Don P. Hooper

Asenior transfer student quickly learns that his prestigious, predominately white private school is a war zone for Black kids like him.

To cope with all that’s going on, proud Brooklynite, second-generation Jamaican American, and bookish robotics nerd Gil Powell is advised to read Sun Tzu after the long, difficult trip to Augustin Prep on the Upper West Side takes an even more daunting turn. When a racist classmate and his goons bait Gil into deploying his martial arts training to defend himself, he’s suspended and placed on probation. The interpersonal bigotry reveals systemic patterns affecting students of color at Augustin, but even as this takes its toll, Gil relies on The Art of War to guide him through an abundance of stressors: School commitments take him away from family and community, his father’s in Jamaica struggling with his immigration documents, and his grandmother’s dementia is worsening. Even as romance enters his life, Gil is at war on so many politically justified but all-encompassing fronts that he struggles to find time for himself and hurts those he cares about. At times, the presentation of the conflict is a bit on the nose, and ultimately, as Gil takes it upon himself to rage against the machines of inequity, the rage, stress, and anxiety pose threats that Gil, his community, and empathetic readers may all need help navigating.

An intense, insightful take on the art of surviving the war on your existence. (Fiction. 12-17)

-Kirkus Review… (meer)

"Wars are either fought in secret or they're right in your face."

True True by Don Hooper was a gut pinching read for me because it shines a spotlight on how the education system is stacked against Black students, the Double burden of being a Black immigrant and how the idea of achieving the American Dream through hard work and education comes with a daily dose of violence, racism and microaggressions if youre a Black student. I was triggered by so many of the things that happened to Gil in this book because they were some of my same experiences, which soured me on the idea of attending college when I was a teenager.

I am, however, grateful that this book exists because it gives voice to the plight of Black American students and those of immigrant parents. Hooper's writing is raw, emotional and honest and it makes this one a book I will forever recommend because of it's importance to Black educational experiences. Thanks to @penguinteen @cocoachapters for the opportunity to share my 10 thoughts on this one.

🇯🇲 Privilege is not only a birthright but a way of life that is taught and modeled by white supremacist parents.
🇯🇲 Black students of immigrant parents carry a heavy burden to make their parents' dreams come true, as opposed to being able to have their own dreams.
🇯🇲 Black students are never safe in all white spaces and face daily racism.
🇯🇲 White women often name themselves as allies without actually doing the work of decolonization and continue to cross boundaries.
🇯🇲 Black people are never centered in diversity & inclusion efforts. HBCU tours are not offered.
🇯🇲 Black students' intelligence and achievements are always attributed to affirmative action.
🇯🇲 Black people's work, especially in STEM is often stolen and never credited.
🇯🇲 White supremacists will never give up any power and have no problem flexing their money and influence to ensure their children stay on top.
🇯🇲 Black students have the extra burden of not only representing themselves but their entire race, community, neighborhood, gender, etc.
🇯🇲 In order to achieve true equity in education, Black people need to be in positions of power and have decision making ability.… (meer)

"...everywhere make it abundantly clear the colonizers have returned." *

This was good! I liked the characters, especially Gil, and the overall progression of the story. Gil was a breath of fresh air. He knows exactly who he is and what he wants to do with his life, and he removes himself from the comfort of his last year at high school with friends in order to attend a prep school to better prepare for college.The author did an incredible job rooting Gil in his community and then dropping him into Augusten Prep like a fish out of water. Hooper's writing in general was really good.… (meer)

True, True follows Gil, a 17-year-old Black student as he starts his senior year at an elite, mostly white prep school in Manhattan, commuting in from his Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn. Gil is dealing with a lot. His father is in Jamaica trying to work on immigration documents to be able to live in the US and his Granma has early-stage dementia. Gil is excited about the academic opportunities at Augustin Prep, especially the school's well-funded robotics team. He is blindsided when he is taunted with a racist slur and attacked by three of the school's football players. He discovers that institutionalized racism runs deep at the school when he is the only one suspended. He looks to Sun Tzu's The Art of War for guidance to fight racism at Augustin.
Gil organizes with the other black students who have also encountered everything from microaggressions to overt racism. He becomes overwhelmed juggling this fight with his academics, old friends from Brooklyn, new friends, and family commitments and must learn to prioritize and communicate better with those he cares about. Gil is a likeable character who feels very real, because he sometimes makes poor choices. He grows considerably throughout the course of the story. He realizes that even The Art of War doesn't have all the answers and must forge his own path. True True is often difficult to read because of the appalling racism encountered by Gil and the other students of color. True True is a well-written, immersive, relevant and powerful YA contemporary novel. Thank you to BookishFirst for an ARC to review.… (meer)