Tyler Johnson Was Here

When Marvin Johnson’s twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.

The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it’s up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead and the cops blame the shooting, a video is leaked online that tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean.

After participating in the 13-house auction for The Hate U Give, now a runaway success, quite a lot of us agree that Angie Thomas’s novel is the one that got away –but with the astronomical success of The Hate U Give, it’s clear that there’s a gap readers are hungry to see filled: very real novels that comment on race relations in America today. Tyler Johnson Was Here is an opportunity to add to the conversation on race and police brutality in America, and the debut author–a 21-year-old activist himself–has a strong voice for today’s youth.