Quote 1

Surely it’s not too late to stop things from going wrong. There must be some way to wake Sasha. Divert Richard. Get the driver to stop the bus.

The narrator speaks these words at the end of the second introductory chapter, “Monday, November 4, 2013,” in which she explains what occurs to Sasha and Richard together in a collision. This quote illustrates one of the book’s main themes: a single, quick moment can change people’s lives forever. It also demonstrates the author’s unusual writing style. Here the author uses the second-person pronoun “you,” thereby drawing the audience into that moment on the bus and into the overall story, affording them the illusion of a certain degree of agency, as if they have the power to change things. The narrator goes on to utilize this second-person perspective throughout the book, challenging the audience to think beyond simple answers and to explore what they truly think about the incident and the repercussions that follow.

Quotes 2

’You know what’s going to happen? They’re going to kill me. And I do not want to have a baby out here without a dad. I don’t want that for you and I don’t want that for my child. There will be enough of those kids out there. You can take those ones in. Just know that those ones will be your and my children together.’

Lil’ Jerry speaks these words to Kaprice in the “The Princess of East Oakland” chapter that describes Kaprice’s backstory. Although very successful, Lil’ Jerry is very aware of what will happen to him eventually as a result of his affiliation with gangs. Even though he becomes tired of this life, there is no way out other than death for him. Lil’ Jerry represents someone caught in the cycle of violence, one which Richard ironically escapes by being arrested and incarcerated. The example of Lil’ Jerry also serves to illustrate the far-reaching consequences of violence. In Jerry’s case, the consequences are indeed death, but he also pushes Kaprice to get out. She is able to transform this trauma into a desire to help others avoid the same fate, thereby attempting to stop the cycle of violence.

Quote 3

‘Sasha, Debbie, and I have forgiven Richard,’ he whispered. ‘We hope the state will focus more on preparing him for the world beyond incarceration than on punishing him.’

Karl speaks these words to the court in the “Progress Report” chapter, which describes Richard’s second progress report in juvenile detention. If the report is good, it could allow for Richard’s resentencing. This is another small moment in which Richard and Sasha are brought together—but instead of coming together through an act of violence, they come together as Karl speaks out on Richard’s behalf, voicing forgiveness instead of condemnation. In this case, yet another small moment alters the trajectory of Richard’s life, this time for the better as he is able to avoid adult prison in part because of Karl’s testimony. This moment also reinforces the theme of restorative justice, and the idea that there is value in allowing Richard to rebuild his life rather than push him further into a world of violent crime. However, despite the fact that Sasha’s family does not support Richard being charged as an adult, Karl explains his belief that Sasha would not have been targeted if they had been wearing traditional male clothing that matched their outward presentation, suggesting Richard’s actions were born of ignorance and insecurity rather than malice, and that ultimately, neither ignorance nor insecurity has to be permanent.

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