How It Went Down

Starred review from August 25, 2014
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.

Starred review from September 1, 2014
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)

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August 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-When 16-year-old Tariq, a black teen, is shot and killed by a white man, every witness has a slightly different perception of the chain of events leading up to the murder. Family, friends, gang members, neighbors, and a well-meaning but self-serving minster make up the broad cast of characters. The police bring their own personal biases to their investigation of the case. When all points of view are combined, the story of a young man emerges and with it, a narrative that plays out in communities across the country every day. Heartbreaking and unputdownable, this is an important book about perception and race. How It Went Down reads very much like Julius Lester's Day of Tears (Hyperion, 2005) in a modern setting and for an older audience. With a great hook and relatable characters, this will be popular for fans of realistic fiction. The unique storytelling style and thematic relevance will make it a potentially intriguing pick for classroom discussion.-Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2014
Grades 8-12 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
A white assailant shoots and kills sixteen-year-old Tariq, who was black, and Magoon tells the story through the many voices of those directly and peripherally involved. Their simple words yield a complicated story. Magoon expertly differentiates the characters by delineating their thoughts, feelings, and motivations; and the accumulation of voices weaving through the narrative effectively makes this believably complex.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2014
"Two guys with guns, one dies -- it's an everyday story." But when sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson is shot and killed on the street, the event affects the whole community. Tariq was black, his assailant white, and Magoon tells the story through the many voices of those directly and peripherally involved. Their simple words yield a complicated story. Which characters are reliable? Which look to benefit from the situation? Which learn from it and seek a better life? One witness saw "two guys with guns," but even that point is questionable. The "gun" may have just been a Snickers bar. Did the storeowner yell "Stop, thief" or "Stop, T"? Was T hassled by "a white guy" or a "light dude"? The local gang enjoys the notoriety of being in the news. A civil rights activist is seen to be "poaching some limelight off a poor dead black boy" to boost his senatorial campaign; the storeowner sees increased sales when thousands of people turn out to march for Tariq; and the media get a great story of a "gang-related" incident. Magoon expertly differentiates the characters by delineating their thoughts, feelings, and motivations; and the accumulation of voices weaving through the narrative effectively makes this "everyday story" believably complex, going behind newspaper headlines and campaign speeches to portray real people caught up in something bigger than themselves. A powerful novel that will resonate with fans of Myers's Monster (rev. 5/99) and Woodson's Miracle's Boys (rev. 3/00). dean schneider

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

June 1, 2015
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 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.