I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

My latest read is I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal.  This is a riveting, intense, and page turning novel about friendship, understanding, and racism.  It is a story about racial inequalities and learning to understand the differences we all have.  It's about prejudice and realizing where our prejudices are dead wrong. 

This wonderful novel is told through dual narrators, Lena and Campbell.  Lena is black and full of confidence and swagger.  Campbell is white and is the new girl at school.  With no friends and no real desire to make any, Campbell is quiet and withdrawn.  When these two virtual strangers are thrust together amid chaos at a football game, they must rely on each other to survive the madness.  During the course of the events of one night, these two learn that everything they initially thought about the other is false.  They only have each other for most of the night and through the ongoing trauma, come to see the best in each other and form a friendship based on a mutual understanding of what is real and what isn't.

This story is intense and it will keep you turning the page as our two main characters fight for their survival.  It is timely and important and one that will remain in your thoughts for a long time.    

From Amazon:

"An absolute page turner, I'm Not Dying with You Tonight is a compelling and powerful novel that is sure to make an impact. " ―Angie Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

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.

This book is perfect for:

• Sparking conversations about prejudice and the racial tension that exists in America
• Parents and educators looking for multicultural and African American books for teens
• Fans of Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, and Jason Reynolds