Have you ever approached a book, whether it be in a library or bookstore, that looked interesting, yet you were a bit afraid to read? That’s what Cracker initially was for me, and I’ll explain why.
Cracker is the story of a high school student named Ann, who is growing up in Columbus, Ohio. Ann is just like any normal teenager, but there’s one interesting fact that makes Ann’s world different from our own.
Ann, a White girl, is a minority. Yes, people. This is an alternative history.
Now do you see why I was nervous at first? Jacci Turner decided to write this book after the Ferguson riots to help White people understand the plight of African Americans, and the only way she could properly explain it was by turning the tables and putting White people in African American shoes.
I’ll admit, I was nervous to see how things would play out in the book, but Jacci Turner did an excellent job of making an alternate universe. With help from her friends and peers, Jacci changed history and made White people the minority in this country. From a black girl getting picked over a Ann for a job, to her being talked about for having “natural hair,” to the loss of her best friend Jacci created the entire experience and allowed readers to go through it all right with her.
Each character in the story was perfectly written without leaning towards any kind of stereotype and the situations that Ann encountered are actual situations that African American teens and teens in general would go through. The fact that she was able to create an entirely opposite world and still make it relatable was fantastic.
If you haven’t figured it out already, I thought this book was wonderful. It really has the ability to open everyone’s eyes Black and White to the issues that our nation still faces. Yes, race is a touchy subject, but it is one that needs to be discussed. This is definitely a book that everyone needs to purchase. I promise, it will change your perspective on a lot of things.