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It All Comes Down to This [electronic resource] : English, Karen.
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Reviews
Booklist Reviews 2017 April #2
*Starred Review* Bookish, quiet Sophie lives in a mostly white, middle-class neighborhood in L.A. with her class-conscious parents and older sister, Lily, who can pass for white. Life seems fairly easy, though she's certainly no stranger to the cruelty of racism. But in the summer of 1965, as the Watts riots fill the news, several changes shake up Sophie's world: she finds evidence of her father's infidelity; her sister starts dating a darker-skinned man, whose experience of being black is much different from theirs; and she personally sees the unfairness of widespread racism when she auditions for a play at the community center. Amid classic middle-grade topics, English deftly weaves a vivid, nuanced story about the complexity of black identity and the broad implications of prejudice. The Watts riots appear mostly in the background, but English stirringly highlights how black anger isn't localized solely among victims of police brutality. Rather, rage simmers everywhere. Even Sophie, whose most aggressive move is defiantly shouldering past a white girl in the library, thinks to herself, "Gosh, that was a wonderful feeling—being colored and liking to fight." Through Sophie's first-person narrative, readers will gain an insight into her struggle to puzzle out her identity, particularly when what she knows about herself is at odds with the expectations and assumptions of the various communities she inhabits. Thoughtful and well wrought, this novel is compassionate, pointed, and empowering. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.
Horn Book Guide Reviews 2018 Spring
Sophie's is the only African American family in an otherwise all-white neighborhood in 1965 Los Angeles. From learning about Emmett Till to witnessing an innocent man's arrest to the Watts rebellion, twelve-year-old Sophie is forced to face a reality different from that of those around her, resulting in a true coming-of-age story. The portrayal of an upper-middle-class African American family is an unusual and welcome one. Copyright 2017 Horn Book Guide Reviews.
Horn Book Magazine Reviews 2017 #4
The daughter of an art gallery-owning mother and a lawyer father, twelve-year-old Sophie has advantages most children her age do not. However, the summer of 1965 in Los Angeles brings challenges no amount of money can fix. Sophie must navigate her older sister preparing to leave for college, her parents' continual arguments, and the family's overly critical housekeeper. Not to mention that Sophie's is the only African American family in an otherwise all-white neighborhood. In response to her friends' query about what it feels like to be "Negro," Sophie answers, "You remembered what you were all the time. All the time." From learning about Emmett Till to witnessing an innocent man's arrest, Sophie is forced to face a reality different from that of those around her. As much as budding author Sophie tries to focus on writing her novel and auditioning for the starring role in the community play, these issues are a constant presence, coming to a crescendo with the Watts rebellion. How Sophie reacts to these challenges, and what she learns in the process, results in a true coming-of-age story. The perspective of an upper-middle-class African American family is an unusual and welcome one; and Sophie's interactions with her white best friend make for a particularly honest dialogue. Fans of Rita Williams-Garcia will enjoy this moving, frank novel. eboni njoku Copyright 2017 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.
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