Liza Wiemer

When I first heard about this book it was an immediate must-read for me. I was not disappointed.

Inspired by a true event, this book reveals how easily a community can fracture and be divided by hate.

Teenage Logan and Cade are aghast when Logan’s favorite teacher gives their class an assignment that is morally reprehensible. They are to debate the merits of Hitler’s Final Solution, arguing in favor of the extermination of the Jewish people. They know they must do what is right and get show more this assignment canceled. They had no idea that standing up for what is right would result in having to stand up against the majority. Not just fellow students turn on them – so do other teachers, parents, and people in the community. They are bullied, threatened, and ostracized. The story is mostly told with the alternating voices of Cade and Logan.

This explosive story took me on a roller coaster of emotions – shock, outrage, disgust, sorrow, surprise, and pride. Courageous primary characters; great secondary characters. Perfect for all high school libraries. Excellent for classroom or even family discussions. One of the most powerful books of 2020.

Thank you to Delacorte Press for providing a digital ARC of this book. All opinions are strictly my own. show less

Adult Reader Reaction: In a word: Amazing. I was invested immediately, and couldn't put it down. Because each character speaks in first person, I quickly found myself immersed in the emotions of their lives: seeing events from multiple perspectives, reacting to their choices, and worrying about what is or has happened to them. As each character reveals more about their deepest worries, the suspense - and my hope - builds.

Each chapter is time-stamped, moving the story forward in time, but show more with a different voice at each interval. Each character describes narrates their life in their own way: Tricia journals, Angie's voice is free verse poetry, Brian uses sketches, Brenda *speaks* in screenplay. The variety and short chapters offer lots of options to readers of all levels and attention spans.

Pros: This is realistic fiction at its absolute best. Readers will immediately connect with Brenda, Tricia, Brian, Emerson, and Angie. Some they may even call friends, as you think about these teens long after you've finished reading.

Read our full review and add yours at The Reading Tub®. show less

This is a fabulously written book about how difficult it is to do the right thing, especially when the right thing is extremely unpopular. It’s a damning of the people who say “there’s a right way to protest” and then say “no, not like that” when someone does so in the “appropriate” way. It’s an illustration of the way so many acts of hate and attitudes of intolerance are ALREADY normalized in 2020 in the US. Integrity and righteousness are two lofty ideas to communicate to show more teenagers, especially when the stakes are high, but this book communicates them well and reasonably. Accurate and fair, often presenting various attitudes as they are, the reader is asked to see what right and wrong is for themselves, especially in the various chapters that highlight comment sections and social media. Identity is also a huge theme, one that I can relate personally to; my grandmother’s family converted from Judaism because they were harassed and alienated by their neighbors in Connecticut in the early 20th century. I didn’t realize how recently in my family’s history that was; how many other students will have similar experiences? This theme was treated with respect and great attention and affection throughout the book. I appreciate that the teacher’s own struggle with his actions is treated with dignity. I know that it is difficult to be an educator and maintain a balance between what might be engaging and what is responsible, and hope this serves as a wake-up call for students and teachers. The characters all had their own definite personalities; Logan and Cade especially were a joy to watch together. This is an excellent book on an especially relevant topic, and I look forward to seeing its release in print. show less

Logan and Cade are in a history class together, seniors in high school. When their teacher, who has become one of Logan's favorites, gives them an assignment to reenact the Wannesee Conference where the Nazi's developed a plan for the "Final Solution". The two friends find the assignment offensive and one they don't think should be done in their classroom, they don't want to argue the Nazi's point of view. And they take steps to question the assignment which isn't met well by their teacher, show more school administration, or some of the others in the school. They finally include their parents in the discussion and both characters are developed further as family relationships are explored. These students face a lot of harassment and hate as they take this stand, but they also find some allies to support them. It isn't an easy road to stand up and speak out. A timely read. show less