A New York Times Bestseller
Stonewall Book
Award Winner—Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's & Young
Adult Literature Award
YALSA Award for
Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist
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.