Tyler Johnson Was Here

2.5 Not particularly well written with very little character development, especially with the secondary characters. Other books have done this and better. But, it's raw and real and there can't be enough books reflecting realistic experiences to teens in an unsanitized and everyday way, plus the cover is gorgeous, so it has saleability.

“...the thing about hate is you can't throw it on someone else without getting a little bit on yourself.???

I've connected with other books around the topic more, and felt the characters and plot were a bit clunky or not fully fleshed out. Gorgeous cover! Please prioritize own voice reviewers over my thoughts.

Important themes, to be sure, but the characters struck me flat and underdeveloped, the pacing was off, and some of the racism felt cartoonish. Also, small quibble, but a deposition doesn't happen in a courtoom in front of a judge. It's a YA book so it's not damning that it felt like a Disney Channel tv show, but I was hoping for more.