Mark Oshiro

Moss is a black, gay teen living in Oakland, California. You don't really need much more than that to guess that life isn't easy for him, but then let's add that his father was murdered by the police, because of which Moss now suffers intense anxiety attacks when confronted with the cops or large crowds of protesters. And then his school - beat up and and derelict, with old or completely-missing equipment, books falling apart - decides that random locker searches and metal detectors at the show more doors are a necessity to keep the student body in check. Moss just wants a normal life, to explore his feelings for his new boyfriend, and to learn to feel comfortable in his own skin, but the world he lives in just doesn't seem to make any of that possible. This one is a doozy, folks. Honest and open and brutal, and it should be required reading for every high school kid in this country. show less

This book was excellent and brutal and so, so necessary. On some level I'm actually surprised it's even getting published because of how honest it is about police violence and protest - it's definitely gonna cause some pearl clutching, which is some of the highest praise I can give it. I can't wait to talk about it with folks. There's so much I want to say but can't yet because I don't want to spoil this. I will say that I especially appreciated the scenes of community and of community show more organizing. Community is so key, in both the broader sense, and in the tight-knit groups of friends that make up the supporting cast, not just Moss' but also his mother's. Which, speaking of, Moss and his amazing mother Wanda are now some of my favorite character in YA. Everyone needs to put this on their to-read list immediately. show less

A tale of an outcast 12 year old girl who has been isolated for the last 4 years after her father passed away and is haunted by various unknown increasingly expressive spirits and phenomena. None of the adults in her life will take her seriously about the ghosts, and so she turns to the only people she has found that she thinks might help and understand; the two members of the GSA at her new school, who are strangely obsessed with the supernatural.
I really enjoyed this story, and the show more characters were so relatable, even as an adult. The deep descriptions of emotions experienced by a traumatized 12 year old were amazingly accurate and very informative to the story and its progression. The inclusion of nonbinary characters, and characters with variable pronouns were a wonderful treat as those of us in the LGBTQ+ community are not always treated with respect in most narratives, let alone one for younger readers. This book was just so wholesome while also addressing some very real and hard topics about grief, family dynamics, and the strength of community. Highly recommended for queer teen and adult readers who enjoy supernatural stories with a bit of themselves inside. show less

The three of us were hurt to varying degrees by an organisation meant to love us. So I think we know the anger that comes with that sort of betrayal. The hopelessness, too, that makes it seem like nothing can ever repair what was broken.

I read the author's middle grade book The Insiders, which I loved for its genuine story about being a queer poc kid, with both serious topics and a lighthearted feeling. This was definitely a whole other genre. I think I'd call it a psychological horror show more thriller?
Mark shiro has a way with words that made the little things absolutely chilling. Manny's thoughts are filled with anxiety, confusion anger and fear and the reader gets to feel all those emotions with him.
The book alternated between Manny in the present day, and flashbacks. A big part of the suspense was the way information was slowly revealed to paint a picture of Manny's life, and they did a great job of giving the right amount of information at the right time.
The truly terrifying part is that this is not fiction, these things happen, and I greatly admire Mark for writing about these things after suffering similar experiences themselves.

The only reason I am not giving this 5 stars is a personal preference.
As queer person of colour, I greatly prefer more lighthearted stories about queer and poc experiences. Real life is often not nice, so I'd like my fiction to be.
Go read this as soon as it's published though

I read an ARC so not everything might be the same in the published version. show less