Name: Joy KBA's review of The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
Item: The Cost of Knowing
Rating: 4
Author: Joy KBA

Brittney Morris

Dear Martin meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, evocative novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death, from the acclaimed author of SLAY. 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.

The Cost of Knowing

Hannah E

4 stars - "When you lose both your parents at twelve, your best friend at thirteen, and your little brother at sixteen, you don't get to be sixteen."

This book took me by surprise. I liked the story, which tackles the topics of intergenerational trauma, toxic masculinity, and acknowledges what it's like being a Black man in America. The author describes this book as a love letter to Black men, and honestly, I really like that. The writing was great, but the only downside for me were the long chapters & sentences. And bcs there were long chapters, some parts felt tedious. However, the story was interesting, so I didn't always realize the length of the chapters while reading. Anxiety is also a topic that is discussed, and the way it is written kind of makes you feel how the main character (Alex) is feeling (the racing thoughts, the constant asking of "what ifs", the overanalyzing of situations, etc). There is trauma in this book, so beware and be prepared before reading this. Overall, a great book

Joy KBA

4 stars - "When you lose both your parents at twelve, your best friend at thirteen, and your little brother at sixteen, you don't get to be sixteen."

This book took me by surprise. I liked the story, which tackles the topics of intergenerational trauma, toxic masculinity, and acknowledges what it's like being a Black man in America. The author describes this book as a love letter to Black men, and honestly, I really like that. The writing was great, but the only downside for me were the long chapters & sentences. And bcs there were long chapters, some parts felt tedious. However, the story was interesting, so I didn't always realize the length of the chapters while reading. Anxiety is also a topic that is discussed, and the way it is written kind of makes you feel how the main character (Alex) is feeling (the racing thoughts, the constant asking of "what ifs", the overanalyzing of situations, etc). There is trauma in this book, so beware and be prepared before reading this. Overall, a great book

Ashley Wendt

I’m torn and I’m just going to leave it at that.

Samantha Seeman

I want to start by saying that I received this book as an ARC from a Goodreads Giveaway! Thank you to Goodreads and Simon and Schuster for providing me with a book I was highly anticipating! 

Okay, now that I've mentioned that here's what I've got to say about the book: I hate it. Not in the it was terribly written etc. etc. No. I mean, it destroyed me and I didn't like it. 

I will admit, it took me a long while to get into, and even towards the end, I found my eyes wandering around the page instead of focusing. I don't know if that is a ME thing or what but I felt that I should include that in my review. I had a really hard time connecting with the characters throughout most of the story honestly. You know how when you read, sometimes you picture yourself right in the action alongside the MC? That didn't happen for me this time around. It was more like I was watching it from above or something. I personally felt a bit disconnected from it. However, all that being said, it really was a great idea, and a story that leaves you thinking. Alex's anxiety felt very real to me and I felt badly for him. Isaiah though. What a pure little soul. 

All in all, it was pretty good. I would definitely recommend it.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this earc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Cost of Knowing

Author: Brittany Morris

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: Black main characters and side characters

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: YA readers, sibling relationships, slight sci-fi readers

Genre: YA Sci-fi (more contemporary than sci-fi)

Publication Date: April 6, 2021

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Pages: 336

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, anxiety, slight romance, slight language)

Synopsis: 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.

Review: Oh my goodness I am a huge fan of Brittany Morris now! I absolutely loved this story and I loved the premise of it. The book did well to develop the characters and with the world building. The book was equal parts heartbreaking and equal parts rallying as you cheered for Alex to fix the timeline. I also loved the message of this book and how Brittany Morris wrote it as a love letter to Black men that had to grow up too young. The book expertly shows the struggles Black men go through and I hope this book will be used in classrooms within the next decade to teach students the reality of our world for Black men. The atmosphere of the book reminded me a lot of They Both Die at the End with Long Way Down and Dear Martin mixed in.

The only issue I had with the book is that in some spots the pacing slows down, but overall I loved this.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

Anika | @chaptersofmay

The Cost of Knowing is a gripping YA story that explores brotherhood, prejudice, and resilience from the author of SLAY.

The Cost of Knowing follows sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus and his brother, Isaiah. Years ago, their parents were killed in a car accident, leaving Alex and Isaiah to be raised by their aunt in Chicago. After traumatic loss, Alex finds he has the ability to see the future through touch, and after picking up an old family photo, he has a vision that tells him Isaiah might die. Now Alex has to prevent the unpreventable, in a biased world that already sees him as a danger. 

SLAY was a favourite for me, not just because of its sci-fi aspect, but because it’s a thought-provoking and relatable read. I love the way the author weaves themes to create such an impactful story. The Cost of Knowing portrays the effects of trauma over time, but is laced with a fantasy element that creates and engaging storyline. It carries weight and emotion as it dives into the Black experience in America, the injustices of today’s society, and familial bonds. 

Additionally, this unique story has a vivid array of personalities that bring a hopeful and joyful tone to the book, which balance out really well with the more intense and traumatic scenes. I love the complexity of Alex’s character in particular, especially when it comes to showing vulnerability and grappling with the idea of what it means to be a man. Morris also paints an inarguably accurate picture through the protagonist’s anxiety, as for him, seeing the future is a curse rather than a superpower.

With a collection of hard truths, Brittney Morris has created yet another influential, expressive, heart-stirring novel. Her words are undeniably impactful in this timely and poignant tale.

Becca Futrell

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing me with an e-ARC of The Cost of Knowing in exchange for an honest review!

Content Warnings: Loss of Parents, Mass Shooting, Body Mutilation, Blood, Gun Violence, Racism

I’ve had a lot of thoughts since finishing The Cost of Knowing & have come to the conclusion that this book is absolutely perfect. That’s it. That’s the whole review. With a bit of reflecting, the things that I thought I disliked (slower pacing, not fleshing certain scenes out) ended up being things that truly made this book phenomenal. Now, I can’t explain why and I can’t explain how because hashtag spoilers, but just know that Brittney Morris wrote another must-read book.

I fell in love with the main characters of The Cost of Knowing — both Alex and Isaiah are so fleshed out; even with the addition of magical elements, these characters are written so realistically, making it very easy to feel for them. And once their relationship kick-started, whew — the love these two brothers have for each other? I’m living for it.

Throughout The Cost of Knowing, we sit inside Alex’s head. We’re introduced to his pain, his anxiety, his grief. We get a lot of wholesome scenes with the brothers, but we also get a lot of heartbreak. This book absolutely hurts; I found myself tearing up multiple times. & in the end, I found my arms covered in gooseflesh.

On top of The Cost of Knowing being a story focused on the relationship between these two brothers & having to deal with grief while also having these visions, Brittney Morris’ novel shines light on what it’s like being a Black man in America. The entire story touches on this — from a Karen-esque neighbor (named Karen) wanting to shut down a rap concert to keep the “wrong kind out” to mentions of code-switching. & then we get to that climax which hits hard. I’m still in shock from it, however, it’s so real & unfortunately happens all of the time.

Okay, okay. I know I said this book was perfect, but I do have a small complaint which I’ve seen from other reviewers. When Alex touches something and gets a vision, he’s able to cancel it & in the beginning, it happens so much. I get that this was to explain what’s going on, however, it does get annoying. Thankfully, once the story gets into the juice of the plot, my brain didn’t zone in too much on the vision cancellation.

I strongly, strongly urge everyone to pick up The Cost of Knowing. Absolutely loved it & as of now, is on my top reads of 2021.

Hannah E &
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

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