Summary: Dear Martin meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, evocative novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death, from the acclaimed author of SLAY.
Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his little brother, Isaiah. But as much as Alex tries, he often comes up short.
It’s hard to for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life.
And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother’s imminent death, everything changes.
With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present.
~Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!~
Joy in the face of oppression is its own kind of bravery.
My Rating: 5 stars
My Review:
This was my first ARC review with Netgalley and it was amazing!
First Impressions\Overall Thoughts: This book drew me in from the start. I absolutely loved how it had fantasy elements while also being centered around real-life issues such as racism, police brutality, anxiety, and grief. Brittny Moris did a great job of weaving all the elements together in a way that left me wanting more and “flipping” pages as quickly as humanly possible.
Characters: Alex’s character with his anxiety and regrets and also his love for those around him was written perfectly. From page 1, I wanted to know what was going to happen to him. I have to admit though that Isaiah was my favorite character. He was just so thoughtful and funny and so twelve-year-old boyish that I wanted him to stay like that forever. i was rooting for him and hoping with everything in me that Alex would be able to protect him.
Emotions: Alex’s relationship with his brother Isaiah was so so beautiful that it left me wanting to cry even when they weren’t talking about something sad. I loved reading about how they started off barely talking to each other but slowly opened up and began to share their feelings and experiences with each other.
The anxiety and grief that the characters were feeling were portrayed so well that it felt as real as if I were really them. But the nice scenes with them together were just as breathtaking.
This book gave a fresh take on an important issue and I’m looking forward to its official release into the world!
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