A must read for every young person and adult. This is an engaging tale of resistance and perseverance and most of all injustice. Every library or classroom bookcase should have a copy of this.

"Punching the Air" by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam is a powerful and heart-wrenching novel in verse. This book dives deep into themes of injustice and the resilience of the human spirit. Zoboi and Salaam's collaborative writing paints a vivid picture of the protagonist's experiences and inner turmoil, making it impossible not to empathize with his journey. It's a gripping and thought-provoking read.

Although not widely recommended, based on a selected few recommendations of bloggers that I love, Punching The Air went straight to the top of my TBR. After reading it, it is no wonder why this is also widely loved, offering a true and stark look at the prison system for a young black man.

Only having heard of the Exonerated Five through recent media, I did not have much experience with their case and this was also the first book that I have read from Ibi Zoboi. If you put these together, then you get a blogger who has limited expectations for the book, coupled with the hype online.

While I tend to read verse novels physically, I decided to give this a go via audiobook but I'm not sure that this was the best choice as I don't think that I was emotional invested as I normally would. Given the subject matter, I would have thought that I would be head over heels in love with it and the writing style, but this was not the case.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the book but by any means, I just wish that I loved it more than I did. There was still an occasion that I enjoyed Amal's character and his overall story. I thought that it was a very emotional and intense journey and I was still invested in the plot and his well-being.

A massive part of any verse novels, in of course the writing and I did really love the story and there were some really memorable lines and it really gave weight to the overall story. The illustrations were also great and again did add to the story.

While I did not love the story as much as other people, I would still love to reread it in the future to see if I like it more. Physically this time.

The Verdict:

Blending poetry and a love for art, Punching The Air is a raw and captivating look at the realities of the American prison system for a Black American teenager.

This is a really powerful young adult novel told in verse and follows a young black man, Amal, as he is convicted of a brutal assault and sent to prison. Parts of drawings and scribbles are interspersed throughout the narrative, which really added to Amal’s story and to my understanding of who he is and how he expresses himself best. He’s clearly a boy who loves his family and wants to do well at school but he is, understandably and justifiably, angry at his art class teacher’s focus on white artists. One day he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time and while he isn’t entirely innocent, he didn’t do the thing he is convicted of. His anger and confusion is palpable, and I could feel the claustrophobia of the prison as if I was right there too. Over time we see the moments of hope that keep Amal going, and I loved the letters he gets from Zenobia. There are small acts of kindness, that come alongside the really dark moments, and it is those that make this book hopeful. It doesn’t shy away from racism and race issues, or the injustice suffered by the wrongly convicted but there is definitely some hope in there. This is a book that I would recommend to everyone.

This book holds nothing back, it's definitely a punch! Especially when it's based on a true story, Yusef Salaam is one of the Exonerated Five.

Our protagonist is Amal, who is wrongly convicted of a crime and us sent to a juvenile detention centre. You are taken through his journey in verse from the trial through to a hopeful release. Amal is a poet, an artist, a young boy and because of the justice system he loses his hopes and dreams and faces an alternate future.

This is a very inspirational book, it makes you rethink and it comes with a great book list that Amal reads in jail. I love books that cause me to research further once I've finished reading.

There are some memorable quotes, in particular this one that stayed with me, the descriptions of the black boots in the fight verses the white boys in the fight.

"We were
a mob
a gang
ghetto
a pack of wolves
animals
thugs
hoodlums
men

They were
kids
having fun
home
loved
supported
protected
full of potential
boys."

An arresting and accessible verse novel that packs a mighty punch to the guts! So much for the reader to think about, this would be an excellent choice for a teen reading group. I have been recommending this one to students a lot already!

"One fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighbourhood escalates into tragedy. ‘Boys just being boys’ turns out to be true only when those boys are white. Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal Shahid’s bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it?"

Powerful, evocative, a must read.

I downloaded this book excited to read and review it after seeing the Netflix documentary 'The Central Park Five' (now known as The Exonerated Five). As a verse novel loving, high school librarian, I had a gut feeling that this would be a book that both myself and my students would enjoy. I was then offered multiple copies for a 'reading hack' book group by @harpercollinsch and the @readingagency , and so took the decision to wait for these copies to arrive and read it again, alongside my students.

This novel will live long in all our memories and I know that it is a story I will return to again and again. It packs a hefty punch both in content and in style. For many of my students, it was the first time they had read a verse novel. I am so pleased that PTA was their introduction, as it showed them just how powerful and yet how intimate this format can be. Amal's story highlights both universal themes of freedom of expression and thought (especially when these are restricted) as well as the many social and structural injustices that Black communities continue to face today. This is a timely and politically relevant novel which lays bare the experience and raw emotions felt by Amal, and those around him, after he is wrongly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Much of the story is gritty and feels real, but powerful symbolism is never far from the narrative; the painting over the mural, the image of the black baby being hanged tattooed on the arm of the prison guard.

It would be a mistake to think that Punching The Air is not an uplifting read. The support given to Amal in letters sent to him by a girl from his school and, that received from his poet activist art teacher in prison, boost his resilience and highlight how even as a single person, we have the power to make huge differences to others, if we choose. Ultimately, Amal's story is one of hope and the power of art to heal both our souls and our communities.

I highly recommend this book to both teenagers and adults. It is a book we all need to read.

Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read Punching The Air.

Wow! This was such a powerful read that had me at times, in tears. The writing was written in a way that just moves you and evokes emotions in you that you didn't know existed. It was just so raw and realistic and the way the novel was written in verse brought out that poetic, almost lyrical prose which I love. Ultimately this is a story about pain, but also about hope in a world that feels so bleak.

I have no words for this wonderful, yet tough read. It's hard for me to put my thoughts into words. I knew I would like this book because Ibi Zoboi is one of my favorite author, but I was not ready to fall, hard, for this.

Punching the air is a real uppercut. A hurricane. It tells the story of so many people miscarriages of justice. The way the authors chose to tell us is more impactful and was perfect to convey all the emotions simple words could not.

I highly suggest you to read this book that'll make you think about our society, our justice system and how racism and prejudices can leads to these kind of situations. It is a necessity to raise awareness about it.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was superb and could not stop reading; not just because of the storyline but the innovative way the author uses the pages themselves to draw you in.

So timely in this world when we are living through the injustice black people experience in the criminal justice system. This is a mesmerising read and highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I watched When They See Us earlier this year, which was my introduction to the story of the Central Park Five. As soon as I saw Yusef Salaam had co-authored a YA book, I knew I had to read it. Many books are described as timely and important but this one is vital. Amal's story (inspired by Yusef's own) brings you right into the hopes and dreams of a black teenager which are unfairly obliterated when he is sent to prison unjustly. The use of poetry and art in the novel is powerful, and the book as a whole is an ode to why Black Lives Matter is so important right now (and always). I'll be recommending it to everyone I know.

This was incredibly powerful. The entire way through reading this I had tears in my eyes, the writing was so moving. Telling this story through verse was 100% the right decision, in my opinion. This felt so raw and devastating, I could physically feel Amal's pain and suffering. His struggle to maintain his humanity through one of the most inhumane things to happen to an individual was painful to read about, however, the small moments of hope were like beacons of light, guiding me through. I feel this is especially relevant, given the unrest in the world, this will stand the test of time as a 'must read' novel for teens and adults alike. Cannot recommend enough.

I love verse novels so had to get my hands on Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five. It follows Amal Shahid, an artist and poet, who, at sixteen years old, is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. This made really interesting reading after reading An American Marriage in July and the events with the mural at the end of the book have stuck with me.

Just utterly incredible. Punching the Air joins a growing collection of what I consider 'must read' Young Adult fiction.

Full review to follow but ALL THE STARS from this bookseller.

Punching the Air, by Ibi Zoboi & @dr_yusefsalaam (one of the Exonorated Five) is stunning. Really powerful verse novel about an imprisoned Black Muslim teen, partly inspired by Yusef's experiences. Rage-inducing & heartbreaking! Thanks @Harper360YA for the proof (out now!) https://t.co/lxG9Xg2xjS

A really great and eye opening insight into the unfairness of the justice system based on race.

The writing style with verse flowed really well and helped to emphasis the hard hitting points made.

A must read for everyone.

'Locking you up isn’t enough
for them        They will try
to crush your spirit until
you’re nothing but—

Dust
we both say together

And what does dust do, Amal?
What did Maya Angelou say about dust?
Umi asks

It rises, I whisper'

Wrong place. Wrong time. Wrong skin. Just like that, sixteen year old Amal Shahid's promising future as an artist is snatched away when he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit & sent to prison. Flashing between Amal's earlier school days & his "new normal" in prison, PUNCHING THE AIR explores the realities of life for incarcerated young men, painting the rage & despair of their experiences with striking realism illuminated by sharp, searing verse. Even more poignant are the relentless comparisons made between Amal's school & prison, his teachers & wardens, his classrooms & cell. The prison superintendent's determination to extinguish the last embers of hope & creativity Amal still carries mirrors his Art teacher's cutting dismissal of his curiosity as disruptiveness, smothering his passion. Throughout, the authors heartbreakingly illustrate the School to Prison Pipeline - one of the best depictions I've seen - demonstrating that for many Black boys, incarceration doesn't begin with prison.

Though Amal is wrongly convicted, the message here isn't simply that his incarceration is unjust because he is a "good boy". As a character, Amal is vividly drawn & as human & fully-rounded as White characters - & White children - are permitted to be: talented, frustrated, poetic, angry, dedicated, sharp, loving. Loved. The narrative is cut with poems written by Dr Yusef Salaam during his own incarceration & these injections of truth mean that Amal is more than a symbol, a number or a shadow on the page.

This is essential reading, particularly for adults who work with young people.

Decolonising The Curriculum: the exploration of Amal's anger on pp. 36-41, particularly the poem 'The Scream', made my mind flit to presentations of masculinity & honour in ROMEO AND JULIET, particularly in Act 3, Scene 1.

Verse books are popular at the moment, this one doesn’t disappoint and it’s engrossing and the layout of the text goes with the story
Definitely one to read

Ibi Zoboi is a young adult author known for her previously published works such as American Street and Pride. Yusef Salaam is a writer and activist, and one of the Central Park 5 – five men who were wrongly convicted of raping a woman in Central Park. He went on to serve seven years for a crime he did not commit. The case is explored in Netlfix’s When They See Us which was directed by Ava DuVernay. Together, they worked to create a young adult novel in verse, based on Yusef’s experiences,

Punching the Air, told in verse, follows Amal, a black muslim teenager who is convicted and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Angry, scared, and alone, Amal channels his feelings into his art, poetry, and writing, as he tried to come to terms with his life now. Feeling like he doesn’t fit in with his fellow prisoners and only getting rare visits from his family, Amal feels alone and forgotten about. But with his passion for his art, he holds onto whatever hope is left as he fights to overturn his conviction.

This is a stunningly beautiful book. Firstly, the cover is so powerful and vibrant.

But also the story and the language. I have to admit, I’m not a fan of poetry and when I first came across novels written in verse (I think the first one I ever read was The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevdeo) I was hesitant, but ended up loving it. One of the reasons why they can be so powerful is because of how a sentence is fragments across lines, how verses are placed on a page, and that can really add to a reading experience. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that very much from Punching the Air, but when I was listening to the 88 Cups of Tea podcast episode with both authors, Ibi was explaining why she chose to position some verses like a box and other creative decisions she made, and I realised that it was more likely that the formatting wasn’t finalised or present in the ARC of the novel I recieved. That being said, the language is still powerful, and it is so easy easy and gripping to read.

So much so, that I read this whole book in one sitting, probably across only a couple of hours. But it hits hard in that short time. The images described immediately conjured in my mind, and for such a short novel I felt like I had been told Amal’s story a hundred time. I suppose, in some way, we have.

I find it hard to write a review when it focuses on experiences like these that are so far removed from what I will ever experience because of my race, but that’s also why it’s so ultimately important that books like these are so widely read. As a critical look into the justice system, Punching the Air will grab your heartstrings and make you angry. Yusef’s website has more information and links on how to get involved and make a change.

Since it’s publication, Punching the Air debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list and I send all my congratulations to Ibi and Yusef. This is an amazing collaboration and I’m so thankful I have been able to read a copy. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars (which would have been higher but I’m just not that big of a fan of novels in verse or poetry unfortunately) and it is so deserving of all the praise it is recieving. Be sure to go and check it out for yourself!