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halem13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Self harm, Violence, Racism, Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Slavery
lilifane's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
Why did I do this to me? I'm a sobbing mess.
A really good book with great anxiety representation (second book in a row, what are the odds). Loved the characters (a little too much), loved the writing and the atmosphere and how themes like toxic masculinity, intergenerational trauma, internalized racism but also black joy were discussed here.
As an older sister this was hard to read on so many levels. I loved the way the brothers interacted and talked with each other, got to know each other again. But uff, my poor heart. They both had to go through so much.
There were some things that didn't work for me in the plot/logic of the story when it came to some decisions Alex made. But overall this was a really great although emotionally very painful read.
A really good book with great anxiety representation (second book in a row, what are the odds). Loved the characters (a little too much), loved the writing and the atmosphere and how themes like toxic masculinity, intergenerational trauma, internalized racism but also black joy were discussed here.
As an older sister this was hard to read on so many levels. I loved the way the brothers interacted and talked with each other, got to know each other again. But uff, my poor heart. They both had to go through so much.
There were some things that didn't work for me in the plot/logic of the story when it came to some decisions Alex made. But overall this was a really great although emotionally very painful read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Self harm, Car accident, Medical content, Police brutality, and Slavery
jennyg1234's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was okay
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Minor: Gun violence
kaidoz's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
This book had an interesting premise and lived up to it. It also included reflection on the current state of how black boys in America must live.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Mental illness, Gore, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Self harm, Car accident, and Cursing
Minor: Slavery, Sexual content, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Drug abuse
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Self harm and Slavery
theasbookworld's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thrilling, heartbreaking page-turner.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kevin R. Free and I just flew though it since I found it hard to put down and always wanted to know what happened next.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kevin R. Free and I just flew though it since I found it hard to put down and always wanted to know what happened next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, and Self harm
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
booksthatburn's review
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
THE COST OF KNOWING is about the time stolen from young Black men who don't get to be Black boys, torn between fear of the future and dread of the past while trying not to miss the present.
This is gripping and immersive, the recursive cadence of Alex's visions as he attempts to get through his day disrupt his peace and raise his anxiety while creating a very distinctive feeling in the text. Alex thinks a lot about the way he's grown up, how much he doesn't feel like a man but he also doesn't get to be a kid, be a teenager. It's obvious how much the way he treats his brother as the plot takes off is driven by a desire to let Isaiah actually be a kid, to not have to shoulder the burdens he has.
The interstitials at first seemed like an odd start to a book, but by the time I saw those simple lines for the last time they filled me with dread. The brevity and starkness reveal how those characters see themselves, set against the emotion-drenched detail of the rest of the story as we learn how Alex sees them when he thinks of them at all. I don't mean to be coy, I just don't want to spoil what the interstitials are or who they're describing, since I think that realization is important, whether you know immediately or it takes all the way until the end.
The ending is perfect for this book. I wanted things to be different for the characters I'd gotten to know, but the book never tricked me and I could see (and dread) it coming from far away. It slowly changes from knowing the inevitable and doing things anyway, to not letting fear of what seems inevitable keep you from living. My attempts to describe the point feel flimsy, and the only succor I can offer is that if I have intrigued you, you should read this book. Read this story of Black boy joy and grief amidst it all, because waiting until it's over means missing everything.
This is gripping and immersive, the recursive cadence of Alex's visions as he attempts to get through his day disrupt his peace and raise his anxiety while creating a very distinctive feeling in the text. Alex thinks a lot about the way he's grown up, how much he doesn't feel like a man but he also doesn't get to be a kid, be a teenager. It's obvious how much the way he treats his brother as the plot takes off is driven by a desire to let Isaiah actually be a kid, to not have to shoulder the burdens he has.
The interstitials at first seemed like an odd start to a book, but by the time I saw those simple lines for the last time they filled me with dread. The brevity and starkness reveal how those characters see themselves, set against the emotion-drenched detail of the rest of the story as we learn how Alex sees them when he thinks of them at all. I don't mean to be coy, I just don't want to spoil what the interstitials are or who they're describing, since I think that realization is important, whether you know immediately or it takes all the way until the end.
The ending is perfect for this book. I wanted things to be different for the characters I'd gotten to know, but the book never tricked me and I could see (and dread) it coming from far away. It slowly changes from knowing the inevitable and doing things anyway, to not letting fear of what seems inevitable keep you from living. My attempts to describe the point feel flimsy, and the only succor I can offer is that if I have intrigued you, you should read this book. Read this story of Black boy joy and grief amidst it all, because waiting until it's over means missing everything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Child death, and Death
Minor: Slavery, Drug use, and Death of parent
CW for anxiety, panic attacks, grief, slavery (backstory), drug use (backstory), self harm, blood, gun violence, parental death (backstory), murder, child death, major character death, deathoffonmyown's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, and Racism
perpetualpages's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
CWs: anxiety, panic attacks, death/child death/parental death, grief, racism, brief mentions of suicidal ideation and self-harm, allusions to a suicide attempt, police brutality, references fo slavery and rape, and mass shooting
Brittney Morris has done it once again. She has written an incredible novel that is very much needed and that offers an outstretched hand to Black youth, especially—one that's all wrapped up in emotion and catharsis. This is a challenging book, and may certainly prove to be a hard one to bear witness to for some readers, but it is unflinching in both its truth and its hope.
This is a hard-hitting contemporary story with a surrealist edge in how its protagonist has the ability to see the future of anyone he touches. While it might seem like knowing the future is an empowering ability, it actually has the opposite effect on Alex and makes him feel powerless under the weight of the future's inevitability, especially when he sees his own brother's death.
To me, this ability was a powerful allegory for how Black youth—and young Black men, specifically—bear the weight of knowing the systemic pain that awaits them in this world. To be a young Black man in America is, in some ways, to accept the possibility of your own death and the death of those you love before it even happens—and what is that if not "predicting the future" based on what's been proven in the past?
So not only is this story an exploration of that grave injustice, but it's also about Alex reconnecting with his brother and his loved ones, realizing that he can either succumb to the despair of knowing that his brother won't survive, or he can try and find moments of joy in the time they have left together. In some ways, it's also about how joy in the face of oppression is a radical act, and a way of reclaiming agency over the right we all have to live and love—a right that is often forcibly taken away from Black youth at too young an age.
The story also challenges concepts of toxic masculinity, especially in how it explores power and powerlessness. When you're not able to control an outcome, where do you draw power from? Does it make us stronger to look away from something we know we're going to lose or to confront the fear that accompanies that loss? Over the course of the story, Alex is learning that there is no power in detaching, disassociating, or even wanting to lash out at the world. Instead the harder work is confronting his own sadness about his situation, learning how to be unafraid in the way he loves and needs the people around him, and extracting moments of connection and joy from the pain and loss. Alex is realizing that it's okay to be afraid of the future, to be anxious, to be hurt and sad, and that doesn't mean he's failed or that he's not a man—it means he's human.
This is a powerful story about resilience, joy, and brotherhood in the face of extreme pain and loss. As Brittney Morris writes in her acknowledgements, this is very much a "Black-boy-joy despite" book, for all the Black men who are trying to be joyful and unafraid despite the world proving itself to be inhospitable to their joys and hopes. Their lives, their experiences, and their feelings matter, and this is a book that beautifully, brilliantly, and painfully makes space for those complicated feelings to exist. I can say with every confidence that this is definitely a must-read book, right alongside Brittney's stunning debut, Slay.
Brittney Morris has done it once again. She has written an incredible novel that is very much needed and that offers an outstretched hand to Black youth, especially—one that's all wrapped up in emotion and catharsis. This is a challenging book, and may certainly prove to be a hard one to bear witness to for some readers, but it is unflinching in both its truth and its hope.
This is a hard-hitting contemporary story with a surrealist edge in how its protagonist has the ability to see the future of anyone he touches. While it might seem like knowing the future is an empowering ability, it actually has the opposite effect on Alex and makes him feel powerless under the weight of the future's inevitability, especially when he sees his own brother's death.
To me, this ability was a powerful allegory for how Black youth—and young Black men, specifically—bear the weight of knowing the systemic pain that awaits them in this world. To be a young Black man in America is, in some ways, to accept the possibility of your own death and the death of those you love before it even happens—and what is that if not "predicting the future" based on what's been proven in the past?
So not only is this story an exploration of that grave injustice, but it's also about Alex reconnecting with his brother and his loved ones, realizing that he can either succumb to the despair of knowing that his brother won't survive, or he can try and find moments of joy in the time they have left together. In some ways, it's also about how joy in the face of oppression is a radical act, and a way of reclaiming agency over the right we all have to live and love—a right that is often forcibly taken away from Black youth at too young an age.
The story also challenges concepts of toxic masculinity, especially in how it explores power and powerlessness. When you're not able to control an outcome, where do you draw power from? Does it make us stronger to look away from something we know we're going to lose or to confront the fear that accompanies that loss? Over the course of the story, Alex is learning that there is no power in detaching, disassociating, or even wanting to lash out at the world. Instead the harder work is confronting his own sadness about his situation, learning how to be unafraid in the way he loves and needs the people around him, and extracting moments of connection and joy from the pain and loss. Alex is realizing that it's okay to be afraid of the future, to be anxious, to be hurt and sad, and that doesn't mean he's failed or that he's not a man—it means he's human.
This is a powerful story about resilience, joy, and brotherhood in the face of extreme pain and loss. As Brittney Morris writes in her acknowledgements, this is very much a "Black-boy-joy despite" book, for all the Black men who are trying to be joyful and unafraid despite the world proving itself to be inhospitable to their joys and hopes. Their lives, their experiences, and their feelings matter, and this is a book that beautifully, brilliantly, and painfully makes space for those complicated feelings to exist. I can say with every confidence that this is definitely a must-read book, right alongside Brittney's stunning debut, Slay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Racism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Police brutality
Minor: Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
utopiastateofmind's review
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Cost of Knowing explores the concept of the future. If you had the ability to see a snippet of the future, what would you do? I feel like we think about this often, but the actual manifestation of it, and Alex's powers, would actually be terrifying. How would we divert, or prevent, the future? How would we know how much of our life was our own decision, or just destiny? Is there a difference? The Cost of Knowing has this fabulous world building seed that has all these ramifications. Is Alex's power a gift or a curse?
In our world where touch is fraught with health concerns, for Alex he risks seeing our future in the simplest of gestures. Can you even imagine how that would be? Alex is saddled with not only this heavy mental, and emotional, burden, but also the weight and anxiety of the future. He's very literally afraid of reaching out to because of the knowledge of what could be. The Cost of Knowing is a unique and thought provoking book as it explores this concept and the ripples it leaves.
The Cost of Knowing explores the concept of the future. If you had the ability to see a snippet of the future, what would you do? I feel like we think about this often, but the actual manifestation of it, and Alex's powers, would actually be terrifying. How would we divert, or prevent, the future? How would we know how much of our life was our own decision, or just destiny? Is there a difference? The Cost of Knowing has this fabulous world building seed that has all these ramifications. Is Alex's power a gift or a curse?
In our world where touch is fraught with health concerns, for Alex he risks seeing our future in the simplest of gestures. Can you even imagine how that would be? Alex is saddled with not only this heavy mental, and emotional, burden, but also the weight and anxiety of the future. He's very literally afraid of reaching out to because of the knowledge of what could be. The Cost of Knowing is a unique and thought provoking book as it explores this concept and the ripples it leaves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
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