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A review by katykelly
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi, Yusef Salaam
5.0
Upsetting based-on-real-life youth detention and wrongful conviction story in verse.
I had heard of the Central Park Five, and knowing one of the co-authors was part of this group made me look into it more. The story here is an account based on this real case of wrongfully incarcerated young people, birthing a whole life, education and character of one boy accused and sent to prison after a violent incident.
Amal tells us gradually about what happened. About his family, his school, his dreams, and about his court case and experiences inside youth prison.
We see the truth behind what outsiders might think they see - how misconceptions, stereotypes and quickness to judge, as well as outright racism, can bring about unfair treatment and even miscarriages of justice.
The verse structure worked for the audiobook format, chapters were short and moved quickly from topic to topic. It covered a lot of ground and gave insight directly into each of Amal's experiences. Some felt quite graphic as he finds himself treated badly both inside and outside of custody.
This was a quick read, one that gave a lot to worry and think about, and would be very useful for secondary schools looking at related topics and news items.
For ages 13+.
I had heard of the Central Park Five, and knowing one of the co-authors was part of this group made me look into it more. The story here is an account based on this real case of wrongfully incarcerated young people, birthing a whole life, education and character of one boy accused and sent to prison after a violent incident.
Amal tells us gradually about what happened. About his family, his school, his dreams, and about his court case and experiences inside youth prison.
We see the truth behind what outsiders might think they see - how misconceptions, stereotypes and quickness to judge, as well as outright racism, can bring about unfair treatment and even miscarriages of justice.
The verse structure worked for the audiobook format, chapters were short and moved quickly from topic to topic. It covered a lot of ground and gave insight directly into each of Amal's experiences. Some felt quite graphic as he finds himself treated badly both inside and outside of custody.
This was a quick read, one that gave a lot to worry and think about, and would be very useful for secondary schools looking at related topics and news items.
For ages 13+.