The Cost Of Knowing Is A Price I’m Willing To Pay

• Brittney Morris
• 2nd Book, Stand Alone
• YA Contemporary with a hint of magic
• Heritage/Background: Black (read black, black, bliggity black)
• IG: @brittneymmorris, Twitter: @BrittneyMMorris, www.authorbrittneymorris.com
• Release date: 4/6/2021 (US), 3/16/2021 (UK, out now…lucky folks)
• Publisher: Simon And Schuster
• Favorite character: Isaiah cause he is hysterical and keeps it so real! He’s the best, seriously!
• Favorite quote: There are two I highlighted and they are parts of longer quotes but will only put the part(s) that stuck out. “Why don’t we go to the gas station down the street and eat some sushi or something?”-Alex. I cackled so hard but also felt my stomach gargle in protest…whoever eats sushi from a gas station is either really brave or really wants the bubble guts/food poisoning! The other quote is “Joy in the midst of oppression is its own kind of bravery.”– Aunt Mackie…when I tell you I let out a low whistle when I read that…I think my Spirit is still letting it out at that line…I was so blown, especially because it is so true!

I have to start this by saying that I am a Brittney Morris Stan! I have been since her debut book SLAY, which is the second book I wrote about for this blog…if you don’t remember this post, go read it here! I am pretty sure there are some (or a lot of) cuss words so just a heads up! Recently, I had the honor of doing an IG Live with Brittney for one of my Saturday Night Geek Outs, which you could watch here! We had a great time and she unboxed finished copies of TCOK! I tried to play it cool but I was internally fangirling!

If you read my post about SLAY then you know that I think Brittney is a freaking genius! And she was nothing short of that title when it came to The Cost Of Knowing! Brittney dropped so many gems in SLAY that I was wondering how she would do it in this book and the way she did in TCOK was simply brilliant! TCOK deserves all of the awards, accolades, billboards and finger snaps, it is so phenomenal! When I say Brittney DID THAT, She DID *clap* THAT *clap* ISH! She put her foot in it and dense-some! Is there something more than a chef’s kiss that I could give? Because this book deserves that!

I had been chopping at the bit to read this book from the moment that she announced it and entered every giveaway I could possibly find (since I don’t have the hook up with Simon & Schuster)! For those of us in the book community, we know how tough it is to win them and that so many prayers & offerings have to be given to the Book Gods in order to win one, it feels like! I finally got lucky and won one…and when I tell you that I squealed so loud when I got the email notification then the ARC in the mail… I SQUEEEEEEEEEEALEDDDDDDDDDD and I’m not ashamed to say it!

I think I started reading it as soon as I possibly could and ate it up! I read it back in November and finished it in a little under 4 days (adulting loves to kick me in the behind when there is a book I just want to sit and read)… I was so immersed in the book that I didn’t even really use the highlighter tab sticker thingys I have (though I wish I had so I can revisit certain parts more easily but it is what it is)! It is certainly one of those books you want to live in the moment with despite the Main Character’s focus on the future. There was so much said and happened that had me like “WHOAAAAAA” *Insert mind exploding emoji here* *synapses firing*! This whole book is just a flipping masterpiece and I can’t gush enough about it!

<p value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">I'll stop obsessing but this book is TRULY THAT GOOD and the aforementioned is a very on brand response to it! The character development is also incredible and we all know that I love a book that shows range in it's characters. I felt like I was living in Alex's (the MCs) mind the entire time and it felt like the whole book played out like a movie. His ability of seeing the future (not a spoiler) felt like curse whenever it was activated and his annoyance/despair was palpable the entire the time. You could see how it distanced him from some while attempting to bring him closer to another as he was in a race against time. Could you imagine what it would be like to see glimpses of the future EVERY TIME you touch something? At first, it would be cute but after a while, I feel like I would want to fight everybody and wouldn't want to people at all. For having such a constant distraction, I thought Alex handled it as well as anyone could've. He learned some massively important lessons about the value of time and holding those you love close. The balance he found between grief and pro-activeness was simply astounding. As an adult, I'm still trying to learn that and I wish I had a character like Alex to learn from as a teen. Alex juggled so much but bless his heart, he tried in the best way he knew how to handle all his responsibilities (which brings up the topic of how Black Kids, especially Black Boys, have to grow up so quickly but I'm going to table discussion that right now).I’ll stop obsessing but this book is TRULY THAT GOOD and the aforementioned is a very on brand response to it! The character development is also incredible and we all know that I love a book that shows range in it’s characters. I felt like I was living in Alex’s (the MCs) mind the entire time and it felt like the whole book played out like a movie. His ability of seeing the future (not a spoiler) felt like curse whenever it was activated and his annoyance/despair was palpable the entire the time. You could see how it distanced him from some while attempting to bring him closer to another as he was in a race against time. Could you imagine what it would be like to see glimpses of the future EVERY TIME you touch something? At first, it would be cute but after a while, I feel like I would want to fight everybody and wouldn’t want to people at all. For having such a constant distraction, I thought Alex handled it as well as anyone could’ve. He learned some massively important lessons about the value of time and holding those you love close. The balance he found between grief and pro-activeness was simply astounding. As an adult, I’m still trying to learn that and I wish I had a character like Alex to learn from as a teen. Alex juggled so much but bless his heart, he tried in the best way he knew how to handle all his responsibilities (which brings up the topic of how Black Kids, especially Black Boys, have to grow up so quickly but I’m going to table discussion that right now).

Speaking of characters, I loved Alex’s younger brother Isaiah SO SO MUCH! Every time he stepped onto the page, I was in awe of his humor and insight. Isaiah had to be one of the wisest preteens ever written into a book…he is also a mood in so many ways too. He spoke to my reclusive nature and his snark was A1! Here is something he said that made me cackle loudly “I wanna finish what I was watching, then go to bed, wake up this afternoon, eat some pizza pockets, and then rewatch what I was watching.”…hey, the kid knows what he wants and I can respect it! I loved reading how his and Alex’s relationship blossomed, even though the clock you knew was there & Alex sensed was ticking the entire time. Isaiah is a mood, a mindset, a lifestyle in so many ways… he was definitely a scene stealer!

Before I end this post, I have to talk briefly about the social commentary that is in this book. From Black Lives Matter to the necessity of “the grind”, I loved how Brittney wove it in in a way that wasn’t overwhelming but didn’t downplay the significance of these matters. I loved how Brittney incorporated news accounts and conversations amongst characters, where she touches on these topics but doesn’t make it all that is focused on. Sure, there are books that talk about Black pain and trauma but this book is more about Black Boys finding their joy, navigating life and just existing…really the way that things should be. We don’t get NEARLY enough books like this and I want MORE of this. Black kids should have their vast range of experiences reflected in books, it is long past time for that as so many live the realities of this book. I’m so glad that The Cost Of Knowing exists so they can feel seen. It’s an unfortunately reality that so many Black Kids, like Alex, have to grow up so early, working part-time and going to school along with the probability of having to raise siblings or at minimum assist in their upbringing (I was one). In so many ways, this book felt like an ode to all those kids…the ones that could see themselves in Alex or Isaiah.

The Cost Of Knowing does such a brilliant job of toeing the line between heaviness and happiness…it’s really just All Of The Things! There is so much more that I could say about this book but I’m just going to say GO GET THIS BOOK, it is RE-DONK-ULOUSLY AMAZING! I’m sure I haven’t let you down yet and I don’t plan to everrrrrr! So continue to trust me…*puts hands together & bats eyelashes* pretty pleaseeeee?! *Kool-Aid Smiles* Alright my peeps, as usual, I’m wishing you all Happy Reading and sending Bookish love your way! Feel free to find and follow me on all of the social medias: Instagram @bookishgirlmagic, Twitter @bookishgrlmagic and Clubhouse @bookishgrlmagic, especially on Tuesdays for the Pub Day: YA Edition room under the Diverse Shelves club for more bookish banter! Until the next post, BYEEEEEEE!