Unlock Now I'm Not Dying With You Tonight By Kimberly Jones In Digital Edition

to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of IM NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal in exchange for my honest review.


Two classmates, one black, the other white are caught up in a football game fight that turns into a riot.


Im a middle aged Caucasian woman and while not the target audience for IM NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT, I enjoyed this profound story.
Initially, Lenas raw, authentic voice was difficult for me to understand but after a few chapters, the rhythm flowed more smoothly,

Lena was the more layered, multifaceted character, but I identified with Campbell, who was completely out of her element more.
Jones and Segal brilliantly showed the differences in points of view between the girls, assumptions they made about each other based on race and how each grew as they fought together to stay safe.


Before Trayvon Martin was murdered, I, like Campbell, never understood my white privilege, I made assumptions from my own experiences rather than empathizing with those who had other frames of reference, The BlackLivesMatter movement taught me much of what Campbell learned from Lena, Lena also learned from her white counterparts, though her learning curve was much less steep,

The end left me wanting more, What would happen Monday at school Would they become friends after gaining the respect of each other How would the community be changed.
I would LOVE a sequel, but I think the writers wanted to leave us wondering, Thank you to the publisher, via Edelweiss, for providing me with a copy of I'm Not Dying with You Tonight for review.
This in no way influences my opinion,

I'm not Dying with You Tonight is the story of Lena and Campbell, thrust together at the school concessions stand as a riot breaks out.
They spend much of the rest of the book trying to get a drive home, exposing each other to their racial differences through conversation.


I had a lot of problems with this book, not about the racial conversation, but about the geographical area they were covering and some logic points.


This book is set in the

present day with Campbell moving to the neighbourhood to live with her dad because her mom's work got transferred to Venezuela it doesn't explain what her work is, but I have a hard time thinking that any work is worth relocating to Venezuela now, with the instability and food shortages.
It is never discussed, and I just couldn't let go of this bonkers relocation,

Also, Campbell is beyond deeply distressed about her dad's shop getting trashed, I understand the sentiment, my father is also a small business owner, but the level of distress would've made sense if there was a one sentence bit about him missing an insurance payment and being without coverage.
I know insurance can't buy a whole new life, but if it was in place and we're given no reason to think it isn't they should have had enough to rebuild.


I couldn't understand the logic of continuing to try to reach Black, Lena's scrub of a boyfriend, as it became increasingly clear they were heading toward absolute anarchy.
Additionally, it is painful to see such a self assured character not pick up any of the red flags in her relationship.
Why didn't she Google maps an alternate route and send Black a text that she'll catch up with his inconsiderate self never

I wish there was a map at the beginning of the book to show the distance they were trying to cover/geographic points of reference because a map would've made it more clear as far as necessity for being funneled through two riots.
I believe we're supposed to sense a deep emotional connection forged between Lena and Campbell after the initial riot to keep the girls together but from my view I'm not finding the level of loyalty to enter what amounts to a domestic war zone.


This book is more plot than character driven we don't expand enough on LaShunda, Campbell's dad, Black/his friend's motivations, or Marcus.
They all have individual attributes, but we dip in an out of their lives without any growth, We also leave Lena and Campbell without getting the next steps, Like, the school and downtown are trashed and a tenuous friendship is forged, so I want to see what tomorrow looks like.


I will say on the positive end of things, the story does move quickly it is all plot driven, from one fraught situation onto the next reminiscent of Nijkamp's "This is Where it Ends" as far as pacing goes.
I also think it would be a good intro read to start a discussion about the different experience minorities have, in all interactions, as compared to white people.
But, if you've read Jason Reynolds/Nic Stone/Angie Thomas etc, you've already done higher level discussions of race relations than what Lena and Campbell raise in this book.


In conclusion, this is fine for a mature middle grade/young teen audience but unlikely to be able to cross the divide and enter into the adult book conversation.
MY RATINGSTARS GRADE B

FEATURING

Part of the Big Library Read in November
Racial Tension
Rioting amp Looting
Bonding
Young Adult

With Audio Performed by Brittany Pressley amp Channie Waites


MY THOUGHTS

A timely read that could be all too real.
. . the most interesting aspect of this book is being able to see through the eyes of each girl and knowing their thoughts throughout.
  Having each character written by a different author made the differences in the characters even more tangible,

This is also a super quick listen that is always available at most Overdrive Libraries as part of the Big Library Read, but only through theth of November.
  The Audio version is performed very well by both narrators,  

THE BREAKDOWN  

Plot /
Narration Performance ,/
Characters /
The Feels /
Pacing /
Addictiveness /
Theme or Tone /
Flow Writing Style /
Backdrop World Building ,/
Originality /
Ending /


Book Cover Love it, . . with the mirror flip element it has going on,
Setting Atlanta, GA
Source Libby Audiobook Library
Length hours,minutes
sitelink ,