All American Boys

Reynolds, Jason and Brendan Kiely.  All American Boys.  Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2017.

Pages:  336

Age Range: 14-18

Genre: realistic fiction

Setting: fictional town of Springfield

Themes: racial tension/prejudice, police brutality, teammates/team work, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, assumptions based on appearance 

Merits:

The dual narrative shows two different perspectives - one from a white boy and one from a black boy -  although they see the same scene and agree that it should never have happened.  The loyalty of the two characters is where the divergence occurs; loyalty and betrayal tear apart Quinn, the white boy.  Physical violence tears about Rashad, the black boy.  The comparison of fathers is also unique in this book as the reader sees structured, responsible, military fathers leading to an unexpected twist to the expectations of law enforcement.  The random act that sets off the conflict in the novel is also important; there is never a reason for what occurs in the act of police brutality.  Saadly, no amount of training to black boys on how to react to police can ever fully prepare a black youth in this situation.

Unique Quality: 

The voices of the two young men come through clearly. The twist concerning a major character  is unexpected and adds empathy to the villain.  For what are supposed to be negative characters, they are shown as real young men who show great respect to their elders and authority.

Detractors: 

There is ample use of foul language. Young teenage females are referred to in descriptive ways concerning their feminine qualities since the main characters are teenage boys; however, this does not justify their objectivism.   Police brutality shows violence in the book.

Main Characters:

Rashad Butler - 16, a black boy who attends Springfield High School and is a member of their Junior ROTC to please his father; he loves to draw and admires the singular cartoons of Family Circus

Spoony Butler - older brother of Rashad, already graduated from high school, often disagrees with his father, seems to be described as a “thug” but is a respectable boy

Mr. Butler - father of Rashad and Spoony, had been in the military and a policeman, but he left the force and works in an office.

Mrs. Butler - a kind, caring woman who supports her children and husband; she keeps the family together, especially when Spoony and her husband disagree

Quinn Collins - 16, a teen white boy who also attends Springfield High School.  He plays basketball and is good friends with Guzzo.

Paul Galluzzo - a police officer who brutally beats Rashad because he thinks he was stealing and resisting arrest; He is Guzzo’s older brother and has taken Quinn under his wing, helping him with basketball and supporting him after his father died in combat.

Guzzo - 17, younger brother of Paul; on the basketball team 

Plot:

Rashad’s story - 

After school, Rashad couldn’t wait to change out of his ROTC uniform and be one of the guys tonight.  Before basketball season begins, the boys are all going out to a party, intending to hook up with some girls from school. Rashad goes into the local store to get a snack before meeting his friends.  He picks up a bag of something, squats down and reaches into his bag.  A woman trips over him.  He reaches into his bag for his phone again, but this time the police officer yells at him, assumes he was stealing, and might be reaching for something, maybe a weapon.  He is arrested for theft, put in cuffs, and hauled out of the store.  He is forced to the ground. He knows not to resist, but he can’t help but squirm, which is taken as an act of resisting arrest. He is punched and hit repeatedly since he is “resisting.” 

Rashad awakens in the hospital.  His nose is broken along with several ribs.  He has internal breathing around his lungs.  His mom and dad stay with him in the hospital a lot, and Spoony visits too, but Spoony is full of anger whereas his parents are more concerned with his recovery.  Eventually, his boys hear what happened.  They visit and support him, but they also reveal how much tension has elevated at the school.

Quinn’s story - 

Quinn happened to be by the local store and saw what happened to Rashad.  Although they go to the same school, they don't really know each other.  However, Quinn knows the police officer.  Paul Galluzzo is Quinn’s best friend’s brother, and Paul, himself, has been a friend and mentor to Quinn since Quinn’s father’s death in combat in Iraq. Quinn feels bad about what happened to Rashad, but he says nothing because Paul is a good guy. Quinn wasn’t in the store.  He doesn’t know Rashad did.  Paul is a good cop.  He had to use force, right?

Quinn and Guzzo are getting ready to try out for the basketball team again. The team will do well this year - lots of great players, and scouts will be at the games for the major teams.  Quinn needs that.  He has to get to a good school.  But school and basketball are very different after the incident with Rashad.  The team is divided, and it shows on the court.  The coach pulls them all together and tells them to keep focussed on the game and to leave all of the other stuff outside.  Although that sounds like a plan, it doesn’t work.  They boys combat each other rather than an opponent.  Quinn tries to keep quiet, but he feels so wrong about it, especially when he’s at a picnic at the Galluzzo’s.  Paul can feel Quinn’s suspicion and tries to convince him that what he did was merited.   But Quinn has to make up his own mind.  When he does, Guzzo is betrayed, and they battle on the court too.  

A movement begins at school with a tag on a sidewalk - Rashad is not in school today.  It reminds people of Rashad’s injuries.  It is repeated daily, and soon a protest march is planned.  Quinn wears a shirt saying he will be marching.  That’s the last straw for Guzzo who can’t believe his friend has betrayed the family that has supported him since his father’s death.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Rashad’s dad reveals something he did as a police officer, a shooting of a young black male, who may have been innocent, but Mr. Butler’s reaction and suspicion due to the boy’s appearance caused him to fire. The boy was paralyzed from the waist down. Rashad is shocked and doesn’t know how to deal with this information.  Should someone be blamed for a split second decision?  Should a black male automatically be suspicious?  Why do these events keep happening?  Why did Paul Galluzzo, who is on paid leave from the police during the investigation, feel that Rashad needed to be beaten?  

Quinn struggles with whether to join the march or not, but in the end realizes that inaction means compliance, so he marches.  Mr. Butler is waiting for his family by the police station as the march comes.  All lie down.  This is a dead march, and the names of those killed by police brutality are announced.