The Challenge Factory discussion

Publication date: February 28, 2017
Literary Awards:
National Book Award Nominee for Young People's Literature (2017), Odyssey Award (2018), William C. Morris YA Debut Award (2018), Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Young Adult Literature (2017), Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult (2018), Michael L. Printz Award Nominee (2018), Teen Buckeye Book Award (2018), Rhode Island Teen Book Award (2019), Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee for High School (2020), Coretta Scott King Book Award Nominee for Author Honor (2018), Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Preis der Jugendjury (2018), Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award (2018), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction (2017), The Inky Awards for Silver Inky (2018), California Young Readers Medal Nominee for Young Adult (2020), Lincoln Award (2019), Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Overall and Older Fiction (2018), Kirkus Prize Nominee for Young Readers' Literature (2017), Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction & for Debut Goodreads Author (2017) and for Best of the Best (2018), Carnegie Medal Nominee (2018), NAACP Image Award Nominee for Youth/Teens (2018), Gateway Readers Award (2020), Blogistanian Kuopus (2017)

Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

I started this as an audio book yesterday and I can't stop listening. Starr is so real, as are her family and friends. I really like the narrator too, which helps. I have about 4 hours to go so this will be done soon.

I finished this audio book today. It is a powerful study of the issues faced by Starr Carter, a Black teenage girl who witnesses the murder of her childhood friend. The dialogue feels true. Starr attends a mostly white high school and her boyfriend is white, which opens up many additional issues for exploration. It is helpful to view all of the material addressed from her point of view. Not entirely sure all the scenarios with her white boyfriend Chris would play out the way they did. The lack of justice for Starr's murdered friend Kahlil is too painful. But accurately represented given how things usually go here in the U.S.

I hope to get to this in 2025.

I think you will enjoy it! This thread will be in the archives by then but it will still be open for comments so I'll look for your input.
Thanks for participating in this challenge - I had hoped for a few more people but it was fun to see what you thought of these books.