Jason Reynolds is an author whose work has become well known in young adult literature. His books focus on young characters while discussing topics such as race, family, friendship, and identity. Reynolds has also received several awards and honors for his writing, showing the recognition his work has received. His ability to discuss serious topics through the experiences of young characters makes his work worth exploring, especially for young adult readers. Throughout the blog, I will be diving into Reynolds’ background and taking a closer look at All American Boys, focusing on how his use of two different perspectives gives readers a better understanding of the characters and the situation they experience.
About the Author
Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling American author, focusing on young adult novels. He was born in Washington, D.C. on December 6, 1983. When he was 9 years old, he began writing poetry after hearing the rhythm and rhymes of the rap genre. He continued writing poetry for many years before eventually becoming interested in writing novels. At the age of 17, he read a novel for the first time. In 2005, he graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree in English. Reynolds published his first young adult novel When I Was the Greatest in 2014. This novel is about a teenager living in an urban neighborhood, struggling with family, friendship, and his feelings about where he is living. After publishing the novel, Reynolds continued writing and published several more books within the next few years, including his award winning novel All American Boys (1).
All American Boys
All American Boys, written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, was published in 2015. It follows two high school students named Rashad Butler and Quinn Collins. Rashad is a Black teenager who is mistaken for a shoplifter and assaulted by a police officer. Quinn, who is white, witnesses the incident. The situation becomes even more personal for Quinn when he realizes that the officer is someone he knows and has looked up to. The story switches between both characters' perspectives. Rashad has to deal with the situation and how those around him respond. Quinn has to think about what he witnessed and how his relationship with the officer affects his understanding of the situation. As more people learn about the incident, the conflict spreads throughout their school and community. The choice to tell the story through two different perspectives is very important to the novel. Readers are able to see the same situation through two teenagers who have different backgrounds, as well as experiences. The novel discusses racism, friendship, family, identity, and the decisions people make when they witness something they believe is wrong (3).
The New York Times reviewed All American Boys, describing it as an "insider-outsider look" at police brutality. The review emphasizes that the novel gives readers something to discuss beyond the pages of the book. The review focuses on the importance of having two voices in the story because Rashad and Quinn approach the situation from different positions (4). Kirkus Reviews also gave the novel a starred review. The review describes the story as an "all-too familiar drama" and follows the different experiences of Rashad and Quinn after the incident. The reviewer particularly discusses the relationships surrounding the characters and explains that the authors' passion makes the novel more than just a call to action (5).
My Thoughts and What I Have Learned
I became interested in learning more about Jason Reynolds after reading All American Boys for my "Teaching with Adolescents and Young Adult Literature" course last semester. I really enjoyed the way the novel showed the same situation through the perspectives of two different characters. Seeing the events through Rashad and Quinn’s perspectives allowed me to see how their different experiences affected the way they viewed the situation. This writing choice in particular made me curious to learn more about Reynolds and what influenced his writing. I would definitely recommend reading this novel if you have not already. Also, as I researched Reynolds, I was surprised to learn that he did not read his first novel until he was 17. I personally love reading, so learning that someone who did not read a novel until 17 eventually became such a successful author was really interesting to me. It made me more curious about Reynolds’s journey as a writer and how his experiences influenced the stories he writes for young adults.
Your blog followed the rubric given to us and gave even more interesting information. I love that this author is able to discuss serious topics that some might be afraid to bring up. Although I have not read this novel I am for sure planning on reading it now.
ReplyDeleteThis author tackles similar concepts to my own blog choice, even the switching of characters. I think the idea to split the perspective displays a deep understanding of social climate and our communities to be able to craft this story. It’s a statement of these novels.
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