Tyler Johnson Was Here

January 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.

Starred review from February 1, 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

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2018
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)

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Starred review from January 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Coles' unforgettable debut opens with a haunting incident of police brutality that sets the tone for the rest of the book. As Marvin, his twin brother, Tyler, and their best friends exit a convenience store, they are caught in the commotion surrounding a police chase. After the cop viciously beats one of the young men he was pursuing, he draws a gun on Marvin and his group, threatening to shoot as he yells racial hostilities. Guns appear once more when Marvin and Tyler attend a house party and a shooting breaks out, drawing the police. Amidst the chaos, Marvin loses track of his brother, who never comes home. Days afterward, detectives visit Marvin's house and inform him and his mother that Tyler was killed in a gang-related incident; but later, a video surfaces that shows a cop murdering Tyler, proving the detectives' claims false. In the aftermath of Tyler's murder, Marvin must grapple with his grief while also dealing with the social and racial outrage his brother's death sparks. Coles' story offers a glimpse into the injustices, struggles, and pain of being a black male in America. In addition, it crafts an authentic depiction of black life that shatters stereotypes. Its exploration of brotherhood, grief, friendship, and familial ties is as moving and relevant as its exploration of racism.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2018
Living amid violence is an unfortunate reality for African American twins Marvin and Tyler. After a shootout at a party, Marvin is left to deal with the heartbreaking aftermath of Tyler's disappearance and subsequent death at the hands of police. Poverty, police brutality, and gang violence are held in equal tension and intensity in this poignant story about brotherhood, friendship, death, and resilience.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)