Keywords
book reviews, racism in social media, traumatic social media interactions, teenagers
Preview
In California, a boy named Charles creates an Instagram account with the express purpose of getting a laugh out of his friends, and he does so through shockingly racist content about their own classmates. Just over a dozen boys follow the account, some interacting more than others. Meanwhile, through a mutual friend, word gets out to the girls being targeted, and soon the entire school is caught up in the fallout. What starts as a “simple joke” leads to reconciliation meetings gone wrong, riots, violence, and national headlines. Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater shares the story indicated in its title, but it also unexpectedly accomplishes a nuanced and compassionate look at every angle—victims, perpetrators, administrators, and the community.
Recommended Citation
Jones, Lisa
(2024)
"Book Review: Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed,"
The Utah English Journal: Vol. 52, Article 13.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/uej/vol52/iss1/13