Rating: 5 / 5
I was already struggling under the weight of my February TBR when ONE OF THE GOOD ONES by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite showed up on my library holds list as ready to pick up. I couldn’t resist picking it up and adding it on to my list because I had heard nothing but good things. I was glad to be able to join in with #DrToyasBuddyRead for discussion at the end of the month!
In ONE OF THE GOOD ONES, Kezi Smith is a young social activist known for her YouTube channel where she spoke out on issues of injustice. She is killed after attending a social justice rally and her story quickly blows up. She is labeled “one of the good ones” taken too soon and her family becomes the center of media attention in the fight against police brutality.
Kezi’s sisters Happi and Genny join with a couple of Kezi’s friends to take the trip that Kezi dreamed of taking after high school graduation. Using a copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book and Kezi’s plans, they set off on a cross country journey to discover dark secrets of America’s past.
The authors did a fantastic job of drawing the reader right into the story. We aren’t initially told exactly what happened to Kezi, but the way the story is laid out in alternating viewpoints with a count down to and from the date of Kezi’s arrest, we know we are looking for the tragedy to come. We are primarily hearing from Happi and Kezi as the events unfold from before and after the date when Kezi is tragically taken from her family.
This book took a very interesting look at the aftermath of Kezi’s loss. Happi feels very torn between her sister being this famous icon of a movement, but also the sister that she fought with for bathroom space and bickered with on a daily basis. She and her family are slowly uncovering more secrets about Kezi’s life and twists that will leave them and the reader surprised.
I highly recommend ONE OF THE GOOD ONES for a powerful read!
DG Reads 