Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Rousing novel about teen's quest in honor of late sister.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When ONE OF THE GOOD ONES begins, Happi, an African American girl, and her family are reeling from the loss of her older sister, Kezi. Kezi was a YouTube influencer and activist who died on her 18th birthday in a jailhouse fire after being arrested at a protest for a young man killed by the police. The loss is especially hard on Happi because Kezi was the "good" sister, who got good grades and never skipped school like Happi sometimes does. Kezi had planned to take a graduation trip exploring sites included in their great-grandmother's Green Book, a directory of places Black people could patronize during the era of segregation. So, Happi, eldest sister Genny, and Kezi's best friends, Ximena and Derek, decide to take the journey in her honor and post their adventures to Kezi's YouTube channel. Along the way, Happi learns secrets about Kezi that make her wish she and her sister could have been closer and supported each other better.
Is It Any Good?
This is an entertaining novel with lots of twists and surprises. One of the Good Ones tackles a lot: There's segregation, lynching, police violence, community poverty, grief, and generational trauma. Despite all of those heavy subjects, it manages to be lighthearted. There's also friendship, sibling love, family strength, and adolescent romance. The characters are resilient and optimistic about living their best lives. The one weakness is the heavy-handed way the authors insert historical background information and their social commentary into dialogue, sometimes paragraphs-long passages that read like op-eds. Fans of Dear Haiti will probably enjoy this one too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about taking risks in One of the Good Ones. What risks have you taken in life, and how did you know the risk was worth it?
Have you ever lost someone close to you? Did the loss change any of your life choices?
One of the Good Ones has multiple narrators. How does this technique help the author create suspense?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Activism , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , School ( High School ) , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Inkyard Press
- Publication date : January 5, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 13 - 18
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate