While I loved Mark Oshiro's dialogue, characterization, and plot construction, I do feel there is room to be more concise with his writing. The diverse elements of these characters do not feel "shoe-horned" in at all and I was so pleased with the natural vibe of the story. It is so well rounded and so wonderful! I will be honest that at times I was confused by the secondary characters because this book follows a HUGE group of friends, but at the same time, they did have their distinctive traits (if the dichotomy of these two contrasting details makes any sense.) I do wish these side characters did have stronger individual story lines, but nonetheless, for the size of the cast, I do feel they were all authentic and well-fleshed out. There are gay characters (own voices!), trans characters, non-binary characters, bisexual/biromantic characters, asexual characters, black characters, Latinx characters (own voices!), Muslim characters, undocumented characters, disabled characters.
An absolute must read for fans of stories of teen activists.ĬW: racism, assault, violence, police brutality, murder/deathĪnger Is A Gift features such a diverse cast of characters to the point where I don't believe I can list them all and I am so down for more books with this trait. The same is true of the fact that Moss has several techniques given to him by a therapist for dealing with them, including sorting through a “Rolodex” of happy memories of his father, without which he cannot get the sound of the gun or the sight of the blood out of his head. In this sense, Moss’s panic attacks are symbolically significant, highlighting the lasting effects of police brutality and the fact that victims of violence and murder by the police extend far beyond those actually killed or injured by them.4.5 Stars! I really really loved this book.
The fact that Esperanza is so used to them and so well-versed in how to respond helps to highlight both how regular they are and what a debilitating and significant effect they have on his life. Indeed, he collapses within the first chapters of the book after being triggered by a protest against the police murdering another unarmed person of color. Since witnessing his father’s murder six years earlier, Moss’s life has been marked by trauma, manifesting in anxiety, nightmares, and especially panic attacks.
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