Review: I'M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

 

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"An absolute page turner, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight is a compelling and powerful novel that is sure to make an impact." —Angie Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

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.

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I was watching a masterclass on Writing as a Political Act as part of YALL WRITE (the online Yall Fest 2020), and that's where I first came across Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal, along with the other two panelists Yusef Salaam and Ibi Zoboi. This was one of the most useful masterclasses I've ever watched and afterward, I promptly bought this book (as well as Punching the Air by Salaam and Zoboi). So that's how I came across I'm Not Dying With You Tonight.

Prior to starting this book, during the masterclass, I heard Jones and Segal talking about the main two characters, Lena and Campbell. I was invested in these characters through hearing the authors speak, especially when they talked about how politically aware their MCs are and how this is different from being politically active.

I'm Not Dying With You Tonight follows two high-school girls--one black, one white--as an argument at their school turns into shootings and a riot that spreads across many parts of the town. These two girls are trying to get home and have to rely on each other to survive. Lena and Campbell aren't friends prior to this and in a lot of parts, neither understands the other's view. Campbell cannot understand at first why Lena, who is Black, is rightfully fearful of the police, and Lena cannot understand Campbell's (who is white) poverty. This book directly tackles racism and police brutality toward Black people and it's an informative and enlightening read. A very important read.

It's an addictive read and so, so powerful. I think it took me just over a day to read it. It's a powerful novel, and while I did find parts of it to be very plot-driven rather than character-driven, both Lena and Campbell are well-developed. Given the nature of this book, I do think it needs to be plot-driven, so it's not a criticism, as it's literally about how these two girls survive and depend on each other, when events out of their control are thrown at them.

The conversation on racism that this book delivers is the strongest part of this book--and I believe that's its intention. This book highlights the ignorance of white people as well as subtly-racist attitudes that are prevalent. It also speaks on socioeconomic issues too, like poverty.

I highly recommend this book.

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