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A review by elwirax
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
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.
"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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Car accident
Minor: Slavery and Rape