Wow, what a book! Such an emotional journey, parts of it were so hard to read, and parts that I sped through. The author does an amazing job capturing such different lives and perspectives. There are so many feelings this book bring out. 10/10 recommend!

This was a surprising read for me in a great way. I had never heard of this book till it was the chosen book for the February #APIDABuddyRead and honestly, I was blown away by this story. This novel is based on the true story of Latasha Harlins, an African American teenager, who was shot and killed by a Korean American convenience shop owner in Los Angeles in the year 1991.

This novel tells the story from the alternating viewpoints of Grace Park and Shawn Matthews. Grace is a Korean American who works in a Pharmacy run by her family. In her attempt to uncover reasons why her sister is estranged from her family, Grace discovers a secret that her family has been keeping from her throughout her entire life. Shawn has finally settled into a stable life, working in the day as a mover and coming home to a loving family and a young daughter. He feels like he is finally getting his life in order after a chaotic childhood filled with gangs and crimes before something attempts to upend his life and bring up the traumatic past again.

This book explores anti-blackness in the Asian community and it led to an awakening in me to examine my own privilege. It forced me to assess my intrinsic biases and how my actions actually contribute to nuances of racism. Am I pausing and checking myself before speaking or doing stuff? Am I using my privilege to bring light to the issues and racism faced in this country? These thoughts become glaringly essential when I think about how this story is so relevant even in today’s climate, 20 years after this incident. We should be asking ourselves: Are we doing enough? Am I doing enough?

Okay y’all, I’m shouting this next part so that you guys can hear it loud and clear. “Underrated book alert! More of you all need to grab this book!”


CW:Racism, Gun Violence, Riots, Death