Tyler Johnson Was Here Book Review Netflix

Speaking of that, we only found out about his grades and SATs on page 183 or 63 percent. Of course the topic makes it hard not to compare to The Hate You Give, and while the writing and the pacing means it doesn't quite reach that level of success to me, if you're looking for a book to read next after THUG, I'm definitely recommend Tyler Johnson Was Here. But I was struck by how terrifyingly real Coles made these encounters seem in the novel. Plus the dialogue with some of the characters speaking to Marvin had them up there with cartoon villains for me. The protagonists may be teenagers, but that is also the case in The Hate U Give and Dear Martin, and I was deeply impressed with both.

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Tyler Johnson Was Here Book Review Discussion

I understand that his mind was very much occupied by a traumatic event and I could see how much he cared for and appreciated the people in his life. Their father is in jail, and Mama works extra hard to keep the family stable, leaving room for the influence of the streets to creep into their lives. Marvin is our narrator and he tells the story with an emotional connection that keeps you invested once the story really picks up. Don't get me wrong, the ending was great but there were a lot of moments where it could have ended well. This book made me furious and woeful Tyler Johnson Was Here is based upon an all to unsettling reality that exists where police brutality is not uncommon and that police are feared before they are trusted by minority populations. Tensions arise in the community between proponents of the Black Lives Matter movement and those who push for "All Lives Matter" in response. All of his friends are very one-note, and his sort-of love interest, when she appears, kind of just feels like the generic manic pixie dreamgirl type. Unfortunately, I have not read enough books with an African American main character, and even fewer books with an African American male. If you can get me out of here, I can help you get Tyler back.

Tyler Johnson Was Here Book Review Guardian

I really liked how Marvin's character developed throughout the story, he realized a lot about himself that he didn't before and even though it was a result of a horrible tragedy, he was able to, at least partly, piece his life back together. Gang violence erupts in a party both twins attend and Tyler ends up dead from an unprovoked altercation with a police officer. Or any of the prestigious schools in America. Also there were a lot of plot holes that Coles doesn't address by the end of this book. I'd give "Tyler Johnson Was Here" a solid 4 stars, notably because I connected with the read on some personal levels and because it does manage to do well by delving into issues of cultural pride and identity, police brutality, the current events and social climate surrounding Black Lives Matter, and the struggle for recognition/fight against dehumanization so often noted and experienced in the African-American community. Marvin's twin brother Tyler starts hanging out with a gang at school that is selling drugs. I think if we actually had the book set up more interactions between the two brothers I would have felt more when Tyler goes missing and is found dead.

Tyler Johnson Was Here Book Review And Giveaway

Click here to see my Amplify Black Voices post for information about signing petitions and donating funds to the Black Lives Matter Movement. He makes bad choices, hangs out with the wrong people (Johntae, in particular, reeks of so much toxic masculinity. ) I felt none of those things.

Tyler Johnson Was Here Book Review Book

It's like you're tense for most of the story, which is a good thing in ways, but it's also a bad thing, because it takes a while to really gain some traction. It's hard me to explain, but I was always captivated while reading this. Right away, when this book opened up with the main characters walking into an immediately escalating scene with a police officer, I knew I was in for an emotional ride. They didn't turn on him in his time of need which showed the strength of their friendship. This book will break you into pieces because of how raw and powerful it is. "Who do you even call when the cops are the ones being the bad guys? I wouldn't have minded if she wasn't in the story, but I saw the purpose she served, she was someone who entered his life because of the tragedy and remained. He's not murdered for carrying a weapon, or being a bad guy, but for the colour of his skin. The writing in this novel was pretty surface level. Though the writing was, perhaps, not incredibly polished, and I saw some flaws and oversimplifications in his approach, I can see this author having a promising career ahead of him. Whatever Jay Coles writes next, you'll be damned sure I'm reading it as soon as possible. Yes, he does die, but in the beginning of the book, we get to meet him and love him, and feel conflicted the same way Marvin does.

Tyler Johnson Was Here Book Review Netflix

Again and again, we hear the disturbing reports of police brutality, of people being murdered for nothing more than their skin color, or living in a dangerous neighborhood they lack the means to escape. I could honestly appreciate the retro reference to "A Different World", though I wonder if Coles could've also referenced other modern series that teens of color, particularly African-American teens, watch such as "The Get Down", "Dear White People", or "Black-ish/Grown-ish". ) Besides this, I found the character of Marvin frustrating because the whole thing with him trying to help a drug dealer get out on bail to help him find his brother was really stupid. The book just returns to the same places over and over again, Marvin's home, Faith's house, the school, the store, etc. I bought this book the day it came out but I just couldn't bring myself to read it.

He continuously discredits Marvin's intellectual abilities, "putting him in his place" rather than encouraging the student to strive for greater. I cried when Tyler went missing. Overall, this book was a nice read and I give it 3. This family's struggle to find resolve, peace, and even a twinge of justice is full of life lessons, including this gem inspired by Auntie Nicola, a former cop: "Life is about wading in the rain, in all the storm's fury…becoming one and the same with the storm—getting angry, getting heated, and being the change you want. " Social media, as in real life, plays a vital part in the advocacy for victims' rights at the hands of police, as well as for the efforts needed to organize public protests and vigils in memory of Tyler.

Because you pretty much know that Tyler dies at some point thanks to the description, you're waiting for that moment while reading the book. As Ivy said literally in the next line, 'it's about racists against everyone else'. Publisher: Delacorte. The whole premise of this book is Important and Needs to be out there in the media, it's just that I am Book Slumping so hard this year and I can't handle poor writing and poor character development. She starts out affiliated with Johntae (the gang member Tyler started hanging around) and Marvin goes to her for help, she at first refuses, but his persistency causes her to get more involved.

This area of the book could have been given a more consideration. Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube. Not when he's got a debut novel so stark and powerful as this one.