If You Knew My Name is a YA written in verse that follows the life of a 17 year old aspiring rapper and his views on the BLM movement, especially when things get a little too close to home. It is a quick and rhythmic read, and one that is easy to keep reading as it flows so well. The writing is really well done, very poetic and in equal parts emotional and inspirational. The author did a great job showing main character growth and change even though the story was told in verse. That being said, some of the storyline and secondary character development lacked, most likely as a result of the focus on the poetic narrative. I would be interested to see what young adult readers think of this book. Often young people are quick to judge poetry, but at the same time, rapping is a form of poetry that gets a much more positive wrap from teens. This book could be the perfect fit for YA readers or it might be something they shy away from.

Thanks to @Netgalley and the publisher @centavebooks for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

I absolutely LOVED this book and having a hard time accepting the fact that Mason, the main character, is not a real person. He's absolutely brilliant. This is not an easy or fun for that matter. It's more of a punch to the gut. But boy, oh boy, is it an essential read. The fact that it's verse makes me hopeful that it will reach even the most reluctant of readers. The way Lisa Roberts Carter brings all these hot topics on the table and just leaves us to reflect on them is nothing short of masterful. I haven't read a young person's perspective in a more realistic and relatable way. When we are far away from what's happening in the world, it's so easy to switch off and push it to the far corners of our minds. But with this story, there is nowhere to hide. These are real people, real names, real stories. And a heavy burden comes with being a person of colour in America but also other parts of the world.

If when we're reading we are seeking to connect with other people's lived experience and to develop our understanding of what it means to be human, this book will make you understand, it will make you connect and it will break your heart as you're faced with the great injustices of the world.

I could go on for pages and pages. But for me, ultimately, the takeaway is: everyone needs to read this. Absolutely brilliant.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy, all opinions are my own

Love the cover!!!

This book was inspiring and was a very quick read. The main character of Mason was perfect and was so easy to like. I really enjoyed the book and the writing. As the book is progressed the more i just want to buy and give a copy to everyone. It is moving and just so easy to read.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

"If You Knew My Name" by Lisa Roberts Carter


Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Pub Date: 28 May 2024

My review:

This book follows Mason, an aspiring rapper, as he navigates his senior year of high school and grapples with establishing his identity as he approaches adulthood. Enrolling in a black poetry class prompts him to reflect on the lessons his mother has imparted to him over the years. However, after experiencing certain events, Mason's aspirations shift beyond merely pursuing a career in rap.

Written in verse, the novel intricately weaves rap lyrics and poetry, akin to the style found in "Clap When You Land" by Elizabeth Acevedo. "If You Knew My Name" delves into the themes of the Black Lives Matter movement in America, addressing issues such as racism, slavery, critical race theory, police brutality, "Make America Great Again," and the LA riots.

Despite its weighty themes, the book remains accessible and engaging. While it leans more towards being informative than purely fictional, the inclusion of real-life events and historical facts adds depth to the narrative. To enhance clarity, integrating standard prose, especially during dialogue exchanges between characters, could have aided my comprehension of the story. However, I understood what the author was trying to convey.

In addition to exploring heavy themes, "If You Knew My Name" delves into the complexities of personal growth and self-discovery amidst societal turmoil. Mason's journey involves confronting external challenges and navigating internal conflicts, evolving as an individual. The interplay between his personal struggles and the broader socio-political landscape adds layers of depth to the narrative, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in both social commentary and coming-of-age stories.

I would say that this book appears to be geared towards a younger audience, but overall an interesting read.

Favourite quote:
"The Negro community is about to reach a breaking point.
There is a great deal of frustration and despair and confusion in the Negro community,
and there is a feeling of being alone and not feeling protected.
If you walk the street, you aren't safe.
If you're at home, you aren't safe.
So that the Negro feels that everywhere he goes... he's in danger of some physical violence."
These words were spoken by Dr. King in 1963.
Why should they still apply to me?
If I walk the street, I am not safe.
If I am at home, I am not safe.
I will never feel safe
as long as racial equality is a wish list and racial disparities persist and justice applies, just not for me.

Rating: 2.5 / 5


{review to be posted on instagram page: BookishVibes.xx in 13 May 2024}

3.5 Stars rounded up!

Not only was this novel an extremely quick read, but I also found it to be quite inspiring and empowering. In my opinion, Mason was the perfect character to lead this novel. Though I did not agree with some of the counterarguments presented by some of the side characters of the book, I enjoyed reading their takes, especially as the novel progressed. Several parts of this novel moved me deeply, making it easy to enjoy and binge-read. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoyed the Freedom Writers movie, as the setting of the Black Poetry class is quite similar.

This book is amazingly Written(in poem format). The whole book is poetry! Athough I did get a little antsy in the middle so i skipped ahead to the class rap battle. That when I learn I missed the school riot in which the main character,Mason, becomes a victim of police brutality. Mason is a kid who wants to be a rapper. He enters a poetry class to strengthen his lines. He is also the child of a BLM activist. Mason just assumes after your attacked by police you are JUST A HASHTAG. (The books says their names George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake, Freddie Grey, & many more! Each on has their own poem.)Until one day he could have died because of police brutality. Then he becomes an activist like his mom. He is asked to tell his story make his voice and name heard. This book may be a trigger for some such as it speaks on slavery, immigration, white supremicy, KKK, and police violence!

This will be a good read for some one, but as for me I'm on the fence. Some parts I couldnt put down and others I was like enough. All the poems are beautifully written with precise care and sensitivity. Lisa Roberts took her time and made sure evey word was in the right place at the right time. This should be in schools.

Every time a book tries to approach books like racism, BLM, police brutality, a reader has no choice but be weary, so many times do authors mess this topic up , by downplaying it, not treating this topic with respect, etc... This book, however, does none of that. Not only is beautifully written with a poetic feel to it, nut the way Carter approaches these topics is perfect. The characters feel human and not just plot devices, the narrative feels real and not simply fabricated to prove a point. Overall one of the best books about racism and BLM I've read so far!!

I wanted to like this book so much but it was just something about it that wasn’t grasping my attention. It felt like it was kind of all over the place and somewhat confusing with the poems but some poems were good. Some parts were OK.

Thank you to NetGalley, Central Avenue Publishing, and Lisa Roberts Carter for the opportunity to read If You Knew My Name in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is told in a poetic verse style with every line carrying a fun rhythm and beat. The language and style is definitely something the author put a lot of thought into to execute the presentation of Mason's talent and story.

Mason would love to be a famous rapper. In the meantime, he enjoys rap battles and writing for his Black Poetry Class. The setup of the novel explores some of the different events that have triggerend and built up the Black Lives Matter movement. Mason, being black himself, doesn't want to become just another hashtag, like all the other victims, especially of police brutality.

When a local black man is killed by police in Mason's own city, the fear becomes even closer than he ever thought possible. Caught up in a school riot that he wasn't a part of, the police pin him out and he has that momentary fear that he will be just another hashtag. Through his own experiences, what he knows about the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality, and through his mothers experiences, Mason knows he must use his voice to speak for justice. But will people listen if they hear his full name first and maje judgements and assumptions before he can share his voice?

A thoroughly powerful novel that touches on some of the black people who were killed by police, the people meant to be protectors. There are many I hasn't heard of, and it was enough to investigate and look them up to know their face, their history, and not just their names.

Mason is a powerful character who uses his aspiration of performing rap to pass his Black Poetry Class. The skills he learns are life skills that can be applied to using his voice to fight for justice. The message here is very clear about not only finding one's voice, but making the choice to act. A must-read for contemporary teen readers.

A debut novel that written in verse, telling the story of 17 year old Mason Tyndall, an aspiring rap artist whose mother is a BLM activist.

He wants to become a rapper and make it big one day. Focusing on dropping rhymes and making beats. That is until he comes across a BLACK poetry class in school. He’s about to graduate and needs this class to pass. But little does know, that this class will not only help him become a better rapper, but also an activist.

I love that this book is written with so much rawness. It touches topics on racism, not only within the black community but also immigrants and people of color.
Within the poetry class , these topics are touched within the students. Different cultures come together and it’s not all pretty. Yes there is Black power radiating through the class, but there’s also White supremacy.

I found that so much of what was talked about in this book, is still relating to today, not just within the black community but with others.

This debut novel was so powerful. Police brutality is unfortunately a thing that is still very common and it sucks so bad but I love that the community came together to protest and be the voices for those who were silenced. Awesome book.

Here's a YA novel that explores the lived reality of what it means to be black in America, and for Mason, he starts his senior year of high school with his hopes high that it'll be a great year until the unexpected happens-and conflict, fear, anger, death everything he's not prepared for finds him-and the author did her best to ensure you walk through the angst with Mason.
I loved how the #SayTheirNames was incorporated here, a touch of lyricism to remind us of the lives lost.
Now, I also give major props to the book cover, and title-on getting my attention-it truly did. I'd love to see more covers like this.
What bummed me out was that in exploring a concept as rap, and for the characters here- it felt forced and there was more like the feeling of 'wannabe' teens and this made some characters fall flat. Maybe it was intentional, or not, but it would have been great to travel the journey with his circle of friends evident in some bit of character development.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

If You Knew My Name is a hard-hitting YA Novel about a young man going through a horrific event. Mason starts his senior year on a brand-new high to fall to his lowest depths. Forced into a class he doesn't want to be in and stuck in an event he's only ever read about. The only answer he has is to rap his way to justice. Which on paper sounds kind of crazy but it works really well with Carter writing here. Most of what Carter does is spectacular especially for the age range they are trying to reach.

However, a book like this does come with it faults. Most of the characters come off as flat or trying too hard. This is a problem I find in most YA now-a-days. With a story like this that made me cry really early into it I had higher hope. Every subject - which there is a lot - is talked about beautifully for the most part. It brings up important questions that I feel like most High Schoolers should be asking. And situation that are sadly too real.

I landed on a 3.5⭐'s. But couldn't recommend more.

This might be the best novel in verse I’ve ever read. The sheer lyricism and poetry completely blew me away. So much so that it is hard to believe that this is a debut novel. I’ll bet it’s amazing on audio, but it was so easy to find the rhythm in these words in my head with an e-copy. There are so many topics covered in these pages that need to be heard like cultural appropriation, racism, white guilt, colonialism and police brutality. It is heartbreaking to read at times because it is so brutal and infuriating, but so necessary to get the point across. Mason was such an amazingly written character and I loved his connection with words and also his relationship with his mother. I think this would be an excellent addition to a high school classroom. I can’t say enough good things about this book and I can’t wait until its release day so everyone else can be in awe of it too.
CW: mentions of slavery, murder, shootings, death, police brutality


Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.25

This is such an important book that touched on many topics and showed that even teens can have knowledge, strength, and power to educate people and stand up for their beliefs. Mason is a powerful character (as was his mama!) and you can’t help but admire him.

I particularly liked the poems told in the poetry class but wished the rest of the novel had been told in regular prose instead of in verse. I struggled with the cadence of those parts and felt these weren’t didn’t smoothly flow. However, the message is still there and definitely comes through.

This book is about the story of Mason as he navigates the increasing police brutality against black people during the pandemic. I really enjoyed how it was written in poems as opposed to a normal novel format. It really added to the message and felt supremely powerful.

I always find books in verse so intriguing. I think the author was masterful in telling a cohesive story this way. I enjoyed the characters and could picture certain situations happening, actually I have no doubt that situations like those in the book HAVE happened. I would recommend this one to anyone.

This was a really well-written and important read.
I feel like everyone can take away many lessons from this novel in verse and learn a lot from it. It shows the conversations we should be having in school (across all countries, racism and anti-blackness isn’t just a problem in the USA!) and honestly across all communities.
This novel is a prime example in how education can further acceptance and how important it is to not erase history, but talk about all of it. It also shows how even if you know you’ll never fully understand what a marginalized community is going through (when you’re not a part of it), standing with them and amplifying their voices can make a huge difference. I hope people will learn from this.
There are many important conversations in the Black Poetry class that this book is centered on, but also outside of it, especially about white privilege, and the lived reality of People of Color.
In the beginning of the book, I didn’t like the way Mason talked about girls and women, but he grew a lot through the course of his senior year and comparing his attitudes from the beginning to those in the end, you can really see the (positive) change, not only in regard to the way he talks to and about women.
The writing itself is mostly rhythmic, especially the rap lyrics/rap parts, but some (only some!) of the poems outside of it read more than hacked up sentences without any rhythm.
All in all this was a great novel in verse that I highly recommend.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

If You Knew My Name is a debut novel from Lisa Roberts Carter. It is a “novel in verse” (or better: “a novel in rap”) that tells the story of Mason, a Black student who hopes to be a rap star and who’s mother encourages him to join her in her BLM work. Mason enrolls in the first Black Poetry class at their high school. The teacher uses poetry, rap and even a “rap battle” to create a dialogue between the diversely opinionated students about their understanding and experience with racism. This novel can generate a lot of discussions as Carter weaves in #saytheirnames, CRT and many specific racial injustices.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC.

I’m not normally one for novels written in verse but I’m glad I tried this one. I really enjoyed the story and I enjoyed getting to see another side to the Black experience. I say that as someone who has not experienced it personally, and while the topics mentioned make me sad at the state this country has always been in, it gives me another piece to try to understand a life I have never lived.

I enjoyed watching Mason get to see how important the topic is, though I hated seeing the situation that got him there. I enjoyed Ms. Jordan, and while I did think it was odd to see her teach a class that is distinctly labeled Black Poetry, I really liked seeing her make an effort to give Black voices a space to express themselves without judgement or condemnation.

All of the side characters felt fleshed out enough to get the point across, in a written style that doesn’t lend itself to more detailed explorations that standard novel style books do. I liked seeing all the differences in opinion, and how they challenged each other during every class.

This story definitely opened me up to thoughts and conversations I hadn’t previously had, and I would definitely be interested in more by this author.