The 57 Bus
One teenager with a lighter.
One moment that changes both of their lives forever.
If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight.
My Review
I may have read articles about this story but I can't remember. The fact that Dashka covered this story as a journalist was a great factor in this book. The author already had first had knowledge on this subject matter. What I enjoyed the most about this book is that it did not read like just a bunch of interviews. Yet, everyone who spoke and was featured in this book had a name and a face. It was like I was there in person listening as everyone spoke.
Yet, this book was not just about the crime but about the people; specifically Sasha and Richard. The book is broken out into different parts. The first parts give the reader an insight into who Sasha and Richard are before the event. While, the event was horrible, I felt like Richard really did not have malice intentions towards Sasha. He just made a very stupid judgment in error that cost him dearly. Just from reading this book, it seemed that Richard was a scapegoat. This book captured my attention and kept it until the very end.
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