which are nice to throw inhere or there. It’s not going to make you cry like Dear Martin or something similar, but it is nevertheless a worthy novel.

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plantbasedbride's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Cost of Knowing is a gut-wrenching tale of generational trauma, racial profiling, grief, racism, and loss. It's the story of Alex and what it's like for him to be a Black boy in America.

Overwhelmed by anxiety since his parents' death, Alex is just trying to survive each day. Visions of the future come unbidden with every touch of his palm, amplifying his worry. When he sees a vision of his younger brother's imminent death, Alex resolves to spend whatever time he has left bringing Isaiah the joy he deserves.

This story is heartbreaking, all the more so because it echoes the experience of so many young Black people in America. The pain and fear Alex lives with is not an exaggeration or an overreaction, and this novel does not turn away from that injustice.

This book broke me. I haven't sobbed so much while reading in a long time. But it's also so necessary for people like me, a white woman born into a level of privilege and safety I did nothing to earn, to confront. "Well-meaning" white people aren't free from blame. Our whiteness guards us against seeing and understanding the truth of what our ignorance and fear do to those with marginalized bodies. We need to open our eyes. It's long overdue.

Brittney Morris tells Alex's story with compassion, vulnerability, and strength. And it's a story that needs to be heard.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings

lgmelcher's review

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emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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