Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Oct 2014
336 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.
In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.
Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.
"Starred Review. This sobering yet satisfying novel leaves readers to ponder the complex questions it raises. 14 & up." - Kirkus
"Starred Review. 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." - Publishers Weekly
"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." - School Library Journal
This information about How It Went Down was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Kekla Magoon is the author of several books for young adults, including 37 Things I Love and The Rock and the River, winner of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award. She is a New York City-based writer, editor, speaker, and educator.
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