The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

 

Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his little brother, Isaiah. But as much as Alex tries, he often comes up short.

It’s hard to for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life.

And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother’s imminent death, everything changes.

With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present.

---

I really enjoyed Slay last year. It was a great read, really refreshing. This one isn't quite up there, but it's still head and shoulders above many other reads. I found the 'rules' around the boys' powers confusing, but otherwise I really loved this story.

Alex is a fantastic character. He's been dealt an awful hand and he's still standing up, doing his best and working his hardest. Although he makes a few mistakes, he acknowledges them and tries to fix them as best he can. Isaiah is brilliant, too, sweet and smart, a really great character. I loved watching them bond and grow closer after everything they've been through.

I did think it was a little odd that a sixteen year old was so worried about sex! Am I really far out of touch and all the sixteen year olds are having sex nowadays? More power to them, as long as they're being safe, it just feels young to me.

This book brought up some fantastic points - I'd love to see it discussed in classes - and I really enjoyed it. A great read.

The Cost of Knowing publishes on the 11th of March, 2021 in the UK, and on the 6th of April 2021 in the US, with the same cover. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.