Welcome to Litsy!

This was absolutely a five star read. There was a rare moment while reading this where I felt seen, actually seen, and I realized how that almost never happens. It shines a light on the unique struggles of being mixed in a time/area that it's not common, and also the way we are sometimes forced to struggle with our identities as other attempt to define us. It's a short book that managed to pack so much in. I am just so glad this exists. ❤

This book is only 192 pages and yet it packs so much of my own experiences as a mixed race person on the page.

So much of my childhood confusion and hurt laid bare. I don't see myself reflected in books like this often, and I know that it will help someone younger than me work through the confusion of having a background that is both A and B and when society wants you to pick only one.

after reading other books on racism and discrimination, i was really excited to read a story set in the seventies. the story was very well laid out, with inter-racial characters and plot twists that worked with the themes of the story. i connected with the characters through their silly problems and their larger ones. i really enjoyed reading The Long Ride, and it taught me a lot! highly recommend!

Jamila Clarke, Josie Rivera and Francesca George are three mixed race girls are close friends whose parents all immigrated to the U.S working hard so they could settle down in a neighborhood with the best schools. The girls are outsiders but they have each other until In the tumult of 1970s New York City, seventh graders are bussed from their neighborhood in Queens to integrate a new school in South Jamaica.