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    I'm Not Dying with You Tonight
    I'm Not Dying with You Tonight
    I'm Not Dying with You Tonight
    Audiobook5 hours

    I'm Not Dying with You Tonight

    Written by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

    Narrated by Brittany Pressley and Channie Waites

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Over the course of one night, two girls with two very different backgrounds must rely on each other to get through the violent race riot that has enveloped their city. Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she's going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school. When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together. They aren't friends. They hardly understand the other's point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they're going to survive the night.

    Editor's Note

    A safe space…

    Lena’s and Campbell’s emotions and experiences are grounded in everyday, universal feelings. Their relatable insecurities, fears, and worries were an anchor and a compelling guide through the break-neck pace of one chaotic event after another in the wake of a racially charged shooting. Lena (who is Black) and Campbell (who is white) provide a safe space (as great books do) for making sense of events in the real world.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateAug 27, 2019
    ISBN9781980060925
    Author

    Kimberly Jones

    Pastor Kimberly Jones, known as Real Talk Kim, is a pastor, entrepreneur, mentor, motivational speaker, entertainer, and bestselling author. Real Talk Kim has a successful weekly syndicated podcast and has appeared on Preachers of Atlanta, the Dr. Oz Show, Chatter Talk Show, BET, Nightline, and numerous podcasts, webinars, and radio programs. She is the senior pastor at Limitless Church in Fayetteville. She is the proud mother of two sons, Morgan and Lyncoln.

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    Reviews for I'm Not Dying with You Tonight

    4/5

    316 ratings25 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I really loved it. There is so many action and when you think there is going to be a calm moment bam something else happens. I really love how this friendship was portrayed and just how it was developed. All hell broke lose that is for sure but I loved it!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I don’t know that I ever want to experience this book again, but I 100% think it’s worth experiencing. I’ve been sad, indignant, angry, ashamed, and just about every other thing you can think of. Realism is rough, but important sometimes in what we read, and this is one of those sometimes. The narrators were perfect and the story was wild. I recommend
    • 5/5
      Powerful, a must-read for any age!!! Had me on the edge of my seat!
    • 5/5
      I love how this book shows the duality in protest!
    • 4/5
      Not exactly sure why this one came up as an LGBT story when that was searched, as there are no such themes in the story.

      The story itself was pretty good. I did have to get over how Lina was written, maybe because she seemed extremely arrogant and her relation to Black was extremely shallow, even though he did redeem himself a little in the end. Or maybe it was the language used in the writing from her POV, which is very far from what I’m used to reading when I read English stories (as I’m not an English native speaker and North American). That did take a little time, but once I got used to it, it was all right.

      The story arc was cool, it did give a small insight into some of the issues that the US experience on the racial differences and BLM but it also being a piece that is quite short it of course doesn’t go really deep into it.
      It does however touch the differences between a black and a white teenage girl and their reactions and experiences in the sight of dangers such as shoots fired at a school football game, racial fights, police interactions and fears as well as a story wise unrelated demonstration that turns into a riot. Both girls have incorrect assumptions towards each other, based on their colors and social conditioning and which both have to rethink doing the story.

      All in all a great read.
    • 4/5
      A very good listen! Coming of age in a town where there are racial tensions that explodes into a full blown riot is not the easiest plot to write for a YA audience. A lesser skilled author runs the risk of either under developing the themes or overwhelming the TA. But these authors pulled it off like it was nothing.

      I’m still not sure if the intention was to write a full length novel or a novella because it read like the latter.

      The narrators did great too. Lena sounded like the girl I imagine Tiffany Haddish would have sounded like at her age. Campbell was sweet and adorable even if her naivety and ignorance was a bit irksome sometimes.

      I particularly loved the way their budding friendship used as a medium to discuss the issues of interracial co-existence and friendships.

      In summary, it was a short, sweet read. I 100% recommended
      .
    • 5/5
      Powerful; relevant, timely ; well-written.
      Great reader. A must listen to book.
    • 5/5
      The voices of the two main characters are well written. The performance of complemented it amazingly.
    • 5/5
      Great story. Very vivid and the voice actors are amazing. I have a feeling this maybe a movie. Being a visual person, this was easy to follow. The main characters are believable and lovable.
    • 4/5
      I had a hard time with the Campbell in this book. I think I related more to Lena. Now mind you I am white like Campbell, but that is the only thing her and I have in common.

      There were a few times that Lena pissed me off, mostly when she was worrying about Black instead of herself and Campbell. She didn't make me as angry as Campbell though. I just couldn't relate to the things that she worried about.

      All and all this was a great book.

      It was real to life- when something as small as calling someone a name can blow up into something more. That small things set off chain reactions.
    • 3/5
      My library had this avaliable as their "big library read" for the community to all read together. A little on the nose at times but very relevant.
    • 3/5
      A bit thin, both story-wise and characters, this book feels like it just scratches the surface. Being the first published book for both authors, I feel like neither has reached thier potential here (also co-writing is harder than you think its going to be).
    • 2/5
      After a massive fight/riot breaks out at their school's football game, seniors Lena and Campbell get thrown together as they fight to survive the hectic night trying to get home.

      Overall, the story is just, meh for me. It wasn't realistic... like, it felt like it was missing context. When the fight broke out at the football game there isn't any reasonable adults to break it up? And as soon as the resource officers do show up, it just blows up?

      I could not get over the idiocy of Lena. I get Lena was a teenager with her first love in Black, but the fact she kept expecting things from him and defending him when everyone else was telling her it was ridiculous, frustrated me. Her desire to get to a boy who honestly, didn't seem to care about her or her safety for most of the story was annoying. It wasn't until there were twenty pages left in the book that Black does finally "steps it up" a bit and it's only because things were so escalated. Lena would refuse to call or go with other options (her cousin) in favor of getting to Black.

      Campbell being in her own world and clueless to everything around her was ludicrous. I get she's supposed to be the white girl who's unversed in black/white but she acted like she'd never turned on the TV or read the news.

      This whole book could have ended within the first few chapters if Lena would have just called her Pops to have a church lady come get them. I don't know of any parent that would be so upset and mad at you for calling to get picked up from a riot zone!
    • 4/5
      Read-alikes: How It Went Down, All American Boys, The Hate U GiveI wish there were more background for both characters; I never felt like I really got to know them because it all takes place in one night and is so action-oriented, so they're both kind of mouthpieces for Blackness and Whiteness. But it's a page-turner and has a lot to discuss with young readers.
    • 5/5
      This was an amazing story.
    • 4/5
      This was a fast fun read. Two girls (one white, one black) are trying to get home after a huge fight/riot breaks out at a high school football game. The narration switches between the two girls and each character is distinct and relatable. Their evening is indeed harrowing but broken up with humor, and instances of growing friendship and understanding. Could not be more timely.
    • 5/5
      5 out of 5 stars. The pacing of this book is relentless. Reminded me a lot of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.
    • 4/5
      I read this one all in one sitting, and I'm glad I did. It was a very quick read, less than 300 pages, although I wonder if the background and setting would have benefited from more development throughout. This book was all plot, all action, with a relentless pace that had the alternating POV chapters picking up exactly where the last one left off. I personally had some trouble picturing the events and catching all the details, but I don't know if that was just me reading too fast. What I do know, though, is that those few hours of reading will stick with me for a long time. This book thoughtfully addresses issues of racial tension and racism from the individual all the way to the systemic level, and any minor details and plot questions are far less important than the overall impact of the story.I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      What amazes me about this book is that it came out in August of 2019. This could have been ripped from recent headlines. This story has so many layers to it. It is told in alternating perspectives. We have Lena, an African American and Campbell a white teen. Campbell has moved in with her dad because her mother moved to Venezuela. She hasn't spent much time with him over the years. A few months into her new school year she has been guilted into running the concession stand at the football game. Her dad is letting the teacher in charge take her home so that he can get to his weekend fishing cabin before nightfall. Things take a disastrous turn when a fight breaks out between the two teams. Lena has gone to the concession stand to get a soda while she waits for her overaged boyfriend to pick her up. When things turn violent she finds herself inside the concession stand with Campbell. As they try to leave and get to safety they realize they have to rely on each other. What made this so wonderful was the preconceived ideas that both of them had about each other. Lena kept calling Campbell a rich white girl because her father owned a hardware store. Campbell makes statements out of ignorance.I could really identify with her because I came from an all-white school in Indiana my sophomore year. We moved to Florida. I was told when we moved down that the school I would attend had just had a race riot. This terrified me. I was use to talking to and playing with people who were different. My parents never let me believe there were differences. I always assumed that the reason some games in Junior High were held earlier in the day was because they had to come so far. I didn't know it was because the town had a rule not allowing African Americans in town after sundown. Sometimes I think I was blessed living out in the country. We went camping every year and a kid was a kid, not a skin color. So I didn't understand prejudice. At the same time I was afraid I would say something out of ignorance that would offend someone. My best friend from day one was a girl with whom I rode the bus. My answers to her questions were so short she thought I was being rude. I told her I didn't mean it that way I just didn't want to say something stupid that might get me killed. I thought she was going to stop breathing she was laughing so hard. She took me under her wing. Lena and Campbell both had to learn that a lot of what they thought about the other race was false. Some of the language was a bit more than I usually put on my school shelves. However, I will put a warning on the front and place it there because the message is one that is so important. Maybe this book will start a conversation among students. Conversations, not violence is what we need today. I read the book in a little under two hours because I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      I read I'm Not Dying with You Tonight in one evening. I usually don't do that because I don't like staying up late. With short chapters, I kept thinking, "Just one more....." Then, I was finished.Lena, a black student, possesses ambition. She dresses with a purpose and has plans with her man, Black. Lena also has a pretty savvy best friend, who tries to get Lena to see Black and his friends the way she does. She attends a football game to see another friend perform. it's when she goes to the concession stand that everything descends into chaos.Campbell, a white student, is lonely. Her mother moved to another country for a job and Campbell now lives with her father, who spends every weekend at a fishing cabin. Campbell spends her time alone--new town, new school, no friends. She agrees to help her teacher at the concession stand, but no one else helps. When a crowd arrives and she can't take care of everyone, people get angry with each other and chaos ensues. Police arrive, shots are fired. Danger. Lena and Campbell depend on each other. Lena feels sorry for this white girl who everyone is yelling at and defends her. When the crowd reaches uncontrollable anger, Lena joins Campbell in the concession booth. Lena has a network of people--friends, "cousins," while Campbell has no one, not even a ride home. Her dad went to the cabin and the teacher who was supposed to give her a ride is no where to be seen. She can't walk home through the dangerous parts of the city. No choice. They have each other. Lena is a touch chick--her laser focus and tough demeanor will have to get them through. They have to get past the fighting at the field, get down several roads, take detours because roads are closed, and go through a riot. They learn about the strength of each other and about the town and Lena learns about Black and his friends. I like the novel. I like the short chapters that keep it flowing between the two perspectives. This novel represents, as I call it, a "moment." You won't get development of relationships, just background information to understand the two characters. it's not about before or after. it's about now. This moment. Who can you rely on? Who do you help? What do you notice? What do you learn? What are you willing to do? What strength do you possess within to survive? After finishing, I felt like I wanted more, but I also realize that isn't the point of the novel. I still don't really know what to think about Black. I don't know what happens with Campbell's family's problems. Campbell has so little that I wanted something good to happen for her. She now has a friend, a new perspective on the black people she sees hanging around town and she finds strength within herself. I still want something to make her smile. I can see Lena making sure Campbell finds a reason to be happy again.
    • 4/5
      I read this as part of OverDrive's Big Library Read event. It was very fast paced and definitely sucked me in, I'm not sure either character really left too enlightened though. I would have liked a continuation showing the aftermath of the night's events.
    • 4/5
      I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal & Kimberly Jones is a fast-paced and engrossing young adult novel.

      Newcomer Campbell Carlson is working the concession stands during a football game at her new school. With little help from the volunteers, she is working hard to keep up with orders when a racially charged fight breaks out. Campbell does not know anyone and she is utterly helpless as the fight descends into chaos. When shots ring out, Campbell knows she has to escape but she is paralyzed with fear. That's when fellow classmate, Lena James, takes charge. She is desperately attempting to convince her boyfriend to pick her but he talks her into to meeting him instead. Lena and Campbell then begin an unexpectedly perilous  journey that takes them into the heart of a peaceful protest that quickly devolves into another riot.

      After her mom takes a job out of the country, Campbell has to move in with her dad and go to an entirely different school for her senior year. She has not yet made any friends and she does not have any extracurricular activities to keep her busy. With her dad leaving her on her own each weekend, Campbell is just hoping the year goes by quickly so she can go onto the next phase of her life.  Although she and Lena have classes together, the two young women do not know one another.

      Lena is confident and outspoken with a vibrant personality. She is sneaking around with her boyfriend behind her Pops' back and she is hoping to spend time with him after she leaves the football game. Neither her Pops nor her cousin Marcus are fans of her man, but Lena does not put much stock into their opinions.  She is extremely frustrated by his refusal to pick her up from the game, but she insists on joining him no matter how dangerous her and Campbell's journey turns out to be.

      Lena and Campbell have nothing in common and both have preconceived ideas about the other based on their skin color. Their differences are immediately apparent by their completely opposite reactions to the arrival of the police at the high school. Campbell, who is Caucasian, views the police as their saviors from a violent situation. Lena, who is African American, quivers with fear and absolutely refuses to go anywhere near the cops.  With only one route open to escape the events at the high school, Lena and Campbell travel through a dangerous neighborhood only to discover they have walked into yet another highly volatile and charged situation. Lena and Campbell continue working together to escape their danger surrounding them.

      Set against the backdrop of racial tension and violence, I'm Not Dying with You Tonight is a thought-provoking young adult novel with a socially relevant storyline. Campbell and Lena are engaging characters but both of them are guilty of making ill-thought out decisions.  While Gilly Segal & Kimberly Jones bring the novel to a mostly satisfying conclusion, the ending is somewhat abrupt.  I highly recommend this topical novel to older teen and adult readers.
    • 4/5
      This book follows two high school students, Lena and Campbell, over the course of a few hours. Lena and Campbell aren’t friends and hardly know each other. But one night at a football game a fight breaks out and soon the city is in chaos, forcing these two to rely on one another if they intend to survive the night. Fast paced and told in alternating perspective, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight shines a light on racial tension that is currently happening today. I received a reviewer copy of I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones from the publisher Sourcebooks Fire through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      This was a great look at the tensions that still exist in our society today and how the view of the exact same situation looks entirely different from the perspective of 2 different people within that same society. I greatly enjoyed the shifting perspective of the scene between the 2 girls and how they viewed the same events differently. Listening to the audiobook, I do have a bone to pick with the way the dialogue was read as it came off feeling, and sounding, very unnatural. The voice in my head was hearing things much differently than was recorded. The story was a good take on mob mentality and how things can get out of hand rapidly and how innocents can get caught in the middle but still having to deal with all around them. Unfortunately, real situations don't always get to end so clean as this one but I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
    • 3/5
      Argh I had a whole detailed review typed up and then my cat walked on my laptop and closed Chrome. And I cannot be bothered retyping it all.

      So.

      A competent and reasonably engaging book that:

      1) Needs a map (because did the girls really have to walk into the middle of a riot?)

      2) Needs an editor (continuity issues.)

      and

      3) Needs a conclusion (because the emotional impact would come from seeing the consequences of that one night of violence but instead everything is left up in the air.)