This riveting nonfiction book for teens about race class gender crime and punishment tells the true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus in Oakland California.
One teenager in a skirt.
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.
