Synopsis: Alfonso Jones can't wait to play the role of Hamlet in his
school's hip-hop rendition of the classic Shakespearean play. He also wants to
let his best friend, Danetta, know how he really feels about her. But as he is
buying his first suit, an off-duty police officer mistakes a clothes hanger for
a gun, and he shoots Alfonso. When Alfonso wakes up in the afterlife, he's on a ghost
train guided by well-known victims of police shootings, who teach him what he
needs to know about this subterranean spiritual world. Meanwhile, Alfonso's
family and friends struggle with their grief and seek justice for Alfonso in
the streets. As they confront their new realities, both Alfonso and those he
loves realize the work that lies ahead in the fight for justice.
(from the online description)
Review: Tony Medina wrote this graphic novel as part of the Black
Lives Matter movement. He based the fictional Alfonso Jones on several of the
young men shot by law officers in the last few years.
I specifically asked for this book to review because I’m
white and I’m a racist. As the Black Lives Matter grew to prominence, I reacted
with contempt and scorn, pushing aside the movement as the petulant rantings of
a self-victimizing people.
It was through speaking with a friend several years ago,
that I began to question this attitude. Maybe…I was wrong.
I decide to explore the racism in my heart, a journey which
has lead me to get involved in my community, listen to voices I previously
ignored, contemplate thoughts I previously considered stupid, and – to read
books that challenge my own experience and education.
Medina’s book is just such a book. With thick bold lines and
dynamic art, Medina weaves the tale of the fictional Alfonso Jones into a narrative
of black lives taken through police action. I did not agree with everything
Medina said – but I can’t tell if that is because he was actually wrong or
because of my own racist perceptions. It seemed as if he was saying that
everyone killed by police was innocent of any crime. That isn’t true. But
perhaps, that isn’t the point? Guilty or not, every American is entitled to a
fair trial and the expectation of safety while under police management. As a
white American, I take that expectation as fact. I am learning that for black
Americans, it is a lie.
This book did not magically change my thinking. Instead, it
is another valuable step in my own journey to understand the struggle of Blacks
in America, and my own contribution to that injustice.
I would recommend it as part of any library dedicated to
understanding the condition of black Americans and particularly, I recommend
this work to anyone looking to understand a perspective outside their own.
Note: I received this free from LibaryThing’s Early Review
Program, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion
Bookmarks: 4 of 5
Awards: 2018 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens list (Young
Adult Library Services Association) and the New York Public Library's list of
Best Books for Teens.
ISBN: 978-1-62014-263-9-51895
Year Published: 2017
Date Finished: 5-1-2017
Pages: 166
