I'm Not Dying With You Tonight.

 

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An NAACP Image Award Nominee, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight follows two teen girls—one black, one white—who have to confront their own assumptions about racial inequality as they rely on each other to get through the violent race riot that has set their city on fire with civil unrest. 

Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she’s going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school. 

When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together. They aren’t friends. They hardly understand the other’s point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they’re going to survive the night. 

 

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Powerful. Memorable. 

I was on a road trip with family when I started reading I’m Not Dying With You Tonight, and I ended up reading the book the entire car trip. I was captivated by the story only a few pages into the book. When I started reading the book, I didn’t have high expectations since I had never read books by the authors before. But, once I finished the book, I felt I should have higher expectations. I’m Not Dying With You Tonight … this story, I don’t think how to begin to explain the emotions that were going through me. I thought about the story long after I turned in the last book. This story will make you angry, make you cry, and at times, smile. I got so captivated by the book that there were a few times that I lost track of time. I’m Not Dying With You Tonight is not the book that you will be able to get out of your mind. I have read a few books about race, but this story is one of the most powerful stories. 

 
This story felt real. Lena and Campbell are not friends, and despite how different they are, their different views, they stand by each other to make it out of a dangerous situation. The two of them have their moments and don’t always agree but stand with each other in the end. However, I wondered if they would make it to safety without killing each other. I wondered if maybe by the end of it, they would become friends. I was hoping that they would, considering what they went through together. Having the story told from both Lena and Campbell's points of view perfectly fits the story. Both Lena and Campbell's emotions were so vivid, and I could feel all the feelings they were feeling. I can’t even begin to imagine what the two of them are going through. I’m glad that the two of them had each other. 

 
I can’t seem to get this story out of my head. It was one of the most influential books I have read in a while. I’m eager to see what other books the authors have written. A book that is worth every single star.