Alfonso and his girlfriend Danetta are out shopping for a suit to wear when his father is released from prison. An off-duty police officer working store security shoots and kills Alfonso after mistaking the hanger in his hand for a gun. As a spirit, Alfonso meets others who were cut down by police brutality and witnesses the impact and global activism that result after his death. I found the narrative disjointed and the illustrations chaotic but in the end this is a story for our time. ( )

CW: Shooting of black teenager ( )

It seems only the most powerful books are banned. This book is banned for showing police in the wrong light and for being about by POC particularly black issues. In this book Alfonso Jones is shot while shopping for a suit because a security guard with a gun mistakes a hanger for another type of gun. This story looks both at the aftermath of what happens in society after the senseless killing, as well as following Alfonso Jones ‘s ghost as he views the history of other victims of senseless racial violence. This book is hard-hitting and brings forth all the emotions. It is so very real that even though it was written years ago it’s still not only relevant to today but will remain relevant for years to come. This book shouldn’t be banned, it should be studied. It should be used as a reference for what can and does happen in our modern society. It points out atrocities such as a 15-year-old black boy being shot for having a hanger, while a teenage school shooter gets taken alive with an arsenal of weapons. It gets into the thoughts and prayers offered by politicians with little to no action. And it gets into the pain of a community that can be felt by any community when one of their members is senselessly killed. This book should be read and should be in many libraries permanent collection as we hope and work towards a better future where books like this are no longer needed. ( )

This graphic novel takes the reader on a journey with Alfonso Jones--a young black teenager fatally shot by a police officer. Where other books I've read recently tackle the repercussions of police brutality by focusing on the living (All-American Boys, The Hate U Give), Tony Medina constructs a world where we follow Alfonso into the afterlife and see his struggle to reconcile the injustice of his death.

English teachers will love the Hamlet thread that runs through this book. I've placed it on my own list of books I recommend to others seeking to understand racism in America. And I'm not sure if this was a conscious choice by the author and illustrator, but the entire novel is inked only in black and white. I know I'm placing my own interpretation here, but I couldn't shake the thought that the lack of color was intentional. Made me think of what happens to our world when we don't champion the rights of people of color--we lose beauty and dimension in our own humanity. A heartbreaking and necessary read. And don't skip the foreword or the author's note--essential to truly grasp the importance of this novel. ( )

Trigger Warnings: Police Brutality, Racism, gunshot wounds, death

I Am Alfonso Jones is a graphic novel following a black, fifteen year old boy who is shot and killed by a mall security guard who mistakes a hanger for a gun Alfonso is holding while he shops for his first suit. The novel follows Alfonso onto a train of the afterlife guided by victims of police brutality. Alfonso watches as his family and friends deal with their grief and those fighting for justice.

This graphic novel has a great message about social injustice and the need for change. It's powerful.

The novel itself tends to skip around a bit. There's many chapters and some are only a page long. That's really the only way you can keep up with either the history jumps, flashbacks, or current events.

The art itself was well done but sometimes hard to follow. So much would be happening on the page it was sometimes hard to keep up with the narrative. ( )