01/15/2018
Cole’s debut novel, based on events in his own life, follows Marvin Johnson, a college-bound senior at Alabama’s Sojourner Truth High School. From the opening pages, Marvin and his twin brother, Tyler, navigate racism, drug dealers, and police violence, their lives governed by the “talk that all decent black mothers and fathers give to their children at least once a month. The You-Live-in-a-White-Man’s-World-So-Be-Careful talk.” Marvin’s life takes a turn from hanging out with his “high-ability geek” friends, doing homework, and binge-watching A Different World when a party ends in a shoot-out, a police raid, and Tyler’s disappearance. Periodic letters from Marvin’s imprisoned father convey a poignant vulnerability, while Marvin’s penetrating narrative voice captures the relentless anxiety and questioning that accompanies every choice he faces, from how to address Tyler’s friendship with a local drug dealer to how to behave when witnessing police beat an innocent black teenager. It’s a distressing yet empowering portrait of a black teenager confronting relentless racism, brutality, and tragedy. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lauren Abramo, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Mar.)
An Entertainment Weekly Most Anticipated Book of the Year
"Exploring the current climate of police brutality and viral culture, this harrowing YA effort is based on its author's own experiences with tragedy and loss, a personal touch felt across every page."—Entertainment Weekly
"An unflinching look at police brutality and systemic racism in America."—Bustle
* "This well-written, fast-paced story eloquently addresses how to grieve, plan, and participate in the burial of a loved one.... [A] standout debut."—School Library Journal, starred review
* "Unforgettable.... Coles' exploration of brotherhood, grief, friendship, and familial ties is as moving and relevant as its exploration of racism."—Booklist, starred review
"Coles...pens an immersive and uncompromising look at systemic police violence in the U.S., effectively dramatizing the human experience and ethical questions underpinning today's Movement for Black Lives."—Kirkus Reviews
"A distressing yet empowering portrait of a black teenager confronting relentless racism, brutality, and tragedy."—Publishers Weekly
"Clear-eyed, authentic, and heartfelt, Tyler Johnson Was Here is a captivating must-read."—Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying
"Jay Coles' powerful, anguished debut novel...garners worthy comparisons to 2017's award-winning The Hate U Give."—BookPage
"Coles's contemporary novel addresses real issues facing black teens in the U.S. today, and is a powerful story full of heart, packing a deep emotional punch."—VOYA
"An impactful story.... Stirring and heartbreaking."—The Bulletin
"Uncompromising and intense, this heart-wrenching novel sends out an anguished cry for justice to all who are willing to hear."—Shelf Awareness
"Riveting...Coles evaluates self-identity in African Americans, police brutality, stereotypes, prejudice, social justice, education, poverty and more. At times endearing, and at times, excruciating to read, it is a very important novel."—The Washington Missourian
"Gripping from the very first scene, Tyler Johnson Was Here is a powerful and vulnerable immersion into the lives of people who are too rarely given a voice."—Adi Alsaid, author of Let's Get Lost and Never Always Sometimes
"Tyler Johnson Was Here refuses to pull its punches. Marvin's story will remake you. The careful prose, the heartbreaking story, but also the triumph of a young man in the face of an often lightless world. Jay Coles delivers the first book in what will be an illuminating career."—Scott Reintgen, author of Nyxia
★ 02/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—Narrated by 17-year-old Marvin Johnson, this novel gives readers a glimpse into the life and the tragic death of his identical twin Tyler. Their family is headed by a single mother separated from her husband due to incarceration. It's senior year and for the first time, the twins are growing apart. Tyler now prefers his friends over all else, forsaking academics and his curfew. Marvin, on the other hand, is questioning the change and feeling an imbalance in the relationship. Gang violence erupts in a party both twins attend and Tyler ends up dead from an unprovoked altercation with a police officer. Marvin, who was being scouted by MIT for a college scholarship, begins a downward spiral that could only end with the clearing of his deceased brother's name as a wrongdoer. Social media, as in real life, plays a vital part in the advocacy for victims' rights at the hands of police, as well as for the efforts needed to organize public protests and vigils in memory of Tyler. Tensions arise in the community between proponents of the Black Lives Matter movement and those who push for "All Lives Matter" in response. This well-written, fast-paced story eloquently addresses how to grieve, plan, and participate in the burial of a loved one, a sensitive subject for all youth. It also succeeds in not avoiding tough subjects, such as systemic racism. VERDICT For fans of All-American Boys and The Hate U Give, this emotion-filled title is a standout debut.—Sabrina Carnesi, Crittenden Middle School, Newport News, VA
Marvin and his twin, Tyler, are anticipating a junk food binge after a convenience store run when they hear: Pop!Pop!Pop! JaQwan Kelly's narration turns from lighthearted to fearful, and he amps up tension when an aggressive white policeman draws a gun on the innocent black teens. This is only the first conflict Kelly dramatizes in a neighborhood that has "garden gnomes with bullet holes." He expresses Marvin's many forms of vulnerability, which change as quickly as that first scene. Marvin's worry about Tyler turns to fear when his brother goes missing, and then to anger and sadness when Tyler is killed by a policeman. Speedy emotional shifts mirror the story’s fast pace as Kelly recounts Marvin's painful journey, marked by grief, outrage, and the realization of his true beliefs and needs. S.W © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Marvin and his twin, Tyler, are anticipating a junk food binge after a convenience store run when they hear: Pop!Pop!Pop! JaQwan Kelly's narration turns from lighthearted to fearful, and he amps up tension when an aggressive white policeman draws a gun on the innocent black teens. This is only the first conflict Kelly dramatizes in a neighborhood that has "garden gnomes with bullet holes." He expresses Marvin's many forms of vulnerability, which change as quickly as that first scene. Marvin's worry about Tyler turns to fear when his brother goes missing, and then to anger and sadness when Tyler is killed by a policeman. Speedy emotional shifts mirror the story’s fast pace as Kelly recounts Marvin's painful journey, marked by grief, outrage, and the realization of his true beliefs and needs. S.W © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
2018-01-22
Coles' debut takes on the heartbreaking outcomes of a broken system of policing. Through language that honors the enraging aspects of life in the inner city, readers meet Marvin and Tyler Johnson, twin high school seniors at a crossroads. Narrator Marvin jokes that their family story can feel like the stereotype for black boys. Their father is in jail, and Mama works extra hard to keep the family stable, leaving room for the influence of the streets to creep into their lives. All this is irrelevant when a police officer shoots Tyler dead after he attends a questionable neighborhood party. This is not the first time that Marvin and his friends have witnessed police violence. They've seen officers lift firearms at children, slam them to the ground, and verbally abuse them, with no consequences. Deep down, Marvin knows that he cannot become the hate that he senses in the world around him. This family's struggle to find resolve, peace, and even a twinge of justice is full of life lessons, including this gem inspired by Auntie Nicola, a former cop: "Life is about wading in the rain, in all the storm's fury…becoming one and the same with the storm—getting angry, getting heated, and being the change you want." Coles, just 21, pens an immersive and uncompromising look at systemic police violence in the U.S.While the author's toolbox has some room for growth, he effectively dramatizes the human experience and ethical questions underpinning today's Movement for Black Lives. (Fiction. 14-18)
