How it went down /

An African American boy runs from the corner market, hunched over and wearing a hoodie. A man shouts, Come back here! A car stops in the street, someone yells, He has a gun! And suddenly, 16-year-old Tariq Johnson is on the ground, dead from two shots fired at his back. The shooter, a white man, is free after claiming self-defense, but police don't find a weapon on Tariq. Everyone has an opinion about what happened, but the only person who knows for sure no longer has a voice. Seventeen distinct narrators tell this tense, multilayered story, which could easily be headline news. Magoon handles the large cast deftly, letting the players tell their own fragments of the story. Together, they reveal just as much about the last seconds of Tariq's life as they do human nature, racism, and the societal cost of generational poverty. The lack of resolution may frustrate readers seeking answers, but this poignant and honest story is bound to generate a strong emotional response and, hopefully, discussion.--Hayes, Summer Copyright 2014 Booklist

Starred Review. Structured similarly to Avi's Nothing But the Truth, this provocative novel set in a neighborhood ruled by gangs offers multiple, contradictory perspectives on the shooting of an African-American youth. No one disputes that 16-year-old Tariq Johnson was shot on the street by Jack Franklin, a white gang member, but the motives of both killer and victim remain fuzzy, as do the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The nationally renowned Reverend Alabaster Sloan claims that racial bias was involved and criticizes the police for releasing Jack. Locals have differing opinions, which spur more questions. Was the killing a matter of self-defense? Did Tariq have a weapon? Was he a gang member? Even eyewitnesses disagree on many points. Expressing the thoughts of Tariq's family, neighbors, friends, and enemies, Magoon (37 Things I Love ) creates a montage of impressions for readers to digest before drawing conclusions about the tragedy. Through this resonant chorus of voices, Magoon masterfully captures the cycle of urban violence and the raw emotions of the young people who can't escape its impact. Ages 14-up. Agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 7 Up-Sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson is shot and killed while a diverse group of people look on. All of the eyewitnesses, plus community members who are invested in the case, tell the story of what happened. The problem is that everyone has a slightly different version of what happened, and as time goes on, the account becomes even more confused as everyone tries to make sense of the incident and how it happened. A full cast, including Cherise Boothe, Shari Peele, Kevin R. Free, and Avery Glymph, narrates, bringing the many characters and their versions of the story to life. VERDICT This story would be an excellent addition to middle and high school classes and would enhance collections dealing with race relations, diversity, and urban teens.-Amanda Stern, Northwest Village School, Plainville, CT © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson is walking home from a convenience store when he is shot twice by a white man on the street. After his death, the neighborhood is up in arms, and no one has the same story of what happened. What emerges, through multiple voices, is a portrait not just of a young man and his untimely death but of a society struggling with the clashing of personal versus group identity; ethnic group membership versus class status; activism for a cause versus activism for personal gain. From a celebrity pastor using the incident to enhance his ratings to a gang leader insisting that Tariq was one of his to Tariqs little sister trying to make sense of the shooting, the story becomes fuller as more members of the community chime in with their memories or extrapolations. Audio is an excellent format for this novel, the experience akin to listening to an episode of NPRs Radiolab or Serial. Heartbreakingly timely and relevant, How It Went Down is as diverse in its perspectives and opinions as real-life news stories, and it ends with similar unsettledness. sarah hannah gmez (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A racially charged shooting reveals the complicated relationships that surround a popular teen and the neighborhood that nurtured and challenged him. Instead of a gangster after retribution, 16-year-old African-American Tariq Johnson's killer is a white man claiming to have acted in self-defense. Despite their failure to find a weapon on the black teen, the police release the shooter, rocking the community. On its face, this novel sounds like an easy example of fiction "ripped from the headlines." However, Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award-winning writer Magoon provides an intriguing story that allows readers to learn much about the family, friends and enemies of everyone affected. There are young men attempting to navigate the streets and young women, including one who tried in vain to save Tariq, wishing for better lives but with little idea how to change their paths. There are the grief-stricken family and adults who seek to give voice to powerless people but also serve themselves. The episode affects even those who think they have moved away from the community. As each character reflects on Tariq, a complex young man is revealed, one who used his considerable charm to walk the tightrope of life in his neighborhood. Magoon skillfully tells the story in multiple, sometimes conflicting, voices. This sobering yet satisfying novel leaves readers to ponder the complex questions it raises. (Fiction. 14 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.