Ain't Burned All the Bright

Ain’t Burned All the Bright is powerful and beautiful and, dare I say, breathtaking!

Reynolds taps into our collective psyche, reaches deep into our hearts, and gives us a story about who we are and who we can be, all contained within a few sentences that play out over the course of a 384-page book.

And Griffin’s powerful illustrations elevate the work to the next level. 

"In through the nose, out through the mouth..."

Each time I read it, it stuns me into breathlessness. 

I originally picked this book up from the library. After reading it—or really, a more accurate term would be experiencing it—I purchased a copy. I wanted to be able to lend to friends and revisit it when the mood struck.

A mashup of spoken word poetry and graphic novel, it was conceived during the pandemic while protesters took to the streets following George Floyd’s murder. The “Jasons” have created a moment in time in the life of a Black kid who’s trying to make sense of a senseless world. His father’s sick with COVID, his mother sick with worry,… show more.