93 pages 3 hours read

Brendan Kiely, Jason Reynolds

All American Boys

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2015

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Essay Topics

1.

All American Boys is co-written by two authors from different racial and cultural backgrounds. How does the presence of two distinct voices influence the narrative? How would the story—and the message behind it—be different if it were told from the point of view of only one character?

2.

When Quinn is first introduced, he feels pressure to be the “All-American” boy. How does Quinn define “All-American” at the beginning of the novel? Does he believe in the concept of “All-American” wholeheartedly, or does he show disillusionment as well? How does Quinn’s definition of “All-American” shift as the novel continues?

3.

According to Rashad, his father, David, is “all about discipline” and believes “that if you work hard, good things happen to you no matter what” (51). How does David’s viewpoint influence his reaction to the violence perpetrated against his son? Does David’s perspective shift as the novel continues?