Spoiler-Free Book Review + GIVEAWAY!
Yesterday I had the pleasure of leading the monthly Barnes & Noble YA Book Club at my local store. The pick of the month was I’m Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal. The story follows the events of just a single night: Lena and Campbell, two girls who couldn’t be more opposite, are thrown together as the high school football game descends into mass chaos. With a city up in flames as a racially charged fight escalates into a violent riot, they have to rely on each other to make it out alive.
Let’s start this review with the pace of the book. It honestly took some time for this story to draw me in. Each chapter alternates between the perspectives of the two girls. Lena is African American and has lived in this town her entire life, so she knows how to navigate the streets and beware of the cops. Campbell is white and recently transferred to McPherson High School from a predominantly white suburban area. For the first 50-ish pages, I struggled to connect with either character as the plot was pretty slow moving. However, I read everything past these first 50 pages in a single sitting—it was like the story went from zero to 60 in no time. So stick out the first few chapters, I promise it will be worth it!
I thought this book did a great job of highlighting the connection between racism, naïvety, and privilege. Is Campbell racist? In my opinion, not overtly, but she definitely is naïve. Furthermore, I think this naïvety spawns from her unawareness of her own privilege. By never having confronted this privilege, she unintentionally makes inaccurate judgments about her situation, which can be translated into covert racism. Honestly, it is a sticky question to juggle, but it is definitely a talking point that should be addressed and considered in relation to our own lives. At least in my case, it got me doing some real introspection. How is my privilege reflected in my actions? How can an awareness of this privilege positively influence my interactions with those of different cultural backgrounds? In what ways can I be more culturally responsive in all realms of life?
Overall, I walked away from this book thoroughly satisfied. I am definitely not the type of reader who respects an author’s decision to leave gigantic loose ends or unanswered questions at the end of a story. My curiosity simply gets the best of me—it all has to be tied up with a nice, neat bow… Okay, maybe I do allow some leeway, but I think authors can sometimes overdo the whole “mysterious cliffhanger ending” thing, particularly when it’s a stand-alone book. I will say, though, that it was primarily the extra chapters and map in the Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition that provided this key information—information that I believe should have been included in all versions of this book. Lucky for you, it’s the B&N Exclusive Edition that is up for grabs!
Now that I’ve sufficiently piqued your interest in the book, it’s time to give away one free copy! Just follow these steps to enter:
Follow me on Instagram if you haven’t already: https://www.instagram.com/kendra.lee.adams/
Add the I’m Not Dying With You Tonight Instagram post to your story (using the paper airplane icon next to the comment button), tag @kendra.lee.adams, and use the hashtag #KLAgiveaway. Important: I won’t be notified of your post unless you tag me manually in the story!
That’s it, you’re entered!
This giveaway will close on Friday, September 20th at midnight CDT and is open to U.S. residents only. One entry per person. One randomly chosen winner will be announced Saturday, September 21st via Instagram. I will DM the winner on Instagram before the announcement is made. Also note that since my audience is pretty small, the chances of winning are in your favor! Good luck!