Review: I’m Not Dying You Tonight

Synopsis:

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.

Plot:

Lena knew Black was a good person. Sure, no one else saw her boyfriend for the sweet, caring guy she knew he could be, as he had a reputation to uphold, especially if he was going to make it big in the music industry. So when a fight breaks out and someone gets shot, Lena is not terribly surprised that Black would not swoop in to rescue her, but is relieved to hear that if she makes it to him, he will take her safely home. The only problem is her phone is dead, so how is she supposed to call Black, if she cannot reach him? Luckily, Becky, or as she told Lena, Campbell, is here to help. Campbell is new to the town, and after being cornered by the teacher, agreed to help run a concession stand for their Friday Football game. When a fight breaks out in front of her, with the police and gunfire, Campbell is stuck with pretty-girl Lena, who promises to get her home. They are not friends, barely even know each other, and do not see from the same perspective. However, with their city rioting before their eyes, these girls must rely on each other if they want to make it home safe, and out of this chaos.

Thoughts:

Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal wrote this stellar novel of two teen girls trying to escape a rioting town. Divided into five parts, the story switches between the first-person perspective of Lena and Campbell, which is where we see our author switch as Jones writes for Lena, and Segal for Campbell. The authors work seamlessly together as, where the speaking is different, the writing carries out the same level of plot development and story detail, which is quite unique and makes it easy to read, despite constantly switching authors. The main theme of this novel is race, and what it means to be Black, from the point of view of this majority Black town, and Lena who identifies as Black. The racial undertone of this novel is strong, with how the police are aggressive towards Black people, the BLM march, how Lena views family differently than Campbell, and how Campbell carries racist ideas around with her, without knowing the things she believes can be considered racist. Lena, for her part, does not forgive Campbell for these things, nor apologies for teaching Campbell the right way. She does, as what many Black people have to do, which is correct Campbell and move on as they have bigger things to fix. The bad for this novel is not major, the timeline is a little wonky, as it is hard to picture what the town looks like with no map. Don’t know why getting to Black was such a major plot point, as he seems like a horrible boyfriend to force Lena to walk through a riot for a drive home, instead of coming to her rescue. The novel reads like a young adult, with unneeded drama and plot points not being fully developed, but given so that Lena and Campbell can have more back story. Overall, this novel is a great conversation to open up about race, unique as it was written by a Black and white author, and a great story about two not-friends trying to survive the night.

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

Catch Up With These Past Author Talks!

Check out these past great #AuthorTalks by the following authors! #KimberlyJones #GillySegal @rmorganbentley @tanviberwah @SBKSLibrary @el_kat @SourcebooksFire

Over the past few weeks. I had hosted amazing author talks that I hope you were able to take part in. Weren’t able to catch it live? You’re in luck! The recordings are up and available to watch. If you haven’t had the chance to read the following authors’ books, after listening to these great conversations, you want to begin right away! Watch Below! (more…)

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Book Review: 'Captain Marvel: Shadow Code' by Gilly Segal

Get ready for another girl-powered Captain Marvel team-up in Gilly Segal’s Captain Marvel: Shadow Code. Iron Man has asked for Captain Marvel’s help. A young student of his who is a pattern genius has noticed a rather worrying one surrounding tech unicorn Digitech. Mara Melamed can’t quite see the big picture yet, but she knows that there is one, and that it isn’t pretty. Now Captain Marvel,…

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𝗜'𝗺 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗗𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.

A brief summary: I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal. The book belongs to the young adult, realistic fiction, contemporary, and social justice genres. It was published on August 6th 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire Publisher.

I started reading it from February 4th to 5th 2024, in an E-book format, with 249 pages.

Overall Review: beware of spoilers!

ㅤㅤI'm Not Dying with You Tonight is a unique book written by two authors, Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal, who seemingly tell their own stories as white and black individuals. Okay, I won't delve into that further. This book revolves around two girls, Lena and Campbell, one white and one black, who find themselves caught up in a fight at their school after a football game. As tensions escalate throughout the school and spread to the entire city, they end up in another part of town where a social justice protest turns violent and then erupts into a wild and chaotic riot.

ㅤㅤI want to say that I'm Not Dying with You Tonight tackles a sensitive topic in fiction, for sure. It brings racial tension and discord to the forefront of the story, which may serve as a realistic portrayal of what actually happens in our lives. This book could be a great introductory read to start discussions about the different experiences in ethnic diversity within society and all the interactions that come with it. What's unique about the story is that we are introduced to two different perspectives through Lena's (an African-American) and Campbell's (a Caucasian) points of view. I liked this portrayal because it allowed me to delve into their individual characteristics through different perspectives. It also made it easier for readers to understand both of them, and from there, it felt like we were invited to experience the emotional bond between the two main characters throughout the events. The two authors effectively explore factors such as racism, discrimination, and social inequality in the story. On the other hand, an unexpected highlight for me was the development of their friendship, from being strangers to relying on each other.

ㅤㅤNow, what bothered me while reading this? Of course, it was the ending that felt rushed. It felt like the authors left my imagination hanging abruptly. I was waiting for more continuation of the story, to know what happened to Lena and Campbell after the riot, their friends, and their town that was left in ruins without knowing the next steps. In the end, Lena and Campbell survived the night but were left with more questions than answers, as often happens in these situations. Although there was an additional chapter from the perspectives of Marcus, Lena, and Campbell, it didn't fill the gaps I mentioned earlier. The additional chapter focused only on their graduation speeches, and it ended just like that.

ㅤㅤWell, despite that, I still appreciate the aspect of this book that addresses the realistic description of racial tension and how it develops. I think the authors did a good job in explaining what was happening, although not in depth.

Xoxo, #SweetLibrary. <3

Winnie-the-Pooh Disobedience Reads

(explanatory post)

The last of the really great spell-outs

Doomsday Book/Connie Willis-A reread of one of my favorite books of all times. It’s amazing.

I’m Not Dying with You Tonight/Gilly Segal and Kimberley Jones-This was an enjoyable read but it didn’t finish what it meant to do.

Someday Angeline/Louis Sachar-Another reread of one of my favorite books, after reading the sequel for the first time.

Heartstopper: Volume Two/Alice Oseman-Yet another reread, this time one while I was sick. Very enjoyable.

Beezus and Ramona/Beverly Cleary-And yet another reread. Technically the first in the Ramona Quimby series but focused on her older sister, Beezus. I liked it more now as an adult than I did as a kid.

The Enchanted Castle/E. Nesbit-Another reread that I loved as kid, but as an adult it has an incredibly racist chapter. A lot of the rest was still enjoyable, but I didn’t love the ending (I had actually remembered a different ending).

The Darkness Outside Us/Eliot Schrefer-This was advertised as a romance in space and turned out to be a thriller in space, but I probably enjoyed it the more for that. Not my favorite but one I would recommend.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life/Benjamin Alire Sáenz-A read to see if BAS is for me after all. He is not.

Eric/Terry Pratchett-A funny book and that is all. There is not substance. (Also, another reread.)

Neverwhere/Neil Gaiman-I loved this book so much in ninth grade. In my 20s I’m a little more over characters who aren’t special, but it was still fun and I still love the world and the ending and the Marquis and all the other side characters.

City of Stars/Mary Hoffman-The last reread on this list. It was pleasant but not fully satisfying. Very early noughts YA.

Life on the Line: Young Doctors Come of Age in a Pandemic/Emma Goldberg-A non-fiction that follows doctors who graduated early in NYC because of corona, but goes further than that, talking about all kinds of different ethics that are encountered in medicine. One of my favorites of the year.

6 YA Books By Black Authors About Social Justice

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1. The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

“Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer. Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids. As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson. With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?”

___

2. One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite

“ISN'T BEING HUMAN ENOUGH? When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic. One of the good ones. Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there's a twist to Kezi's story that no one could've ever expected—one that will change everything all over again.”

___

3. Kneel by Candace Buford

“The system is rigged. For guys like Russell Boudreaux, football is the only way out of their small town. As the team’s varsity tight end, Rus has a singular goal: to get a scholarship and play on the national stage. But when his best friend is unfairly arrested and kicked off the team, Rus faces an impossible choice: speak up or live in fear. “Please rise for the national anthem.” Desperate for change, Rus kneels during the national anthem. In one instant, he falls from local stardom and becomes a target for hatred. But he’s not alone. With the help of his best friend and an unlikely ally, Rus will fight for his dreams, and for justice.”

___

4. Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.

___

5. Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried. When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year’s rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best—and only—friend more than ever. But Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help. As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?

___

6. I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal

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.

___

Have you read any of these? Would you recommend them?

___

Happy reading!

'It will always be a wonderful day at World of Wonder.'

Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal, from “World of Wonder”

✨NEW October YA Book✨  

📖Why We Fly

Kimberly Jones

Gilly Segal

Sourcebooks Fire

From the New York Times bestselling authors of I'm Not Dying with You Tonight comes a story about friendship, privilege, sports, and protest.

With a rocky start to senior year, cheerleaders and lifelong best friends Eleanor and Chanel have a lot on their minds. Eleanor is still in physical therapy months after a serious concussion from a failed cheer stunt. Chanel starts making questionable decisions to deal with the mounting pressure of college applications. But they have each other's backs―just as always, until Eleanor's new relationship with star quarterback Three starts a rift between them.

Then, the cheer squad decides to take a knee at the season's first football game, and what seemed like a positive show of solidarity suddenly shines a national spotlight on the team―and becomes the reason for a larger fallout between the girls.

Click on one of the “available now” links to continue reading and purchase...

Available Now👉🏿 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Go HERE for more September new releases by Black authors.

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WHY WE FLY

by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal

(Sourcebooks Fire, 10/5/21)

9781492678922

.

Add to Goodreads

Purchase from Bookshop

From the bestselling authors of I'm Not Dying with You Tonight comes a compelling YA novel about the choices teens make. Two high school cheerleaders face the ultimate test when an act of solidarity spurs chaos. With a rocky start to senior year, lifelong friends Eleanor and Chanel have a lot on their mind. Eleanor is still in physical therapy months after a serious concussion from a failed cheer attempt. Chanel's putting tremendous pressure on herself to get into the best colleges and starts making questionable decisions. But they have each other's backs just as always. Eleanor's new relationship with star quarterback Three may be causing a rift between the best friends. When the cheer squad decides to take a knee at the season's first football game, what seemed like a positive show of solidarity suddenly becomes the reason for a larger fallout between the girls. Grappling with the weight of the school's actions as well as their own problems, can the girls rely on the friendship they've always shared? A bittersweet, sometime humorous, but always compelling look at issues of friendship, privilege, sports, and race.

We take a sharp right and hit a pothole on one of the roads heading toward Grant Village. The car bounces, and my head slams against the ceiling.

"Whoa, Grand Theft Auto!" yells one of the guys in the back with me. "Take it easy there, killa!"

I'm dead—

Title: I'm Not Dying with You Tonight | Author: Kimberly Jones / Gilly Segal | Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (2019)

Author Talk with Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal

Author Talk with Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal

Get ready for the first author talk of the fall season! Join me and frequent blog contributor, Whitney Davidson-Rhodes will be in conversation with NYT bestselling authors Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal about their award-winning YA novels, I’m Not Dying With You Tonight and Why We Fly! (more…)

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Lena and Campbell aren't friends. 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.

I’m Not Dying with You Tonight

Note: I received an ARC of this book from an ABA white box through my place of employment, Copperfish Books. Special thanks both to Sourcebooks Fire and the ABA for getting this gem into my hands.

Secondary Note: this book comes out next month. You can pre-order a copy here

Bear with me, because this is going to be a messy review and I have a lot of feelings about it. It's everything. It's race issues and varying perspectives and problems that are deeper than they appear, it's calling out nice-guy racism on both sides of the aisle and it's issues that don't have solutions, it's so much.

Let me back up. I'M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT is the story of a night gone terribly wrong and the two girls who have to team up to try and survive both a school shooting and a race-fueled riot. Lena is a fashionista African-American who just wants to spend the night with her boo, who keeps ditching her. Campbell is a white girl who just moved to town, is very... un-woke, I would say, and didn't even really want to leave her house that night. They're polar opposites, but when fighting breaks out, suddenly they're all they have with each other. Their story of struggle and instant friendship is one of the most powerful things I've ever read.

This belongs up there with The Hate U Give. It's powerful, moving, and wildly accurate. The pacing is so good and every page shines with good writing. I loved, loved, loved the characters. The content itself is amazing, right, but even beyond that, this is an amazing book just because of the writing craftsmanship. This isn't one of those YAs that tries to get away with subpar writing or passive characters--no no no no no. This book is wonderfully crafted. The characters are built so well. The action is so perfectly portrayed. I'M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT is the kind of book that will inspire fanfic because once you're done, you're left wanting so much more. It's just. Ugh.

Basically what I'm trying to say is, I'm losing my mind over how good this book was, and I'm gonna need these authors to please write more books so I can have them. Cuz I need more. A lot more.

Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal | Book Review

Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal | Book Review

Why We Fly by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal was a book that was REALLY easy to sell me on reading. You see, when a book combines themes of sports and activism, I am absolutely on board to pick it up. And so, I was really excited to read Why We Fly and fall into the dual narratives of Chanel and Eleanor. As it turns out, this book didn’t quite hit as much as I had wanted it to. Why We Fly opens…

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