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I'm Not Dying with You Tonight
An NAACP Image Award Nominee, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight follows two teen girls—one black, one white—who have to confront their own assumptions about racial inequality as they rely on each other to get through the violent race riot that has set their city on fire with civil unrest.
Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she’s going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school.
When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together.
They aren’t friends. They hardly understand the other’s point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they’re going to survive the night.
This book is perfect for:
Sparking conversations about prejudice and the racial tension that exists in America Parents and educators looking for multicultural and African American books for teens Fans of Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, and Jason Reynolds249 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2019
2,097 people are currently reading
29.2k people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Jones
5books727followersKimberly Jones is a former bookseller, and now she Hosts the Atlanta Chapter of the popular Well Read Black Girl book club, as well as the infamous, viral sensation the YA Truth or Dare author panel at the Decatur Book Festival. She has worked in film and television with trailblazing figures such as Tyler Perry, Whitney Houston, and 8Ball & MJG. Currently, in addition to writing YA novels, she is a director of feature films and cutting-edge diverse web series. She also regularly lectures on working and succeeding in the Atlanta film market.
Kim's book roots run deep. She served on the Selection Committee for Library of Congress' 2016-2017 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, the 2015 Children’s Choice Illustrator Committee for The Children's Book Council, and the advisory board that created the Creative and Innovative Education Master’s Degree program at Georgia State University. She has been featured in Redbook, Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and was Book Brahmin in an issue of Shelf Awareness. James Patterson and the American Booksellers Association chose her out of over 3,000 booksellers to receive a bonus for her outstanding work as an indie bookseller.
She resides in Atlanta and is the proud mother of a gifted boy. She lives for synthetic wigs and nail art, as her style icons are Dolly Parton, Chaka Khan, and Diana Ross. Her forthcoming YA novel, I’M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT, co-authored with Gilly Segal, is due out from Sourcebooks Fire October, 1 2019.
Kim's book roots run deep. She served on the Selection Committee for Library of Congress' 2016-2017 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, the 2015 Children’s Choice Illustrator Committee for The Children's Book Council, and the advisory board that created the Creative and Innovative Education Master’s Degree program at Georgia State University. She has been featured in Redbook, Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and was Book Brahmin in an issue of Shelf Awareness. James Patterson and the American Booksellers Association chose her out of over 3,000 booksellers to receive a bonus for her outstanding work as an indie bookseller.
She resides in Atlanta and is the proud mother of a gifted boy. She lives for synthetic wigs and nail art, as her style icons are Dolly Parton, Chaka Khan, and Diana Ross. Her forthcoming YA novel, I’M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT, co-authored with Gilly Segal, is due out from Sourcebooks Fire October, 1 2019.
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June 20, 2020this is what I think every time I drive with my dad
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August 16, 2019
****4 STARS****
One of the best things about I’m Not Dying With You Tonight is that it was written by two women. One black American and one white American. That fact alone gives this book a very unique ability to focus on what not only divides us, but what brings us together.
Campbell, who is white, starts her senior year of high school in a predominantly black school after attending a school with only a handful of black students. She’s so sweet. I just wanted to pick her up and put her in my pocket. Cute little thing!
Lena, who is black, has spent her years in an area where the majority of her community is black.
Both Lena and Campbell live in their own world, like most teenager, unable to truly understand how the “other half� lives.
The beauty is, Campbell and Lena now have to rely on each other.
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One of the best things about I’m Not Dying With You Tonight is that it was written by two women. One black American and one white American. That fact alone gives this book a very unique ability to focus on what not only divides us, but what brings us together.
Campbell, who is white, starts her senior year of high school in a predominantly black school after attending a school with only a handful of black students. She’s so sweet. I just wanted to pick her up and put her in my pocket. Cute little thing!
Lena, who is black, has spent her years in an area where the majority of her community is black.
Both Lena and Campbell live in their own world, like most teenager, unable to truly understand how the “other half� lives.
The beauty is, Campbell and Lena now have to rely on each other.
“This ’bout the longest amount of time you ever spent with a black girl, right?�
“N!�
“I ain’t judgin�. Not like I hang around with no white people. I was curious is all.�
“Yah, I guess so. There weren’t that many African American kids at my old school, and they mostly hung around each other.� � Lena and Campbell
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July 17, 2019
Even though I have some mixed feelings about the book, I'm still glad I read it. I do think it's a book worth reading if you enjoy YA fiction. It's one of those reads in which even though I had problems with it, I feel this compelling need to talk about the story. I think it would make a good book club selection as there's lots of interesting things to discuss here.
When a massive fight breaks up at a high school football game, two teenagers are thrust into a situation in which it's probably best if they work together in order to survive. Lena is cool and confident and is obsessed with her boyfriend, Black. (yup, that's his name). Campbell has just moved to town to live with her father after her mother takes a job in a different country. The story alternates between the two girls over the course of a night in which danger is around every corner and they better figure out how to get to safety.
So there's definitely a lot of action in this one which I guess you could say was both a positive and negative thing. The fast pace made this a quick read but I think that also led to underdeveloped characters, especially Lena, and moments that could have been expanded upon instead of glossed over. I don't think the story reached its' potential is probably the best way of putting it. I'm also conflicted about the ending. I'm okay with leaving some things up to the reader's imagination but in this case it feels so abrupt and not an entirely satisfying way to end a book.
To sum it up, a decent YA read but I wanted more from the story. A good effort but it doesn't quite hit the mark as well some other fiction books dealing with the same themes and topics.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
When a massive fight breaks up at a high school football game, two teenagers are thrust into a situation in which it's probably best if they work together in order to survive. Lena is cool and confident and is obsessed with her boyfriend, Black. (yup, that's his name). Campbell has just moved to town to live with her father after her mother takes a job in a different country. The story alternates between the two girls over the course of a night in which danger is around every corner and they better figure out how to get to safety.
So there's definitely a lot of action in this one which I guess you could say was both a positive and negative thing. The fast pace made this a quick read but I think that also led to underdeveloped characters, especially Lena, and moments that could have been expanded upon instead of glossed over. I don't think the story reached its' potential is probably the best way of putting it. I'm also conflicted about the ending. I'm okay with leaving some things up to the reader's imagination but in this case it feels so abrupt and not an entirely satisfying way to end a book.
To sum it up, a decent YA read but I wanted more from the story. A good effort but it doesn't quite hit the mark as well some other fiction books dealing with the same themes and topics.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
April 16, 2019
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.
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2020
I was mostly interested in this after seeing Kimberly Jones' rant (in so many places) so when a buddy said, let's read it, I was totally on board.
Yes, it is a depiction of a riot after tensions get too hot and it exploded across the city. Timely, no?
Even better, it's written from two points of view: black and white. It covers so many angles and keeps it real.
From misunderstandings and all kinds of self-reliance and the breaking of both innocence and ignorance keeps this tale hopping. I really enjoyed both PoVs... with one caveat: that boyfriend of hers was a serious tool. I REALLY wanted her to dump his lousy ass.
Of course, it wouldn't be a YA with serious tones without examples of kids making dumb decisions... but to me, these two are pretty solid.
If anything, this COULD be used as a pretty popular primer for racial tensions... with the focus on plain understanding. I can get behind that. :)
Yes, it is a depiction of a riot after tensions get too hot and it exploded across the city. Timely, no?
Even better, it's written from two points of view: black and white. It covers so many angles and keeps it real.
From misunderstandings and all kinds of self-reliance and the breaking of both innocence and ignorance keeps this tale hopping. I really enjoyed both PoVs... with one caveat: that boyfriend of hers was a serious tool. I REALLY wanted her to dump his lousy ass.
Of course, it wouldn't be a YA with serious tones without examples of kids making dumb decisions... but to me, these two are pretty solid.
If anything, this COULD be used as a pretty popular primer for racial tensions... with the focus on plain understanding. I can get behind that. :)
May 19, 2020
Read and discussed in this vlog where I used a paid book recommendation service to choose what I read.
July 25, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
A YA novel that follows two high school students- Lena and Campbell, over the course of one night where a high school football game sets off chaos all over their community. It reminded me of The Hate U Give in terms of characterization and discussion of relevant topics, but its ending lacked a bit of finality. I felt more of an interest in Lena's story, but struggled for the first little bit to get into the groove with Campbell. Lots of action and the chapters are short and storyline fast paced, and I enjoyed two authors tackling diverse topics. I do believe that this is going to catch the attention of my students.
ŷ Review 24/07/19
Expected Publication 06/08/19
A YA novel that follows two high school students- Lena and Campbell, over the course of one night where a high school football game sets off chaos all over their community. It reminded me of The Hate U Give in terms of characterization and discussion of relevant topics, but its ending lacked a bit of finality. I felt more of an interest in Lena's story, but struggled for the first little bit to get into the groove with Campbell. Lots of action and the chapters are short and storyline fast paced, and I enjoyed two authors tackling diverse topics. I do believe that this is going to catch the attention of my students.
ŷ Review 24/07/19
Expected Publication 06/08/19
April 19, 2019
Waffling between one and two stars.
Yawn. For a book about riots where the characters are frequently in peril, this was SO BORING. And it didn't make much sense, either. My internal monologue while reading this book was entirely, "WHY ARE YOU DUMB?!"
Questions I had:
1. Why would you go into the riot zone?! YOU HAD OTHER OPTIONS. YOU COULD HAVE JUST WALKED HOME. WHY ARE YOU DUMB.
2. Why would you KEEP going into the riot zone? I get that Lena's boyfriend was supposedly there, but like... GIRL. He ignores you pretty frequently. He doesn't even care enough to text you that he left the place he told you to meet him. WHY ARE YOU SO SET ON MEETING UP WITH HIM. WHY ARE YOU DUMB.
3. Why would you STOP in the MIDDLE OF A RIOT to have a philosophical conversation about racism? YOU WOULDN'T. THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN. EXCEPT CAMPBELL AND LENA DO THIS, MULTIPLE TIMES. WHY. ARE. YOU. DUMB.
4. Why would you not call your grownup?? I know Lena didn't want to get in trouble, but she got in trouble anyway at the end and I just DO NOT understand why she would put herself in danger so Pops wouldn't call the church ladies. Also, like, I cannot think of ANYONE in a parental role who isn't abusive or neglectful (and it doesn't seem like Pops is either of those things) who would be mad after being called to pick you up after you've left a riot zone. Especially if your plan is to go INTO ANOTHER RIOT ZONE (WHY ARE YOU DUMB) like NO GROWNUP WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A CHILD WOULD BE ANGRY THAT YOU CALLED THEM TO COME GET YOU. Angry for lying, sure, but that pales in comparison to how angry I would be that they decided to WALK. THROUGH. A. RIOT. instead of calling me. WHY ARE YOU DUMB?!
5. Why does Lena's voice change so much halfway through? She drops the AAVE almost entirely. This isn't a WHY ARE YOU DUMB question, but I did genuinely have trouble telling the girls' chapters apart after the beginning.
This book has been done before, and done better. Read if you're interested in a book with two perspectives and a historical view on race relations. Read if you want a modern YA about race. Read or if you want something that's appropriate for a younger audience. Don't read this book unless you want to be screaming WHY ARE YOU DUMB!??!?! after every page.
Yawn. For a book about riots where the characters are frequently in peril, this was SO BORING. And it didn't make much sense, either. My internal monologue while reading this book was entirely, "WHY ARE YOU DUMB?!"
Questions I had:
1. Why would you go into the riot zone?! YOU HAD OTHER OPTIONS. YOU COULD HAVE JUST WALKED HOME. WHY ARE YOU DUMB.
2. Why would you KEEP going into the riot zone? I get that Lena's boyfriend was supposedly there, but like... GIRL. He ignores you pretty frequently. He doesn't even care enough to text you that he left the place he told you to meet him. WHY ARE YOU SO SET ON MEETING UP WITH HIM. WHY ARE YOU DUMB.
3. Why would you STOP in the MIDDLE OF A RIOT to have a philosophical conversation about racism? YOU WOULDN'T. THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN. EXCEPT CAMPBELL AND LENA DO THIS, MULTIPLE TIMES. WHY. ARE. YOU. DUMB.
4. Why would you not call your grownup?? I know Lena didn't want to get in trouble, but she got in trouble anyway at the end and I just DO NOT understand why she would put herself in danger so Pops wouldn't call the church ladies. Also, like, I cannot think of ANYONE in a parental role who isn't abusive or neglectful (and it doesn't seem like Pops is either of those things) who would be mad after being called to pick you up after you've left a riot zone. Especially if your plan is to go INTO ANOTHER RIOT ZONE (WHY ARE YOU DUMB) like NO GROWNUP WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A CHILD WOULD BE ANGRY THAT YOU CALLED THEM TO COME GET YOU. Angry for lying, sure, but that pales in comparison to how angry I would be that they decided to WALK. THROUGH. A. RIOT. instead of calling me. WHY ARE YOU DUMB?!
5. Why does Lena's voice change so much halfway through? She drops the AAVE almost entirely. This isn't a WHY ARE YOU DUMB question, but I did genuinely have trouble telling the girls' chapters apart after the beginning.
This book has been done before, and done better. Read if you're interested in a book with two perspectives and a historical view on race relations. Read if you want a modern YA about race. Read or if you want something that's appropriate for a younger audience. Don't read this book unless you want to be screaming WHY ARE YOU DUMB!??!?! after every page.
April 3, 2020
This is a powerful little novel, taking place over the course of a few hours. A fight breaks out during halftime of a high school football game and Lena (African-American) and Campbell (Caucasian) find themselves together trying to escape. As tensions rise throughout the city they end up in another part of town where a social justice protest turns violent and then into a full-fledged riot. It’s wild and chaotic and while I was annoyed by some of Lena’s and Campbell’s choices, who’s to say I wouldn’t have made similar ones at 17 if I was in their shoes.
I’m Not Dying With You Tonight brings racial tension and discord to the forefront and makes you take a hard look at current events and possibly even your own prejudices. At times it felt a little uncomfortable, but I think that’s the point. In the end Lena and Campbell are survive the night but are left with more questions than answers as seems to often be the case in these situations. I think this books will serve well as a discussion opener among teens and adults alike.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I’m Not Dying With You Tonight brings racial tension and discord to the forefront and makes you take a hard look at current events and possibly even your own prejudices. At times it felt a little uncomfortable, but I think that’s the point. In the end Lena and Campbell are survive the night but are left with more questions than answers as seems to often be the case in these situations. I think this books will serve well as a discussion opener among teens and adults alike.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
July 24, 2019
This story was tough to digest because it lacked believability in so many areas.
While I understand how easily a race-infused confrontation can escalate into riotous violence, the very origin of the chaos was not only avoidable but controllable. Everything seemed--and I say "seemed" because the events it set off felt outside the range of plausible given its idiocy--to hinge on a tense exchange between two teenage boys.
Said exchange happens in view of both Lena and Campbell--which is how they come together--with, apparently, no reasonable adults, or even school security, present.
By the time the school resource officers do arrive, there's a riot...then sirens ...then a gunshot ...then all hell breaks loose?
Everywhere.
In what universe does this happen without additional context?
Even if I could get beyond all of that nonsense, I could not get beyond the idiocy of Lena or the cluelessness of Campbell.
Lena continually tossed common sense and safety to the side in favor of hooking up with a boy. It didn't appear to matter that said boy was fine ditching, dismissing, and dissing her at every turn. She continued to have faith he would come through ...and I just ...no. I couldn't handle such willful stupidity in a girl who obviously had more than a little common sense.
Then there's Campbell.
Lena's desire to chase behind a boyfriend who, seemingly, didn't care about her, or her safety, for the better part of the story, was annoying; time and again she opted to call him instead of using any one of the options she had available to get out of a dangerous situation.
Then there was Campbell.
I know she's supposed to come across unversed in the ways of Black/white relations--and that's fine--but you'd have thought the girl never stepped out her front door, turned on a television, or read a news headline. She was always confused, or scared, or timid.
The one time she shows any backbone was during a situation where her safety was definitely at-risk and sitting the heck down/shutting the heck up would've not only been prudent but wise.
And yet ...whew.
It's not a stretch to say Lena and Campbell would've avoided this situation altogether had either been smart enough to dial a responsible adult or reliable emergency contact.
It had potential but the whole situation was too far-fetched to take seriously.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Sourcebooks Fire for the Advanced eGalley of this work. Opinion is my own and was not influenced by its receipt.
While I understand how easily a race-infused confrontation can escalate into riotous violence, the very origin of the chaos was not only avoidable but controllable. Everything seemed--and I say "seemed" because the events it set off felt outside the range of plausible given its idiocy--to hinge on a tense exchange between two teenage boys.
Said exchange happens in view of both Lena and Campbell--which is how they come together--with, apparently, no reasonable adults, or even school security, present.
By the time the school resource officers do arrive, there's a riot...then sirens ...then a gunshot ...then all hell breaks loose?
Everywhere.
In what universe does this happen without additional context?
Even if I could get beyond all of that nonsense, I could not get beyond the idiocy of Lena or the cluelessness of Campbell.
Lena continually tossed common sense and safety to the side in favor of hooking up with a boy. It didn't appear to matter that said boy was fine ditching, dismissing, and dissing her at every turn. She continued to have faith he would come through ...and I just ...no. I couldn't handle such willful stupidity in a girl who obviously had more than a little common sense.
Then there's Campbell.
Lena's desire to chase behind a boyfriend who, seemingly, didn't care about her, or her safety, for the better part of the story, was annoying; time and again she opted to call him instead of using any one of the options she had available to get out of a dangerous situation.
Then there was Campbell.
I know she's supposed to come across unversed in the ways of Black/white relations--and that's fine--but you'd have thought the girl never stepped out her front door, turned on a television, or read a news headline. She was always confused, or scared, or timid.
The one time she shows any backbone was during a situation where her safety was definitely at-risk and sitting the heck down/shutting the heck up would've not only been prudent but wise.
And yet ...whew.
It's not a stretch to say Lena and Campbell would've avoided this situation altogether had either been smart enough to dial a responsible adult or reliable emergency contact.
It had potential but the whole situation was too far-fetched to take seriously.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Sourcebooks Fire for the Advanced eGalley of this work. Opinion is my own and was not influenced by its receipt.
August 11, 2019
The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 Stars
Full review
This book tells the story of Campbell and Lena and how they became allies in a time of need. The two girls don’t really know each other but when a big fight suddenly breaks out at the concession stand where Campbell was working they decide to stick together and try to escape. After someone gets shot the fight escalates to the close-by neighborhoods and it becomes an actual riot, leaving the girls to fend for themselves and try to make it home.
The story is very fast-paced and it all happens in a few hours of the night in question.
Lena is an African-American girl who can definitely speak her mind and I admired the fact that she put Lena in her place when she said something racist. Lena is a white girl and a newcomer at school. I think this experience definitely made her realize some important things and brought her closer to Lena.
In order to have a clear difference on the page the authors thought to give the girls two different voices. I’m all for that, I like understanding who I’m reading about because of a unique characteristic but I think that in this case it was all done in poor taste. Lena speaks with bad grammar and to me it truly felt like an unnecessary stereotype that should totally have been avoided.
The aspect I appreciated the most in this novel was the realistic description of racial tension and how it was then developed. I think the authors did a good job in explaining what was going on and why we got to that point.
Something that annoyed me throughout the whole book was
3.5/5 Stars
Full review
This book tells the story of Campbell and Lena and how they became allies in a time of need. The two girls don’t really know each other but when a big fight suddenly breaks out at the concession stand where Campbell was working they decide to stick together and try to escape. After someone gets shot the fight escalates to the close-by neighborhoods and it becomes an actual riot, leaving the girls to fend for themselves and try to make it home.
The story is very fast-paced and it all happens in a few hours of the night in question.
Lena is an African-American girl who can definitely speak her mind and I admired the fact that she put Lena in her place when she said something racist. Lena is a white girl and a newcomer at school. I think this experience definitely made her realize some important things and brought her closer to Lena.
In order to have a clear difference on the page the authors thought to give the girls two different voices. I’m all for that, I like understanding who I’m reading about because of a unique characteristic but I think that in this case it was all done in poor taste. Lena speaks with bad grammar and to me it truly felt like an unnecessary stereotype that should totally have been avoided.
The aspect I appreciated the most in this novel was the realistic description of racial tension and how it was then developed. I think the authors did a good job in explaining what was going on and why we got to that point.
Something that annoyed me throughout the whole book was
July 5, 2020
A powerful little story! Kim Jones spoke in a video at the beginning of June and it was so dynamic! Her knowledge and passion just resonated with me so strongly. I will include a link to the video at the end of this review, I strongly encourage you to watch it till the very end. Anyways after watching the video and finding out Kim Jones was an author I knew I had to read her book. This is the story of Lena and Campbell. A black girl and a white girl who find themselves facing a night of racial unrest together, even though they don’t even know one another. The violence started at the football game, then spread into the girl’s town. The story bounce between the perspectives of Lena and Campbell and I thought that was so impactful. These girls saw the situation so differently for the most part, but at the core of it all they wanted to make it out alive. They both also feared for the safety of their loved ones, friends and family. I think this would be a great book for discussion especially in the classroom, the book was engaging and extremely thought-provoking.
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June 10, 2020
I found out about Kimberly Jones because John Oliver was showing part of an interview with her at the end of his latest show. I found the full version on Trevor Noah's IG account. The one thing that struck me almost as much as her own pain was how concise and eloquently she made her point despite the (justified) pain and rage she was swept over with. For anyone interested, here is the video in question:
The book is about two girls, one black (Lena) and one white (Campbell). They aren't friends but shortly before their school's sports event, there is a race-related fight that spins completely out of control (including gun shots) and the two have to stick together to survive the night. We follow them as they zigzag through their town trying to stay out of the riots and looting and fights.
In between we're treated to all kinds of prejudice, actual racism, wrongfully perceived racism (due to the afore-mentioned prejudice) and the incredible kind of panic when your adrenaline levels spike and your fight-or-flight instinct kicks in.
I gotta be honest with you, I was sooo annoyed with Lena and her continuing to make the same mistake about Black. I mean, people make mistakes, especially teenagers, but this was just too much. It didn’t help that I hated that guy from start to finish.
However, that was the only annoying thing. The rest was a realistic view of all the things that could go wrong, all the little dominos connecting to one big mess of bricks, death and destruction.
One of the things that made me actually wanting to read this was that it is written by two authors, one for each girl, thus giving realistic views from both sides. The two narrators of the audio edition emphasized this further.
Another thing I loved was that while the big things such as racism and social inequality were addressed, we also get the little things including the realization that everyone involved is simply human (well, except Black and his „friends� - have I mentioned that I did not care for them at all?).
Moreover, there was no clear bad guy, that would have been too easy and unrealistic. Instead, we're treated to very detailed nuances and raw emotions when the valve finally pops and all the pent-up pressure is released.
A really wonderful book (though it’s weird to say that considering the subject matter) with a few issues (like me wanting as much background and surrounding circumstances shown to the readers as Fredrik Backman offers in his books). Otherwise, this was quite the reading experience, especially due to current events.
The book is about two girls, one black (Lena) and one white (Campbell). They aren't friends but shortly before their school's sports event, there is a race-related fight that spins completely out of control (including gun shots) and the two have to stick together to survive the night. We follow them as they zigzag through their town trying to stay out of the riots and looting and fights.
In between we're treated to all kinds of prejudice, actual racism, wrongfully perceived racism (due to the afore-mentioned prejudice) and the incredible kind of panic when your adrenaline levels spike and your fight-or-flight instinct kicks in.
I gotta be honest with you, I was sooo annoyed with Lena and her continuing to make the same mistake about Black. I mean, people make mistakes, especially teenagers, but this was just too much. It didn’t help that I hated that guy from start to finish.
However, that was the only annoying thing. The rest was a realistic view of all the things that could go wrong, all the little dominos connecting to one big mess of bricks, death and destruction.
One of the things that made me actually wanting to read this was that it is written by two authors, one for each girl, thus giving realistic views from both sides. The two narrators of the audio edition emphasized this further.
Another thing I loved was that while the big things such as racism and social inequality were addressed, we also get the little things including the realization that everyone involved is simply human (well, except Black and his „friends� - have I mentioned that I did not care for them at all?).
Moreover, there was no clear bad guy, that would have been too easy and unrealistic. Instead, we're treated to very detailed nuances and raw emotions when the valve finally pops and all the pent-up pressure is released.
A really wonderful book (though it’s weird to say that considering the subject matter) with a few issues (like me wanting as much background and surrounding circumstances shown to the readers as Fredrik Backman offers in his books). Otherwise, this was quite the reading experience, especially due to current events.
April 10, 2019
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of I’M 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.
I’m a middle aged Caucasian woman and while not the target audience for I’M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT, I enjoyed this profound story. Initially, Lena’s 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.
Two classmates, one black, the other white are caught up in a football game fight that turns into a riot.
I’m a middle aged Caucasian woman and while not the target audience for I’M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT, I enjoyed this profound story. Initially, Lena’s 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.
August 17, 2019
I finished it... That's a plus.
July 26, 2020
Gosh, this is...a 2.5 maybe. I will round it to 3. I had really mixed feelings about this book.
TL:DR tropes
- Found friendship
- Race relations
- Easy read
-YA Contemporary
This is a short, easy read that you can knock out pretty fast. I was initially very excited because one of the authors in this duo authored book was the women who made an impromptu speech about the riots in MN, and it was very powerful.
Im not Dying with You Tonight is about 2 girls- Lena and Campbell, and their experiences during a race relates riot one night.
Lena is black. She's popular and outspoken. Her chapters are all written in heavy AAVE, which was tough at first, but also a very cool choice to make. Campbell is white and new to town- her family isb a little broken and she is very shy. Her dad owns a small hardware store in town.
At a football game, a fight breaks out after a race related confrontation, and the two girls are thrown together and end up helping each other get home.
I want to start with things I liked about the book. It provides certain levels of empathy to a variety of people while still taking a stand on something. Basically, at one point, Campbell's dad's business is completely looted. The girls also experiences watching protesters getting attacked for no reason, and the violence of police.
Since the book carries both POVs, there is active effort to say that looting and destroying local businesses can genuinely ruin a working class family- but it also takes a stand on the reason riots and looting happen, and asks you to think about the scenes where black protesters are being attacked by cops and that being the bigger issue.
I also liked that some of the conversations the girls had about race did happen very naturally, and getting Campbell's POV meant you get to read a little about how she as a white person is checking her judgements based on what Lena is saying to her. This is particularly important to things like how she talks about "the ghetto". I think for white people reading this book, it provides a blueprint of self reflection.
Where it can fall short though, is that the build up from football game fight to large scale brawl to protest to riot in one night was...not clearly explained. I felt like the girls were constantly running away from some vague and constantly moving threat of violence, and I really wished this book would have taken a stronger stance in defining why people were protesting and how these escalations happen. Its talked about yes, but I think it could have been defined in a stronger way- or at least a way to make sense of the plot. Sometimes, the violence felt more like an unknown boogyman that Lena and Campbell were being chased by.
I also really, really disliked the side story with Lena's boyfriend and her fixation on him. She's already an interesting character, but they put A LOT into her relationship with her boyfriend- and actually, sometimes more into that than her relationship with Campbell.
So overall. this could be a good jumping off point for teens, and I do appreciate that it tries to treat things like riots as extremely complex, and not just "good" or "bad". I like that it takes a stand against police brutality and racism, but I do wish there was more intimate focus on those issues. I like that it's about two bystanders- the girls are not protesters and their interest in whats going on is limited, so you can walk through simple concepts in a way that is a little closer to home for your "average" person than if you followed someone who already had a committed set of convictions.
What I didn't like was the story structure itself, which was so insanely choppy and hard to believe. It feel almost like both authors over planned, like you are following a storyboard instead of following a genuinely string of believable events. Additionally, while Lena felt very real and complex to me, Campbell was almost pointlessly naive and stupid- everything surprises and confuses her. It's clear that she's a stand in for your average white person, and the goal is to use her as an education tool, but that left something to be desired in her character and made her feel super wooden at times.
I wouldn't recommend I'm Not Dying with You Tonight to an adult, and probably not to someone who has experience or education with race related issues. I feel like this is probably fairly valuable reading for a young person VERY NEW to understanding race relations.
On a side note, I do not particularly love YA Contemporary, so there is an element of bias there that would affect my review.
TL:DR tropes
- Found friendship
- Race relations
- Easy read
-YA Contemporary
This is a short, easy read that you can knock out pretty fast. I was initially very excited because one of the authors in this duo authored book was the women who made an impromptu speech about the riots in MN, and it was very powerful.
Im not Dying with You Tonight is about 2 girls- Lena and Campbell, and their experiences during a race relates riot one night.
Lena is black. She's popular and outspoken. Her chapters are all written in heavy AAVE, which was tough at first, but also a very cool choice to make. Campbell is white and new to town- her family isb a little broken and she is very shy. Her dad owns a small hardware store in town.
At a football game, a fight breaks out after a race related confrontation, and the two girls are thrown together and end up helping each other get home.
I want to start with things I liked about the book. It provides certain levels of empathy to a variety of people while still taking a stand on something. Basically, at one point, Campbell's dad's business is completely looted. The girls also experiences watching protesters getting attacked for no reason, and the violence of police.
Since the book carries both POVs, there is active effort to say that looting and destroying local businesses can genuinely ruin a working class family- but it also takes a stand on the reason riots and looting happen, and asks you to think about the scenes where black protesters are being attacked by cops and that being the bigger issue.
I also liked that some of the conversations the girls had about race did happen very naturally, and getting Campbell's POV meant you get to read a little about how she as a white person is checking her judgements based on what Lena is saying to her. This is particularly important to things like how she talks about "the ghetto". I think for white people reading this book, it provides a blueprint of self reflection.
Where it can fall short though, is that the build up from football game fight to large scale brawl to protest to riot in one night was...not clearly explained. I felt like the girls were constantly running away from some vague and constantly moving threat of violence, and I really wished this book would have taken a stronger stance in defining why people were protesting and how these escalations happen. Its talked about yes, but I think it could have been defined in a stronger way- or at least a way to make sense of the plot. Sometimes, the violence felt more like an unknown boogyman that Lena and Campbell were being chased by.
I also really, really disliked the side story with Lena's boyfriend and her fixation on him. She's already an interesting character, but they put A LOT into her relationship with her boyfriend- and actually, sometimes more into that than her relationship with Campbell.
So overall. this could be a good jumping off point for teens, and I do appreciate that it tries to treat things like riots as extremely complex, and not just "good" or "bad". I like that it takes a stand against police brutality and racism, but I do wish there was more intimate focus on those issues. I like that it's about two bystanders- the girls are not protesters and their interest in whats going on is limited, so you can walk through simple concepts in a way that is a little closer to home for your "average" person than if you followed someone who already had a committed set of convictions.
What I didn't like was the story structure itself, which was so insanely choppy and hard to believe. It feel almost like both authors over planned, like you are following a storyboard instead of following a genuinely string of believable events. Additionally, while Lena felt very real and complex to me, Campbell was almost pointlessly naive and stupid- everything surprises and confuses her. It's clear that she's a stand in for your average white person, and the goal is to use her as an education tool, but that left something to be desired in her character and made her feel super wooden at times.
I wouldn't recommend I'm Not Dying with You Tonight to an adult, and probably not to someone who has experience or education with race related issues. I feel like this is probably fairly valuable reading for a young person VERY NEW to understanding race relations.
On a side note, I do not particularly love YA Contemporary, so there is an element of bias there that would affect my review.
August 15, 2019
I really really REALLY wanted to love this book but I just had too many problems with it.
1. The book was way too short. This felt more like a plot-driven book (I am more of a character-driven reader) and we never really get to learn anything about Lena or Campbell. We know they are two different types of people having to work together but that's about it. The authors throw these characters into a war zone and we are expected to care but honestly, I didn't.
2. I hated the way homeless people are depicted in this book. Both characters encounter a homeless guy and they automatically call him a "crackhead" and scary. The homeless guy is also very stereotypical and it just left a distaste in my mouth. The homeless character was written in an inhumane way and I get annoyed with people stigmatizing the homeless population IRL so, in book form, it irritated me.
3. I have no idea what this book was trying to accomplish. I would assume it would be about the nuances of social issues or about racial tensions in America but these ideas weren't developed all the way. Again, this was fast-paced and the book was driven by plot so it was hard to pinpoint any themes or lessens the character learned. The only thing I can think of is that the characters shouldn't judge one another based on how they look but even that is pretty simplistic and surface level. The book didn't really convey anything new nor insightful.
4. Lena and Black's relationship makes no sense and was useless. Again, the book is super short and fast-paced so it was difficult to see why Lena trust Black with her life more than anybody.
5. Nothing was really challenged in the book. The closest we got was Lena telling Campbell about the word ghetto and how she misuses it but Lena didn't really dive into the reasoning why it's problematic for her to use the word. Other than that, this book didn't really challenge any ideas nor show anything.
6. We really didn't see any of the characters grow nor did their friendship. Both characters have the same views and the same outlook (again, not a lot of challenging and both also have a lot of problematic thoughts) and their friendship wasn't really anything special or worthwhile. Also, the ending confused me a little bit and I just didn't think their character development was done well.
I don't know, I've read a lot of books when it comes to race relations and this one just didn't do it for me. If you want a super fast-paced book then maybe give this a go?
1. The book was way too short. This felt more like a plot-driven book (I am more of a character-driven reader) and we never really get to learn anything about Lena or Campbell. We know they are two different types of people having to work together but that's about it. The authors throw these characters into a war zone and we are expected to care but honestly, I didn't.
2. I hated the way homeless people are depicted in this book. Both characters encounter a homeless guy and they automatically call him a "crackhead" and scary. The homeless guy is also very stereotypical and it just left a distaste in my mouth. The homeless character was written in an inhumane way and I get annoyed with people stigmatizing the homeless population IRL so, in book form, it irritated me.
3. I have no idea what this book was trying to accomplish. I would assume it would be about the nuances of social issues or about racial tensions in America but these ideas weren't developed all the way. Again, this was fast-paced and the book was driven by plot so it was hard to pinpoint any themes or lessens the character learned. The only thing I can think of is that the characters shouldn't judge one another based on how they look but even that is pretty simplistic and surface level. The book didn't really convey anything new nor insightful.
4. Lena and Black's relationship makes no sense and was useless. Again, the book is super short and fast-paced so it was difficult to see why Lena trust Black with her life more than anybody.
5. Nothing was really challenged in the book. The closest we got was Lena telling Campbell about the word ghetto and how she misuses it but Lena didn't really dive into the reasoning why it's problematic for her to use the word. Other than that, this book didn't really challenge any ideas nor show anything.
6. We really didn't see any of the characters grow nor did their friendship. Both characters have the same views and the same outlook (again, not a lot of challenging and both also have a lot of problematic thoughts) and their friendship wasn't really anything special or worthwhile. Also, the ending confused me a little bit and I just didn't think their character development was done well.
I don't know, I've read a lot of books when it comes to race relations and this one just didn't do it for me. If you want a super fast-paced book then maybe give this a go?
July 31, 2020
A night that turned hellish because of a senseless argument born out of frustration. And in the middle of all that, two teenage girls - one black and the other white, who've never even so much as exchanged a few words with each other before, fights to survive the night. They sometimes fought each other but never truly abandoned the other even when their first instinct was to do the opposite.
As a person who's far away in India watching the news reports on the BLM protests against systemic racism as well as the riots wrecking the lives of so many, reading this book gave me an understanding of the grave impact on the people stuck in the middle through no fault of their own.
The pacing is fast as it should be for a book like this. The writing, utterly engaging.
The only thing I'm gripping about is the lack of an epilogue. Because after all that these characters went through, they deserved a few more pages.
As a person who's far away in India watching the news reports on the BLM protests against systemic racism as well as the riots wrecking the lives of so many, reading this book gave me an understanding of the grave impact on the people stuck in the middle through no fault of their own.
The pacing is fast as it should be for a book like this. The writing, utterly engaging.
The only thing I'm gripping about is the lack of an epilogue. Because after all that these characters went through, they deserved a few more pages.
August 2, 2019
Lena and Campbell are two high school students. They don't know each other. In fact, they have very little in common, other than the fact they are both young and come from the same city. One Friday night, a fight after a high school football game escalates into violence. What starts as an exchange of angry words at a concession stand grows into a dangerous violence in the crowd at the game and then area neighborhoods. The two girls find themselves having to work together to make it home safely.
This story is fast paced and the perspective alternates between the two girls. I had a hard time getting into the characters at first. I think it might have been because as I would just start getting into one girl's story, the chapter would end and it would switch to the other girl. But as the story ramped up, I found myself pulled in...and it didn't matter whose perspective it was....I wanted to know what was happening! Emergency situations can bring together people who would not normally mesh....and also uncover the true nature of people we thought were familiar.
I enjoyed the story and the points this YA book strives to bring home. At the end, I found myself wanting to know what happens next! The ending was realistic and leaves the reader to think...imagine...hope. I hope that the events depicted in the book would lead the characters to change their lives, their opinions and their judgments of others. I wish our world was more about love and respect instead of hate and judgment. In the end, I left the story hoping at least the two main characters formed a bond and learned life lessons they won't forget.
Very moving story. I enjoyed it. The fast pace glossed over a few things I wish had been more fully developed.....but, I understand why the action was fast. The situation the girls were in left no time for thinking about things....they had to pull together to get home. The writing style and development perfectly fit the plot.
I'd definitely be interested in reading more from these two writers!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
This story is fast paced and the perspective alternates between the two girls. I had a hard time getting into the characters at first. I think it might have been because as I would just start getting into one girl's story, the chapter would end and it would switch to the other girl. But as the story ramped up, I found myself pulled in...and it didn't matter whose perspective it was....I wanted to know what was happening! Emergency situations can bring together people who would not normally mesh....and also uncover the true nature of people we thought were familiar.
I enjoyed the story and the points this YA book strives to bring home. At the end, I found myself wanting to know what happens next! The ending was realistic and leaves the reader to think...imagine...hope. I hope that the events depicted in the book would lead the characters to change their lives, their opinions and their judgments of others. I wish our world was more about love and respect instead of hate and judgment. In the end, I left the story hoping at least the two main characters formed a bond and learned life lessons they won't forget.
Very moving story. I enjoyed it. The fast pace glossed over a few things I wish had been more fully developed.....but, I understand why the action was fast. The situation the girls were in left no time for thinking about things....they had to pull together to get home. The writing style and development perfectly fit the plot.
I'd definitely be interested in reading more from these two writers!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
September 11, 2019
*4.5
"I'm not dying with you tonight."
Wow. Just wow.
This is definitely very remnant of The Hate U Give. I'd definitely recommend it if you liked that. But on its own, this book was a powerhouse.
I really liked that this book had dual perspective. It really added something to see the same events from the eyes of a white girl and a black girl, as well as their preconceived expectations of each other and what they expect to happen. It's also great that this was written by two different authors as well. The two perspectives are so strongly their own - it's not like other books where you can sometimes forget which perspective you're in.
I adored the characters. Lena and Campbell instantly grew on me, and the bond they formed in the midst of all this chaos was honestly... cute. I shouldn't be using that word in a book like this, but they were sweet. I'd love to read more about them.
I was on a roller coaster ride of emotions towards Black. I feel like his character in general could've had a bit more closure.
That's really the only problem I had with this book - it just ends a bit abruptly. I get why it ended where it did, but I still had some questions. A book like this doesn't really demand a sequel, but I don't know, maybe an epilogue or something would've been nice.
I think I might finally be coming out of my reading slump. It's honestly been a while since I've been able to solidly rate a book. I give this one 4.5/5 stars. Read it. It's worth it.
"Campbell," I say. "Put your wings back on."
"I'm not dying with you tonight."
Wow. Just wow.
This is definitely very remnant of The Hate U Give. I'd definitely recommend it if you liked that. But on its own, this book was a powerhouse.
I really liked that this book had dual perspective. It really added something to see the same events from the eyes of a white girl and a black girl, as well as their preconceived expectations of each other and what they expect to happen. It's also great that this was written by two different authors as well. The two perspectives are so strongly their own - it's not like other books where you can sometimes forget which perspective you're in.
I adored the characters. Lena and Campbell instantly grew on me, and the bond they formed in the midst of all this chaos was honestly... cute. I shouldn't be using that word in a book like this, but they were sweet. I'd love to read more about them.
I was on a roller coaster ride of emotions towards Black. I feel like his character in general could've had a bit more closure.
That's really the only problem I had with this book - it just ends a bit abruptly. I get why it ended where it did, but I still had some questions. A book like this doesn't really demand a sequel, but I don't know, maybe an epilogue or something would've been nice.
I think I might finally be coming out of my reading slump. It's honestly been a while since I've been able to solidly rate a book. I give this one 4.5/5 stars. Read it. It's worth it.
"Campbell," I say. "Put your wings back on."
June 27, 2020
This book couldn't be any more timely. I already had a copy when I saw that viral video of Kimberly Jones speaking so passionately about injustice. Just finished it today - held my interest all through what has been a hard week. Loved having the perspective of both girls. Made the book accessible for all kinds of readers.
July 10, 2020
2 stars.
To say that I'm Not Dying with You Tonight was an excruciating read would be an understatement because I for the life of me am still surprised by how I managed to finish this book, let alone have the determination to write a review.
It's clear that I did not enjoy my time reading this book due to several reasons. Reasons which I feel like took away from the narrative of riots and made it into a story of two characters who don't have any form of personality. This is a plot-driven story in favor of character, and it painfully shows.
I'm Not Dying with You Tonight takes place in one night where a fight at a football game escalates into a riot that affects the town and the two protagonists, Lena and Campbell are caught up in the middle of it and are trying to get back to the safety of their homes without getting injured or worse.
I'll get straight to the point as to why I didn't like the story. The biggest issue for me is the two characters, Lena and Campbell. Lena is a sassy, stuck-up, rude girl and Campbell is a naive crybaby. And that's about as much character development you'll get from them. They ruined the book for me based on how one-dimensional they were.
Lena started off as rude and right off the bat I did not like her. I don't know if it was the author's intention to make her unlikeable but I could not stand her stuck-up attitude. Which is a shame because she makes valid points about racial discrimination and pointing out to Campbell about her white privilege. But then I remember her rude attitude, her being willfully ignorant to how her boyfriend treats her, how willfully ignorant her boyfriend's friends treat her best friend, and how she treats said best friend by ghosting her. Am I supposed to give her a pass and ignore her flaws? Hell no.
Campbell is ignorant about how POC are treated by the police, how they face racial discrimination and she can be very frustrating. I can count the number of times I wanted to shake her and slap some sense into her. Aside from that, she has a very passive personality. That passiveness comes off as her being whiny. Not to mention she's a complete crybaby when things get out of control around her. She's about as fragile as a pringle. I understand that people can be racist without malicious intent. There was a twitter post saying that even though you don't have any hatred, you can still make racists remarks or ignorant to how black lives are treated. Campbell falls into that however, I find it hard to believe that she is so stupid to not know anything about BLM or police brutality on minorities. Has she literally been living under a rock for the past eight years? Does she not watch the news? Does she not hear people talk about it? She can't be this dumb but apparently she is.
These two do not complement each other and that's the point. They're not meant to be best friends but show that they are different in many ways. However, since the book is short, they don't have any time to develop as characters.
Do you want thought provoking, well rounded characters? Too bad, you're getting Lena and Campbell, and you're gonna like them.
The plot was OK. For a plot-driven story based on BLM, protests, and riots, it did that part well but again, with the story being short there's only so much that could be seen.
I can't tell you the point of the story because I feel like there is none.
There is a story here but with little to no character development and a plot condensed to fit a short book, it turns into an afterthought that will be forgotten in a week or two.
To say that I'm Not Dying with You Tonight was an excruciating read would be an understatement because I for the life of me am still surprised by how I managed to finish this book, let alone have the determination to write a review.
It's clear that I did not enjoy my time reading this book due to several reasons. Reasons which I feel like took away from the narrative of riots and made it into a story of two characters who don't have any form of personality. This is a plot-driven story in favor of character, and it painfully shows.
I'm Not Dying with You Tonight takes place in one night where a fight at a football game escalates into a riot that affects the town and the two protagonists, Lena and Campbell are caught up in the middle of it and are trying to get back to the safety of their homes without getting injured or worse.
I'll get straight to the point as to why I didn't like the story. The biggest issue for me is the two characters, Lena and Campbell. Lena is a sassy, stuck-up, rude girl and Campbell is a naive crybaby. And that's about as much character development you'll get from them. They ruined the book for me based on how one-dimensional they were.
Lena started off as rude and right off the bat I did not like her. I don't know if it was the author's intention to make her unlikeable but I could not stand her stuck-up attitude. Which is a shame because she makes valid points about racial discrimination and pointing out to Campbell about her white privilege. But then I remember her rude attitude, her being willfully ignorant to how her boyfriend treats her, how willfully ignorant her boyfriend's friends treat her best friend, and how she treats said best friend by ghosting her. Am I supposed to give her a pass and ignore her flaws? Hell no.
Campbell is ignorant about how POC are treated by the police, how they face racial discrimination and she can be very frustrating. I can count the number of times I wanted to shake her and slap some sense into her. Aside from that, she has a very passive personality. That passiveness comes off as her being whiny. Not to mention she's a complete crybaby when things get out of control around her. She's about as fragile as a pringle. I understand that people can be racist without malicious intent. There was a twitter post saying that even though you don't have any hatred, you can still make racists remarks or ignorant to how black lives are treated. Campbell falls into that however, I find it hard to believe that she is so stupid to not know anything about BLM or police brutality on minorities. Has she literally been living under a rock for the past eight years? Does she not watch the news? Does she not hear people talk about it? She can't be this dumb but apparently she is.
These two do not complement each other and that's the point. They're not meant to be best friends but show that they are different in many ways. However, since the book is short, they don't have any time to develop as characters.
Do you want thought provoking, well rounded characters? Too bad, you're getting Lena and Campbell, and you're gonna like them.
The plot was OK. For a plot-driven story based on BLM, protests, and riots, it did that part well but again, with the story being short there's only so much that could be seen.
I can't tell you the point of the story because I feel like there is none.
There is a story here but with little to no character development and a plot condensed to fit a short book, it turns into an afterthought that will be forgotten in a week or two.
June 18, 2019
This will almost certainly be the next major YA book in a line of massively important conversation starters. Think The Hate U Give, This is Where it Ends, or Long Way Down. It shines a light for readers on two high schoolers who come from wildly different backgrounds and forces them to work together in order to survive. The characters are vulnerable and scared and, at times, selfish and self-centered but this all comes together to create realistic depictions of teenagers.
Told through each of their points of view that alternates chapter by chapter, the prose never lets you get comfortable in your reading, which only helps create a more jarring experience that mirrors what Lena and Campbell are going through.
This book should and will spark important conversations in classrooms and homes around the country. It needs to be discussed and it needs to be read.
Told through each of their points of view that alternates chapter by chapter, the prose never lets you get comfortable in your reading, which only helps create a more jarring experience that mirrors what Lena and Campbell are going through.
This book should and will spark important conversations in classrooms and homes around the country. It needs to be discussed and it needs to be read.
July 6, 2020
I had not heard about this book until I saw the viral video of Kimberly Jones talking about the June 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. I am shocked that this book had slipped under my radar, and I'm wondering how many radars it has slipped under. Along the lines of THE HATE U GIVE or HOW IT WENT DOWN, this tells the story of two very different girls who go to the same school and live not very far away from each other, but who are thrown together in a night of terror and violence. The voices were clear and strong, and I loved each girl for their personalities and their differences. A lot of the events and the characters' reactions to them took me by surprise, pleasantly, and I felt like the "age rating" skewed younger than the previous two books I mentioned, which would make it an excellent choice for classrooms, or talking to tweens about recent events.
September 16, 2019
I like what they tried to do, but it was unrealistic for all these events to happen in one night. It felt like a Purge fanfic or something like that. They could've done it in a realistic way over a period of weeks where the town gets more and more restless and fighting continues to happen over racism, police brutality, and the other themes of the story
November 11, 2019
MY RATING� 4 STARS | GRADE B+
ձ�
Part of the Big LibraryReadin November
Racial Tension
Rioting & Looting
Bonding
Young Adult
With Audio Performed by Brittany Pressley & 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 the 18th of November. The Audio version is performed very well by both narrators.
THE BREAKDOWN�
Plot⇢�4/5
Narration Performance⇢�4.2/5
Characters⇢�4/5
The Feels⇢�4/5
Pacing⇢�4/5
Addictiveness⇢�4/5
Theme or Tone⇢�4/5
Flow (Writing Style)⇢�4/5
Backdrop (World Building)⇢�3.8/5
Originality⇢�4/5
Ending⇢�4/5
_____
Book Cover⇢Love it...with the mirror flip element it has going on.
Setting⇢Atlanta, GA
Source⇢Libby Audiobook (Library)
Length⇢�5 hours, 20 minutes
ձ�
Part of the Big LibraryReadin November
Racial Tension
Rioting & Looting
Bonding
Young Adult
With Audio Performed by Brittany Pressley & 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 the 18th of November. The Audio version is performed very well by both narrators.
THE BREAKDOWN�
Plot⇢�4/5
Narration Performance⇢�4.2/5
Characters⇢�4/5
The Feels⇢�4/5
Pacing⇢�4/5
Addictiveness⇢�4/5
Theme or Tone⇢�4/5
Flow (Writing Style)⇢�4/5
Backdrop (World Building)⇢�3.8/5
Originality⇢�4/5
Ending⇢�4/5
_____
Book Cover⇢Love it...with the mirror flip element it has going on.
Setting⇢Atlanta, GA
Source⇢Libby Audiobook (Library)
Length⇢�5 hours, 20 minutes
August 17, 2020
An absolutely stunning book! I adored our two leads and how their stories played off each other.
I cried a lot for Campbell and raged for Lena.
This covers race, riots, and shitty boyfriends in an easily digestible and understandable way for teens.
Lots to discuss with your kids and bookclub.
I cried a lot for Campbell and raged for Lena.
This covers race, riots, and shitty boyfriends in an easily digestible and understandable way for teens.
Lots to discuss with your kids and bookclub.
September 12, 2019
Concept 5 stars, cover 5 stars but actual book? 3 stars. I didn’t enjoy either character and spending an evening with the both of them was a chore.
August 1, 2019
I read an ARC of this that I picked up at ALA.
This is an important story about how two very different girls come together to survive through riots across their town. It is a story about the differences in race and how each girl reacts differently to the terrifying situations because of their race.
I thought this was insightful while still being action packed and fun at times, despite mostly being a dark story.
You can tell two different author's wrote this, because the voices are distinctly different. I will say, it took me out of the story to switch between the two. I also felt like the characters were so over the top cliches at times, that they didn't feel completely real. Those being my only issues with the story, it was a great read and an important one that I feel everyone should give a try.
This is an important story about how two very different girls come together to survive through riots across their town. It is a story about the differences in race and how each girl reacts differently to the terrifying situations because of their race.
I thought this was insightful while still being action packed and fun at times, despite mostly being a dark story.
You can tell two different author's wrote this, because the voices are distinctly different. I will say, it took me out of the story to switch between the two. I also felt like the characters were so over the top cliches at times, that they didn't feel completely real. Those being my only issues with the story, it was a great read and an important one that I feel everyone should give a try.
May 19, 2022
This book took EVERY racial stereotype of a black person and EVERY racial stereotype of a white person and put it together into one horrible book. Not only was this book racially insensitive but there was fat shaming and on top of ALL OF THAT, the plot and sequence of events of how things went down were not in any way plausible. Plus they tried to make a “strong� main character yet the whole time she is chasing her loser boyfriend who miraculously changes his ways in the last 10 pages?!?! Adding to the problems was the writing. The. Writing. Was. Abysmal! There are SOOOOO many more things I can say about this book but I really don’t want to waste anymore of my time.
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