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Kekla Magoon

How It Went Down Hardcover – October 21, 2014

by Kekla Magoon (Author)

275 ratings

Book 1 of 2: How It Went Down Series

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A 2015 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

One death. Two bullets. Seven eyewitnesses...with seven different stories.

When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.

In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.

Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.

This title has Common Core connections.

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date

October 21, 2014
Grade level

9 and up
Reading age

14 - 18 years
Dimensions

5.71 x 1.19 x 8.1 inches
ISBN-10

9780805098693
ISBN-13

978-0805098693
Lexile measure

HL560L
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—When 16-year-old Tariq, a black teen, is shot and killed by a white man, every witness has a slightly different perception of the chain of events leading up to the murder. Family, friends, gang members, neighbors, and a well-meaning but self-serving minster make up the broad cast of characters. The police bring their own personal biases to their investigation of the case. When all points of view are combined, the story of a young man emerges and with it, a narrative that plays out in communities across the country every day. Heartbreaking and unputdownable, this is an important book about perception and race. How It Went Down reads very much like Julius Lester's Day of Tears (Hyperion, 2005) in a modern setting and for an older audience. With a great hook and relatable characters, this will be popular for fans of realistic fiction. The unique storytelling style and thematic relevance will make it a potentially intriguing pick for classroom discussion.—Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH

Review

* “Magoon masterfully captures the cycle of urban violence and the raw emotions of the young people who can't escape its impact.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

* “How It Went Down is a snapshot in time, a fascinating study of people caught in the crosshairs of an "Event." . . . A particularly timely tale that can create dialogue and provide understanding about the decisions other people make, and the actions they take.” ―VOYA, starred review

* “This sobering yet satisfying novel leaves readers to ponder the complex questions it raises.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“The many voices provide poignant insights into the forces at play in the impoverished neighborhoods, where joining a gang is tough to resist, but the various perspectives also offer compelling and plausible insights into the way perceptions and preconceptions shape narratives and affect our actions.” ―BCCB

“The layered voices tell a story both simple and complicated, heartbreaking and maddening.” ―The Chicago Tribune

“Kekla Magoon's books just keep getting better….It's an important, compelling story that everyone should read, especially high school students trying to make sense of our supposed post-racial world.” ―BookPage, A Teen Top Pick

“In How It Went Down, Kekla Magoon deftly renders us witnesses to an all-too-common news flash in uncommon, unflinching prose. Gripping to the end.” ―Rita Williams-Garcia Newbery Honor winner, National Book Award finalist, and Coretta Scott King Award winner

“A hard-hitting look at the ripple effects of one act of violence on an entire community. How It Went Down is engrossing and real--it's the right book at the right time.” ―Coe Booth, LA Times Book Prize winner

“Thoughtful and compassionate, beautifully composed, this book takes us inside what we think we know and shows us more.” ―Helen Frost, Printz Honor winner

“A powerful novel that will resonate with fans of Myster's Monster and Woodson's Miracle's Boys.” ―The Horn Book

“Kekla Magoon's How It Went Down about a black teen who is shot by a white man, is . . . just the right title for young adults grappling with the headlines streaming in every day.” ―School Library Journal

“Heartbreaking and unputdownable.” ―School Library Journal

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0805098690
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (October 21, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780805098693
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0805098693
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 - 18 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL560L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 and up
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.71 x 1.19 x 8.1 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,237,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #644 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Social & Family Violence (Books)
- #982 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Prejudice & Racism
- #1,484 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Death & Dying

Customer Reviews:
275 ratings

About the author

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Kekla Magoon

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Kekla Magoon is the author of over a dozen books for young readers, including THE SEASON OF STYX MALONE, THE ROCK AND THE RIVER, HOW IT WENT DOWN, X: A NOVEL (with Ilyasah Shabazz), and the Robyn Hoodlum Adventures series. She has received an NAACP Image Award, the John Steptoe New Talent Award, two Coretta Scott King Honors, The Walter Award Honor, the In the Margins Award, and been long listed for the National Book Award. She also writes non-fiction on historical topics. Kekla conducts school and library visits nationwide and serves on the Writers’ Council for the National Writing Project. Kekla holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she now serves on faculty. Visit her online at www.keklamagoon.com.

Customer reviews

5 star		73%
4 star		16%
3 star		6%
2 star		1%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Junketeer

Adult language a real problem in this book for my young teen.

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

Ordered this book for my son's summer reading school project. And I am disappointed that his school recommended this for rising 9th graders to read. The language is way too explicit for his age group. Some of the children in his school may talk this way but it is not appropriate reading for every child and definitely not for our family.

I think that race and perceptions are definite subjects that need to be discussed, but this author's explicit language makes it reading for older teens / adults.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Erika

Almost Good

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2021

Verified Purchase

I liked the concept of the story, but I wasn’t crazy about the delivery. On one hand it was interesting to get the story from so many perspectives. On the other hand it felt like way too many characters to keep up with. I thought that some of the dialogue and gang activity was silly. It didn’t feel authentic for contemporary teenage boys. The plot was interesting, but the ending fell flat. There was no resolution or truth revealed. Overall I felt like the book had a lot of potential that just never came to fruition.

Helpful

Crystal Lewis

Stickers bars or a Gun

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2015

Verified Purchase

I didn't give it 4 or 5 stars because I felt that certain People The Reverend and the Young lady who assists him just really bothered me they seemed to simply be place holders. Yes understand the Rev. In the book was suppose to Rev. All Sharpton but still wasn't necessary to get textbooks point across. I enjoyed that it was written from every characters the point of view. It really showed how people no matter where they come react to race issues even when they have no clue what happens. How It went down really does pull at your heart and makes you question yourself on your on choices, ideals and leadership. It shows you how inhuman you can be because your conditioned to believe them about how someone looks or dresses.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Stark and powerful

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2016

Verified Purchase

The multiple voices that tell the story in *How It Went Down* constitute a symphony of grief, rage, bewilderment, exploitation, and despair in the aftermath of a black teenager’s shooting death at the hands of a white man. Mirroring the too numerous cases we see in the news these days, the black teen (Tariq Johnson) might or might not have been armed. The shooter (Jack Franklin) might or might not have been justified in his actions. The witnesses—one a would-be do-gooder (white man Brian Trellis) and the rest members of a street gang that Tariq might or might not have belonged to—might or might not be telling the truth. The only thing that’s certain in this narrative—and all of the real-life narratives that this novel emulates—is that truth is a construct and reality (along with meaning) often eludes our grasp.

Kekla Magoon skillfully orchestrates eighteen perspectives in telling the story of Tariq Johnson’s death and its aftermath. The shooting creates permanent ripple effects throughout Tariq’s community, among his family, close friends, and acquaintances. Reminiscent of Faulkner’s *As I Lay Dying*, *How It Went Down* eschews any pretense to narrative authority as it relies completely on the inevitable fallibility of first-person narration. Omniscience, Magoon seems to imply, is itself a fiction, and the only truth available to us is the one we are able to construct and live comfortably with.

An undeniably stark and powerful work of fiction, this novel addresses one of the sad realities of racism in contemporary American culture. It examines not only the senseless violence that claims the lives of innocent victims—it also takes an unflinching look at the impact of that violence on the ones left behind to mourn.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

ArikB

Very Good Book

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

The different perspectives of characters witnessing the same event was very good. This book really articulated many issues of gang pressure, low self esteem of young black girls, the impacts of not having a father in the home, police injustice and more. The ending fell a little short after a tremendous climax near the end, but overall a great book.

Helpful

Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo)

Relevant and Thought-Provoking..

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

I read this book, right as Ferguson, Missouri was making headlines. Underhill, where this book takes place, could've been Ferguson. 16 year old Tariq, a black teen, is shot by Jack Franklin, a white man. . Each chapter is told from the perspective of either a witness, a gang member, a family member, a friend, a neighbor or the minister who arrives in town to help..but no two accounts are the same. What makes the book so thought-provoking is that it explores why each of the characters believes their "truth".

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

James Tilton

My Freshmen Love It!

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2015

Verified Purchase

I taught this book to my high school freshmen English class, and they LOVED it. If YA books are truly meant to engage young adults (especially struggling readers), then this book succeeds like few others. Even my "F" students were engaged, eagerly explaining to their class partner the many ways that Tariq was misunderstood. Teaching this book is one of the highlights of my teaching career, and I plan on doing it again next year.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

B. J. Neary

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2015

Verified Purchase

This book reminds the reader of what is still happening between the races: Tariq (T to his friends) is shot and killed by a white man who says T ran out of a store after stealing and with a gun in his hand. Through a series of voices---the reader sees how unreliable many of the witnesses account are; and the situation is made worse when the police let the shooter go. This is an achingly real, torn from the headlines story that is all to familiar and sad. Kekla Magoon catches the impact T's shooting/killing has on many of the characters. Highly recommended.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Jade

How It Went Down

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2019

Verified Purchase

On a June evening, 16 year old Tariq Johnson is shot and killed by a male who was unknown to him - Tariq is black, and the shooter, Jack Franklin, is a white man. Although a fictional book, the story of Tariq and what follows after his murder, is very real and relevant in many cities & neighbourhoods across the US, felt by many African-American boys and their families. In How It Went Down, author Kekla Magoon, tackles a high profile issue with a sensitive brush whilst writing a hard hitting, and authentic feeling, contemporary young adult book.

Told from eighteen points of view - from the moment Tariq is shot to just over a week after his death - I found the story to be surprisingly easy to fall into, and think the many perspectives (largely from the community in which Tariq lived - friends, family and more) made for a layered and thought provoking story telling method. I feel like all the narrators had their place in piecing together the story*, and in particular Tyrell (Tariq's best friend), Jennica (a teenage girl who tried to help save Tariq), and Tina (Tariq's little sister) read the strongest to me.

How It Went Down is a prevalent and powerful read; a story that needs to be heard.

*my words of 'piecing together the story' refer to the story written by Kekla Magoon as opposed to the story of Tariq's death, as there is actually no real closure on the story of Tariq's death. I often find a book with no closure, and questions still lingering at the end, to be quite frustrating, however I feel it works well within this book given the complexities of such crimes in real life.

heidi

Incredible

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2018

Verified Purchase

I don't think I've read a book with so many narratives before and it took a short time to get used to. As soon as I did I was hook an amazing emotive read. The author must have worked hard on creating an ending that doesn't destroy you.

Laura Nicole

A book that makes you think!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

A really insightful book written in a dynamic and fresh way

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