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Thanks to @librofm for an ALC of Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin, out now! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Jason Reynolds is an auto buy author for me. He makes magic with words. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ain’t Burned All the Bright is part artist journal, part poetry, and such a cool collaboration! It encapsulates the last two years of life in the US through the experience of a boy who sees the effect of it on his family: his brother, who retreats into video games; his sister, who prepares to protest acts of violence against Black Americans; his mother, who is trapped by the 24/7 news cycle, and his father, who is battling covid. I struggled with feelings of discomfort while listening — so much of what reading has done for me during the last two years has been to help me escape what Reynolds depicts, if only for a while — but that is precisely why I’m glad it exists. I hope that someday, reading this will feel like opening a time capsule to a world that feels very far away. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The audio is beautifully produced, with two versions: one read by Reynolds, and one read by a full cast, as well as a conversation between Reynolds and Griffin about how the book came to be. That said, I’m looking forward to picking up a physical copy so that I can see how Jason Griffin’s art ties in with Reynolds’ words! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ CW: racism, police brutality, covid-19 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ID: I’m holding up a kindle displaying the ebook cover of Ain’t Burned All the Bright. via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CY1VdUfL80l/