Lena is black, fun, fierce, and loyal to her friends. Her boyfriend (Black – a family nickname) is 20, a fact Lena doesn’t want her Pop to know about, and also a topic her cousin lectures her on, any chance he gets. Lena brushes off any criticism of Black and ‘his boys’, as she is captivated with everything about him.

Campbell is white, new to their school, their town and even their state of Alabama, and is the opposite of Lena. Quiet, shy and keen to stay in the background, Campbell has been left to live with her dad as her mum has taken a new job in Venezuela. After years of being on his own, Campbell’s dad doesn’t change his weekend fishing trips, leaving her alone every weekend.

One Friday night, Lena has attended the school football game to support her ‘girls’ in the cheer leading team, and Campbell has been roped into running the game’s food stand. When a fight breaks out at half-time between the competing team’s fans, Campbell is shocked, but Lena is just mad her new shirt is ruined with flying food and Coke.

As shots are fired, Lena yanks Campbell to the ground and they hide together as an all out riot kicks off outside the hot dog booth, more gunshots are heard, sirens wail and the riot intensifies. They flee together, hoping to avoid any more trouble. Lena wants to find Black and Campbell just wants to get home.

Road blocks, demonstrators and protesters block their way. Lena knows the ‘hood’ well and Campbell has the only working cellphone, so this unlikely duo stick together. The longer they are out in the chaos, the closer they become, sticking up for each other as bottles and fists fly. The riot and chaos has spread quickly, so avoiding it is almost impossible. Campbell believes the police will help, until she sees their long batons swinging and the shields pushing innocent people caught in the middle. Lena has warned her about the ‘po po’ and she drags Campbell to safety again.

When looting becomes rife, Campbell is angry, showing her own strength in the situation. These two girls never imagined the night they would endure, or the unlikely person they would rely on, but they know they will never be the same.

Told in two viewpoints, (one black girl and one white) this story highlights the racism, prejudice and hate that quickly boils over at a high school football game, then into the streets. At any other time, Lena and Campbell wouldn’t even talk to each other, let alone rely on one another in multiple life or death situations over one night of chaos, sirens and riots.

As we see their story through their eyes, they learn about each other’s lives in the hours they are thrown together. Both are left with fallout to deal with as the novel ends. Loved it.

Authors – Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal

Age – 13+

(Riot, Football, Prejudice, Racism, Judging, Courage, Anger, Looting, Police, Riot Squad, Marching, Protesting, Race Riots, Action, Conflict, Crime)