One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite (ARC Review)

Title: One of the Good Ones
Authors: Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Publisher: Inkyard Press (HarperCollins)
Date published: January 5, 2021

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

ISN’T BEING HUMAN ENOUGH?

When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic.

One of the good ones.

Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there’s a twist to Kezi’s story that no one could’ve ever expected—one that will change everything all over again.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I don’t even know where to begin with One of the Good Ones. I’m trying to think of the best approach here to share how I feel about the story and everything without accidentally spoiling anything. Maybe I’ll start with my feelings.

In the case of One of the Good Ones, I actually heard about the plot before seeing the cover. I was at an online event hosted by HarperCollins Canada (Frenzy Presents) and I had Twitter open on my screen because I was posting about the book that had been presented before One of the Good Ones. So, couldn’t see the Zoom video, but could rather hear the presenter rave about the book. And I remember pausing what I was tweeting, so that I could return to the Zoom to see which book they were talking about because it sounded so good! This, was then my first “encounter” with the cover.

I love it. Everything about it. The colours, the cover artist’s way of illustrating individuals…but more importantly, the direct gaze of the three characters on the cover looking right at you, the reader. There is a lot of emotion there–a lot to unpack. And I find this to be the case even more now that I’ve read One of the Good Ones.

When I first started reading One of the Good Ones, it took me a little bit to adjust to the perspective changes and to become familiar with the three sisters and their friends and family. So, if you find this is the case with you, I encourage you to keep going. It’s so worth it! Once I got into the swing of things, I was completely hooked. There was a lot of pain here–generational pain as well as pain caused by characters in the present as well.

One of the Good Ones offered another perspective on how deeply ingrained racism is in our society, while also tackling the deep complexities of a modern family. I think the fact that the authors are sisters definitely gave the family aspect of the book a vitality that I can’t begin to describe. The side characters that were friends to the three sisters were also very interesting and just added to the dynamic of this book.

This was a quick read for me, so I can’t say that it was a very long book…but despite its shorter length the authors managed to dig so deep into certain topics. I’m just in awe, and I now need to read their other book From Haiti, With Love (which has been on my TBR since before it was released) as well as anything else they write in the future.

⤖ About the Authors ⬻

Maika Moulite is a Miami native and the daughter of Haitian immigrants. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Miami. When she’s not using her digital prowess to help nonprofits and major organizations tell their stories online, she’s sharpening her skills as a PhD student at Howard University’s Communication, Culture and Media Studies program. Her research focuses on representation in media and its impact on marginalized groups. She’s the eldest of four sisters and loves young adult novels, fierce female leads, and laughing.

Maritza Moulite graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s in journalism. She’s worked in various capacities for NBC News, CNN, and USA TODAY. Maritza is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania exploring ways to improve literacy in under-resourced communities after being inspired to study education from her time as a literacy tutor and pre-k teacher assistant. Her favorite song is “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.