New Release: The Art of Us by Symone West

Release date: August 31st 2020
Genre: YA Romance
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

An interracial YA Romance with a bit of edge.

Kayla McNeil won an art scholarship to attend a prestigious academy.

She’s excited to improve her craft and determined not to let anything thwart her focus.

But Kayla never anticipated gaining the attention of the guy who ignores everyone else.

Brandon Decker hates to be touched.

His reaction is frightening to others.

Even when it’s an accident.

Brandon harbors deep pain from his past, which affects his ability to open his heart to anyone. Yet, something about Kayla allures him.

Her fearless and artistic nature can either calm the monster inside or push it further.

The more they get under each other’s skin, a connection develops that neither can explain. It brings forth an indescribable desire and the possibility of love. But monsters don’t always stay gone. They have a way of crawling out of the dark, threatening any speck of happiness.

About the Author

Symone West is the author of Dry Spell and A Very Warm Christmas. She writes unconventional sweet and sexy, sometimes dark, coming of age and adult romance.

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | Amazon | ARC LIST

New Release: Maybe (Yearning Hearts #1) by Shane Morgan

This is my eleventh novel! Each story in this series can be read as a standalone.

Series: Yearning Hearts #1
Release date: November 4th 2019
Publisher: TSW
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Sydney Bell just transferred to an elite high school. Her plan: achieve one goal in her senior year. Not attract the attention of a rich boy with a reputation.

Sydney is sure about guys like Parker.
The wealthy and entitled ones.
Players.
This one hates the way she looks at him.

Parker Prescott is determined to prove her wrong.
He chases Sydney.
She pushes him away until she can no longer fight her feelings.
The ice starts to melt.
Her defenses lower the more she learns about him. He’s not just another player.
Like her, Parker has issues he’s dealing with.
But she’s still so afraid to let him in.
And Parker fears he may never truly win her heart.

Can Sydney accept her intense feelings and trust that Parker won’t hurt her, and will she be there for him when he needs her the most?

About the Author

Shane Morgan writes contemporary romance, suspense, and fantasy. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband. Aside from writing, Shane enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and traveling.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

SIGN-UP to Receive an ARC~Steps by Symone West

IFB will be hosting the release event for Author Symone West's upcoming Mature YA novel, STEPS. You can now sign-up to receive an ARC for early reviews!

This is the first in her new series and each book can be read as standalones.

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE AN ARC
(Only Kindle Readers at this time. Apologies)

"STEPS: Off Limits Book One"

Release date: July 15th 2019
Pre-order: Amazon

A Mature Coming of Age Romance

Add on Goodreads:

LATOYA ANDERSON

A good daughter who’s been through hell with a mother who keeps chasing happiness with the wrong kind of men. Surprise isn’t the word for it when Toya learns her mom is engaged to a man she’s never even met.

This is yet another crazy decision that Toya would have to help her mom recover from when things fall apart. But nothing prepared her for the scorching hot son of her mom’s fiancé. Something about his brooding blue eyes, a cocky smile, and visible brokenness keep pulling her to him.

VAREN KIRBY

An enigmatic bad boy who hasn’t dealt with the pain from his mother’s death. He suppresses it with alcohol, pills, and regular hookups. But none of these things satisfy the need in his heart, only leaves a deeper hole to fill.

Varen is convinced he’s a lost cause and will never be able to let go of the all-consuming grief, but his new stepsister’s sweet and captivating personality causes a spark so strong, despite his bad habits and fears, he finds it hard to stay away from her. Bit by bit, he starts to feel alive again, and now that he’s found happiness at last, he will fight to hold on to it no matter the cost.

Latoya never imagined falling for her stepbrother. Will she go after what she wants for the first time in her life? Or will she sacrifice everything for the sake of her mother, and possibly for her love?

About the Author
Symone West is the author of Dry Spell and A Very Warm Christmas. She writes sweet and sexy, sometimes dark, coming of age and adult romance.

FACEBOOK | AMAZON

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Slay by Brittney Morris

Release date: September 24th 2019
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

"A book that knocks you off your feet while dropping the kind of knowledge that’ll keep you down for the count. Prepare to be slain.” —Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out.

Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther–inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for black gamers.

By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the black man.”

But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination.”

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically black in a world intimidated by blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?

About the Author

Brittney Morris is the author of SLAY. She holds a BA in Economics from Boston University because back then, she wanted to be a financial analyst. (She's now thankful that didn't happen). She spends her spare time reading, playing indie video games, and enjoying the Seattle rain from her apartment. She lives with her husband Steven who would rather enjoy the rain from a campsite in the woods because he hasn't played enough horror games. Brittney is the founder and former president of the Boston University Creative Writing Club, and her work has been published in The Boston University Chimaerid Literary Magazine. She is a four-time NaNoWriMo winner and a 2018 Pitch Wars mentor.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: The Resolutions by Mia Garcia

Release date: November 13th 2018
Publisher: HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

New Years are for fresh starts, but Jess just wants everything to go back to the way it was.

From hiking trips, to four-person birthday parties, to never-ending group texts, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora have always been inseparable—and unstoppable. But now, with senior year on the horizon, they’ve been splintering off and growing apart. And so, as always, Jess makes a plan.

Reinstating their usual tradition of making resolutions together on New Year’s Eve, Jess adds a new twist: instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign them for each other—dares like kiss someone you know is wrong for you, show your paintings, learn Spanish, say yes to everything.

But not even the best laid plans can take into account the uncertainties of life. As the year unfolds, Jess, Ryan, Nora, and Lee each test the bonds that hold them together. And amid first loves, heart breaks, and life-changing decisions, beginning again is never as simple as it seems.

About the Author

Mia García was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but now lives in New York under a pile of to-be-read books. Mia earned her MFA from the New School. She is the author of Even If the Sky Falls.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: This is What it Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow

Release date: November 6th 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

It doesn’t matter what the prize for the Sun City Originals contest is this year.

Who cares that’s it’s fifteen grand? Who cares about a gig opening for one of the greatest bands to ever play this town?

Not Dia, that’s for sure. Because Dia knows that without a band, she hasn’t got a shot at winning Sun City. Because ever since Hanna’s drinking took over her life, Dia and Jules haven’t been in it. And ever since Hanna left — well, there hasn’t been a band.

It used to be the three of them, Dia, Jules, and Hanna, messing around and making music and planning for the future. But that was then, and this is now — and now means a baby, a failed relationship, a stint in rehab, all kinds of off beats that have interrupted the rhythm of their friendship. No contest can change that. Right?

But like the lyrics of a song you used to play on repeat, there’s no forgetting a best friend. And for Dia, Jules, and Hanna, this impossible challenge — to ignore the past, in order to jumpstart the future — will only become possible if they finally make peace with the girls they once were, and the girls they are finally letting themselves be.

Rebecca Barrow’s tender story of friendship, music, and ferocious love asks — what will you fight for, if not yourself?

About the Author

Rebecca Barrow is the author of You Don't Know Me But I Know You. She writes stories about girls and all the wonders they can be. A lipstick obsessive with the ability to quote the entirety of Mean Girls, she lives in England, where it rains a considerable amount more than in the fictional worlds of her characters. She collects tattoos, cats, and more books than she could ever possibly read. 

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes

Release date: August 28th 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Embry Woods has secrets. Small ones about her past. Bigger ones about her relationship with town hero Luke and her feelings for someone new. But the biggest secret she carries with her is about what happened that night at the Sea Cliff Inn. The fire. The homeless guy. Everyone thinks Embry is a hero, too, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Embry thinks she’ll have to take the secret to her grave, until she receives an anonymous note—someone else knows the truth. Next comes a series of threatening messages, asking Embry to make impossible choices, forcing her to put her loved ones at risk. Someone is playing a high stakes game where no one in Embry’s life is safe. And their last move...is murder.

"Hidden Pieces is the dark, twisted, amped up, I Know What You Did Last Summer-esque YA suspense of my dreams! Paula Stokes delivers a modern classic."
-Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten and #MurderTrending

"A character-driven mystery perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.”

-School Library Journal

“Stokes offers a classic whodunit, masterfully played. Characters, even minor ones, are well developed, as are the subplots . . . All become, as the title indicates, pieces of an intricate puzzle.”

-ALA Booklist, starred review

About the Author

Paula Stokes is half writer, half RN, and totally thrilled to be part of the world of YA literature. She started out writing historical fiction under a pen name and is now branching out into other YA genres.

When she's not working (rare), she's kayaking, hiking, reading, or seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She's petted tigers, snuggled snakes, snorkeled with stingrays, and once enjoyed the suction-cuppy feel of a baby elephant's trunk as it ate peanuts from her palm. Her future goals include diving with Great White sharks, learning Krav Maga, and writing a whole slew of novels, not necessarily in that order.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Review: Neanderthal Opens the Door to Universe by Preston Norton

Release date: May 22nd 2018
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he's so enormous-6'6" and 250 pounds to be exact. He has no one at school and life in his trailer park home has gone from bad to worse ever since his older brother's suicide.

There's no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there's only one person who can help: Neanderthal.

To his own surprise, Cliff says he's in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS--Cliff feels like he's part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn't as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they've completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.

*Received a physical ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book almost two weeks ago and have remained iffy about my overall feelings even now. While the story was humorous for the most part, there were times it started to feel draggy and didn't really make sense to me. 

In regards to the plot, it was mainly centered around Cliff, his dysfunctional home, and school life, dealing with the loss of his brother, and forming an unlikely connection with Aaron, someone he once hated greatly. Cliff had never felt accepted or belonged, so as crazy as the whole Aaron seeing God and getting a list to make their school better seemed, Cliff became compelled to help. 

Speaking of the list, it was another huge focus of the story, and it was pretty interesting. I definitely understood why these two were meant to carry out this mission together. Aaron and Cliff weren't friends, ever. But they bonded over the list by learning about each other and seeing the great qualities each possessed. Aside from the humor, I liked that part of the story and how much their friendship grew while helping one another in various areas of their lives. Aaron especially turned out not to be as bad as Cliff perceived. And I think Aaron needed a friend like Cliff to genuinely point out things he could change or work on. 

As for other characters in the book, I thought Cliff's mother should have done better but that's reality with women in those situations. And I cannot criticize because I've never experienced that. But honestly, after losing her firstborn son, her epiphany should've come a lot sooner than it did with Cliff's father, who was a complete moron in every way. I didn't really connect with any other characters, not even Cliff's girlfriend. I disliked how she showed her feelings for him in the beginning. With everything he was already dealing with in high school pertaining to his body and the lack of self-confidence, I thought she could have been nicer and not say a lot of things that she did. But I guess that's just who she was and her personality was as a result of what she'd gone through with her own family.

To conclude, it was a different and all in all good story. Although again, things got a bit draggy in areas where it could have wrapped up a little earlier, I still liked the concept of the list and various messages throughout having to do with self-image, accepting who you are and standing in your own truth. 

About the Author

Preston Norton is the author of Marrow, Blud and Magik, and The Lost Son. He has a degree in English Education and has taught seventh and ninth grade English. Preston resides in Provo, Utah with his wife Erin.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Review: My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

Release date: May 15th 2018
Publisher: Crown BFYR | Penguin Random House
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soulmate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th birthday, and Raj meets all of the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked to return from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. Worse, Raj is crowned chair of the student film festival, a spot Winnie was counting on for her film school applications. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted.

Then there’s Dev, a fellow film geek, and one of the few people Winnie can count on to help her reclaim control of her story. Dev is smart charming, and challenges Winnie to look beyond her horoscope to find someone she’d pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her prophecy, and her chance to live happily ever after? To get her Bollywood-like life on track, Winnie will need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star. 

Like an expertly choreographed Bollywood dance scene, Nisha Sharma’s off-beat love story dazzles in the lime light.

*Publisher provided physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My So-Called Bollywood Life certainly lived up to its title. This is a really cute, light, and entertaining story that you may enjoy if you're not bothered by a lot of Bollywood movie references, astrology, and prophecies, or some high school drama. In my case, I went in expecting these things from reading the blurb, but I just felt that some of the drama (especially toward the end) could have been left out. And I did have to slow down my reading pace quite often when movies and actors came up. Those things aside, I still liked the story.

Winnie's character is one you could describe as passionate, not only about her culture and the incredible collection of movies she owns, but she genuinely loves the arts and already has an idea of what she wants in life. But when it comes to her romantic life, she's unsure as to whether she should trust in this prophesied destiny or make her own path based solely on her heart. She spends the majority of the story trying not to completely dwell on this prediction, and while I strongly feel that we all make our destiny in life and shouldn't rely on astrology, you can't tell people to disregard their beliefs no matter how you feel about it. Winnie's friends encouraged her to trust in her feelings and not consider the prophecy too much, and even though she tried, in the end, she just couldn't rid herself of something she believed in since she was a child. 

What I like most about the story is how celebrated the Indian culture is within this community and the different types of food mentioned. Some are familiar to me and some new. Either way, it made me drool whenever Winnie and her family ate together. Her parents were interesting characters in their own way too, and it was enlightening seeing how they were with Winnie and how much they valued their culture and traditions. 

I also like Dev and the fact that Winnie didn't linger on Raj. She stuck to her decision to staying apart and she never went back on that. Loved that she gave things a shot with Dev and encouraged him to take things slow with her. It irked me at times whenever she brought up the prophecy around him, but again, her feelings were understandable because it's her belief. And even though I'd already figured out that part long before it came up, I still would have liked for Dev to be honest from the get-go, especially knowing who Winnie was and how she spent her whole life thinking about the Pandit's prediction. Then again, I could understand his reasons behind it.

Overall, I like the writing, the characters, and how light and easy the story is. Again, not a fan of the bit of drama that happened toward the end, but it still made for an entertaining read. 

About the Author

Nisha Sharma grew up on Bollywood movies, eighties classics, and romance novels, so it comes as no surprise that her first novel, My So-Called Bollywood Life, features all three. 

Nisha credits her father for her multiple graduate degrees, and her mother for her love of Shah Rukh Khan and Jane Austen. She lives in Pennsylvania with her cat Lizzie Bennett and her dog Nancey Drew. 

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: A Sorrow Fierce and Falling by Jessica Cluess

Series: Kingdom on Fire #3
Release date: October 16th 2018
Publisher: Random House 
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

It’s time for war.

After suffering terrible losses, Henrietta and Lord Blackwood have led their warriors to Sorrow-Fell, a vast estate where only those invited by a Blackwood may enter–and the ideal place to plan a final assault against the Ancients.

It’s time for a wedding.

Henrietta nervously awaits her marriage to Blackwood, but when the ritual to become his bride reveals a dark secret, she realizes that Sorrow-Fell is not a safe haven; it’s a trap. Convincing the sorcerers of this, however, is not easy. So with Maria, the true chosen one, and Magnus, the young man who once stole her heart, at her side, Henrietta plots a dangerous journey straight into the enemy’s lair. Some will live. Some will die. All will be tested.

In this stunning conclusion to the Kingdom on Fire series, Henrietta must choose between the love from her past, the love from her present, and a love that could define her future. While battles rage, the fate of the kingdom rests on her decision: Will she fall or rise up to become the woman who saves the realm?

It’s time for Henrietta to make her stand.

About the Author

Jessica Cluess is a writer, a graduate of Northwestern University, and an unapologetic nerd. After college, she moved to Los Angeles, where she served coffee to the rich and famous while working on her first novel. When she’s not writing books, she’s an instructor at Writopia Lab, helping kids and teens tell their own stories.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Tell Me No Lies by A.V. Geiger

Series: Follow Me Back #2
Release date: June 5th 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Love. Obsession. Jealousy. Murder.

No one knows what happened to pop icon Eric Thorn. His Twitter account? Frozen. His cell phone? Cracked and bloody, buried in the snow. 

Agoraphobic fangirl Tessa Hart knows the truth, but she's finally left her #EricThornObsessed days behind. She has no intention of ever touching her Twitter app again. But Snapchat... That's safer, right?

After months of living under the radar, Tessa emerges from hiding, forced to face the deadly consequences of her past. But in the interrogation room, answers only lead to more questions in the pulse-pounding conclusion to the Follow Me Back duology.

About the Author

A.V. Geiger writes contemporary young adult fiction. Her debut novel, FOLLOW ME BACK, will be published by Sourcebooks Fire in 2017. 

A.V. is a popular author on Wattpad, where her original fiction has frequently ranked #1 in the Mystery/Thriller genre. Her writing career began as a hobby, posting celebrity fanfiction online, and her work draws extensively on her own experiences with fan culture and social media. 

She lives with her family in New Jersey.

WEBSITE | Twitter | Wattpad

Review: Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis

Release date: May 1st 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

For sixteen-year-old Tiffany Sly, life hasn’t been safe or normal for a while. Losing her mom to cancer has her a little bit traumatized and now she has to leave her hometown of Chicago to live with the biological dad she’s never known.

Anthony Stone is a rich man with four other daughters—and rules for every second of the day. Tiffany tries to make the best of things, but she doesn’t fit into her new luxurious, but super-strict, home—or get along with her standoffish sister London. The only thing that makes her new life even remotely bearable is the strange boy across the street. Marcus McKinney has had his own experiences with death, and the unexpected friendship that blossoms between them is the only thing that makes her feel grounded.

But Tiffany has a secret. Another man claims he’s Tiffany’s real dad—and she only has seven days before he shows up to demand a paternity test and the truth comes out. With her life about to fall apart all over again, Tiffany finds herself discovering unexpected truths about her father, her mother and herself, and realizing that maybe family is in the bonds you make—and that life means sometimes taking risks.

*Publisher provided ebook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this story! Tiffany Sly Lives Here is full of humor, sad and relatable moments, a complex family situation, and interesting neighbors one might call crazy but I found it all refreshingly different. A wonderful novel from a great storyteller. 

Tiffany has recently lost her mother to cancer and is preparing to leave her grandmother, best friend, and all that is familiar and safe behind to move in with a father she knows nothing about. But before leaving Chicago, another man comes forward claiming to be her real father. Fearing she might end up in an episode of Maury with paternity test drama, Tiffany keeps this to herself and still leaves her hometown, which I understand because that's a lot to deal with on top of her mother's death. To Tiffany's surprise, her rich father has a wife and four other children. No one prepared her for that, and she was certainly not expecting Anthony Stone to be so religious and controlling. His character had me rolling my eyes and shaking my head constantly. And every time he'd say something inconsiderate or just utterly off, I'd get frustrated with his wife and wish for Tiffany to tell him about her other father. 

It was easy to hope one man was her real father, just for being so polar opposite to the other and being so much nicer and open. But even while Tiffany was having a hard time, she had a gut feeling who her real father was. 

Aside from the two father drama of the story, I did like her younger siblings, even London. No matter how stuck-up she was. Her attitude was kind of understandable, being that she was the eldest for a while and here comes this other older daughter changing things up in her life. London's character was a story in itself and admittedly, I laughed when she ended up in that dilemma because of how she presented herself to the outside world. 

There were other interesting aspects of the story that took us away from the family drama now and then. For instance, I liked the moments where Tiffany made an effort with her stepmother and was willing to help with her youngest sister. It always brought a smile to my face and I wished Anthony would make as much of an effort. And the Stones' neighbors and their son were such lovable people. Tiffany's connection with Marcus was a delight, accepting him in spite of his difference and how everyone else treated him. Marcus has a warm and polite nature. It was so sad learning about his problem, but I loved that he lived without fear and celebrated every moment with his family. More power to him and his mothers.

I don't want to give too much away. I'll just conclude by saying this story will have you laughing, clenching your fists in anger, and tearing up. And you go through these emotions from start to finish. It's one of those books you don't want to pass on. I highly recommend reading this one! 

~TRAILER~

About the Author

Dana L. Davis is a writer of novels for teens, and also a successful Hollywood actress with previous series regular roles as: Carmen Phillips on TNT’s Franklin and Bash, head Cheerleader Chastity Church on 10 Things I Hate About You; modern day mimic Monica Dawson on NBC’s cult series Heroes; and Felica Jones on ABC’s The Nine. In addition to her work on screen, Dana has become a motivational speaker for teens. Her stirring assemblies empower and encourage youth, gifting them the tools and steps to value their inner beauty. Davis was raised in the Midwest and currently resides in Los Angeles with her 5-year-old daughter.

WEBSITE | TWITTER

Review: Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

Release date: March 20th 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

The Hate U Give meets All American Boys in this striking and heartbreaking debut novel, commenting on current race relations in America. 

When Marvin Johnson's twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.

The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it's up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean.

Tyler Johnson Was Here is a stunning account of police brutality in modern America.

*Publisher approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My only issue with the book is that it wasn't longer and that some scenes felt too quick. Aside from that, this story is so real and depicts exactly what is happening in this country. The number of Marvins in the news and those not mentioned at all are frighteningly high. There's absolutely nothing fiction about it. So from start to finish, every scene of racial discrimination, in school and within the community, was undeniably accurate and can be related to. And even more painful is that my review comes at a time when another defenseless black man is brutally murdered by police. I mean, shot several times in his back. Why is this happening? When will black lives truly start to matter and not be seen as less than?

My heart broke while reading Tyler Johnson Was Here, experiencing the heartache of a mother whose son was taken away, and a brother wanting to stand up for his twin and doing something to get more people to open their eyes to the injustices faced by black people daily. 

I highly recommend giving this one a read and do not compare it to The Hate U Give the way the blurb and others have. This is Jay Coles story. There is substance in the writing. The characters exist and they live outside of the pages. 

About the Author
Jay Coles is a MG and YA author. He lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with two dogs nicknamed Bonnie and Clyde. Also, Jay is a teacher, blogger, composer/musician and a proud member of ASCAP!

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM