I'm Not Dying with You Tonight

September 16, 2019
Debut authors Segal and Jones deliver split points of view in this drama that follows two teens: Lena, who is black, and Campbell, who is white and new to Lena’s school. After a racially charged fight breaks out during a football game, school resource officers become involved, gunshots crack the tentative hold preventing an all-out riot, and the night erupts. Lena, unable to get a ride away from the madness, teams up with Campbell to make their way home, where Lena’s boyfriend is working on his album. Along the way, protests draw white supremacists, who run over a black woman, setting off more violence. Though Lena and Campbell’s stories seek to tell the gripping perspectives of two girls from different backgrounds, the characters lack dimension. Unfortunately, the novel stops just short of wrapping up Lena’s story, leaving Campbell with a more full character arc, while Lena, problematically, feels more like a mouthpiece for a stereotypical black experience. Nonetheless, the novel’s timely, accessible look at urgent issues of racial justice will likely draw interest. Ages 14–17. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary.

Narrator Channie Waites opens this audiobook with a lilt, verve, and rhythm, appropriately introducing African-American teen Lena. Lena teases as generously as she loves; her wit is immediately apparent. Brittany Pressley portrays Campbell, whose tone is reserved and timid. Campbell is a teen who is flying under the radar--she is only interested in surviving one year at her new school. When a fight leads to a shooting, the two characters are thrown together as they flee to safety. As they face several other frightening situations, Campbell and Lena's initial codependence leads to mutual understanding and appreciation. Lively voices lessen what sometimes feel like stock characters. S.W. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine