Book Review: One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

Book: 147/150

Rating: 4/5

I absolutely LOVED Dear Haiti. Love Alaine and was so excited to see that this sister duo had another book coming out. This one is very different from their debut; same great writing, characters, storytelling, and family ties theme, but the subject matter is definitely darker.

Activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances while being held in jail after being arrested at a protest. Her family, of course, struggles with her loss as Kezi is the latest victim of police brutality. Happi, Kezi's sister, struggles with how her sister is remembered: as "one of the good ones". How come some lives are worth mourning and others aren't?

To honour her memory, Happi and her sister Genny embark on Kezi's planned road trip across the U.S stopping at places highlighted in The Negro Motorist Green Book. They keep track of their trip on Kezi's YouTube channel, and along the way discover that they may not know everything about her death...

Wow, this book was powerful. Be sure to read the author's note at the beginning (it amazes me that people skip over prologue's, epilogues, and authors notes at the beginning and end of the book!). It sets up the book really well and just goes to show how (unfortunately) relevant the book is right now.

I loved how parts of American history that are not considered mainstream were woven into the narrative; it was executed so well through the road trip. I learned a lot! I also love a dual timeline and multiple points of view and this one with Happi (present day, after Kezi's death) and Kezi (before her arrest and death) kept me turning pages: I did not want to put it down. And man, there's a twist about halfway through where I actually said "Oh My God?" out loud. Be sure to check this one out when it comes out in the new year.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and Edelweiss for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It comes out January 5, 2021.