Tyler Johnson Was Here
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- £5.49
Publisher Description
A young man searches for answers after the death of his brother at the hands of police in this striking debut novel, for readers of The Hate U Give.
When Marvin Johnson's twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.
The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it's up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean.
Tyler Johnson Was Here is a powerful and moving portrait of youth and family that speaks to the serious issues of today--from gun control to the Black Lives Matter movement.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cole's debut novel, based on events in his own life, follows Marvin Johnson, a college-bound senior at Alabama's Sojourner Truth High School. From the opening pages, Marvin and his twin brother, Tyler, navigate racism, drug dealers, and police violence, their lives governed by the "talk that all decent black mothers and fathers give to their children at least once a month. The You-Live-in-a-White-Man's-World-So-Be-Careful talk." Marvin's life takes a turn from hanging out with his "high-ability geek" friends, doing homework, and binge-watching A Different World when a party ends in a shoot-out, a police raid, and Tyler's disappearance. Periodic letters from Marvin's imprisoned father convey a poignant vulnerability, while Marvin's penetrating narrative voice captures the relentless anxiety and questioning that accompanies every choice he faces, from how to address Tyler's friendship with a local drug dealer to how to behave when witnessing police beat an innocent black teenager. It's a distressing yet empowering portrait of a black teenager confronting relentless racism, brutality, and tragedy. Ages 14 up.
