He tries to lead a normal life but he cannot completely confront his grief and anger that wells inside him.

The novel is told from Moss’ point of view and he is a character who is kind, gentle and considerate of everyone around him. Even when faced with incredibly difficult tasks Moss and his friends rise above all of the discrimination and pain. After metal detectors are installed and incidents that involve police harming students occur Moss and his classmates unite to push back against the school administration and the Oakland Police Department. In a school where books and supplies are limited and tattered the students must also deal with random locker searches, and the intimidation of police officers who lurk through the halls. When Moss returns to school, for his sophomore year, he finds that it is a completely new place with new rules and new conditions. Mark Oshiro’s debut novel follows Moss Jeffries, a Black gay teen, who must grapple with the debilitating trauma he carries with him from the murder of his father by police, just six years prior to the events of the story.

It is a novel about resistance, solidarity, and hope in spite of the devastation one may face and it’s definitely a novel that reminded me why we should never stop fighting. Frankly, I was unprepared for how intense this novel is. Recently I picked this book up in the wake of daily protests and death brought on by police violence. Based upon their database named “Fatal Force” which is a compilation of police caused deaths, 1,018 people have been murdered by police in 2020, as of September 10th. According to The Washington Post, 990 people died due to police violence. Two years since its initial release and the only thing that’s changed is that even more people have been killed at the hands of police officers. You use that anger to get things done instead of just stewing in it.”Īnger is a Gift released on May 22, 2018, five years after the founding of the Black Live Matter movement and at a time when protests really began to blossom across the country. You gotta grasp on to it, hold it tight and use it as ammunition. (Bio provided by Saraciea Fennel and Anneliese Merz from TorTeen.) Their lifelong goal is to pet every dog in the world. Their debut novel, Anger Is a Gift, was a recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award for 2019. Trigger Warnings: Murder/death, graphic violence, police brutality, racism, loss of a parent, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, ableism, anxiety and panic attacksĪbout the Author: Mark Oshiro is the Hugo-nominated writer of the online Mark Does Stuff universe (Mark Reads and Mark Watches), where they analyze books and TV series.

Anger is a gift