The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives

by Dashka Slater

Hardcover, 2017

Status

Checked out
Due 2024-01-16

Call number

364.15

Collection

Publication

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (2017), 320 pages

Description

"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."--… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Cherylk
I may have read articles about this story but I can't remember. The fact that Dashka covered this story as a journalist was a great factor in this book. The author already had first had knowledge on this subject matter. What I enjoyed the most about this book is that it did not read like just a
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bunch of interviews. Yet, everyone who spoke and was featured in this book had a name and a face. It was like I was there in person listening as everyone spoke.

Yet, this book was not just about the crime but about the people; specifically Sasha and Richard. The book is broken out into different parts. The first parts give the reader an insight into who Sasha and Richard are before the event. While, the event was horrible, I felt like Richard really did not have malice intentions towards Sasha. He just made a very stupid judgment in error that cost him dearly. Just from reading this book, it seemed that Richard was a scapegoat. This book captured my attention and kept it until the very end.
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LibraryThing member Starla_Aurora
An amazing, eye opening, historical account for everyone to read. Things happen to good kids. We are a product of our environment, either we join it or we surpass it. Be Careful.
LibraryThing member JanaRose1
When Sasha fell asleep on the bus, Richard decided to set Sasha's skirt on fire. What he thought would be a funny joke, turned serious as the skirt erupted into a fireball, severely burning Sasha. The police and media called it a hate crime - a crime against the lgbtq community.

Alternating between
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Sasha and Richard's story, this book sets up a frank discussion of gender and sexuality. It shows the seriousness of one's actions and how a seemingly harmless prank could have turned deadly. I think this is an important read for those of all ages. Overall, highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Susan.Macura
Timing is everything, and in this case, this is so true. Sasha and Richard found themselves riding on the 57 bus for a short period of time by chance. Sasha, a teen who did not identify with being either sex despite being born male, was wearing an outfit typical for school that included a skirt.
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Sasha fell asleep on the bus, something that they did on many other occasions. However, Richard and his friends were on that bus that day, and they were acting like typical teenage boys. They were laughing and joking, but somehow things got out of hand, and Richard took a lighter and set Sasha's skirt on fire. Fortunately, there were people there who helped Sasha, but they still suffered severe burns to their legs. Richard was ultimately arrested and charged as an adult for the crime. This book looks at what happens to a teen in the adult system, arguing that the appropriate court should have been the juvenile one, despite the severity of the crime. Sasha's parents agreed with that. This is an amazing look at crime, violence, race, class, gender and morality as well as the value of forgiveness and taking responsibility for one's actions. This is a great book for both teens and adults, as we all have a lot to learn and understand about each other.
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
A pretty solid nonfiction book for teens that explores social justice (and injustice. Two teens are bound together after one horribly thought through mistake and their lives are altered. Sasha is an agendered teen who occasionally wears skirts, Richard is a black teen from the crime ridden part of
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town who decides to get his friends to laugh. One afternoon while riding the 57 bus through Oakland, Richard sees a dude in a skirt sleeping at the back of the bus and thinks it might be funny if he got part of the skirt to smolder. His plan backfires horribly when the whole thing catches on fire in a blaze and endangers Sasha and the bus. He is arrested and charged with a hate crime, while Sasha must undergo multiple surgeries to save her legs. The 57 Bus tells both their stories and aims at getting the reader to think about justice and fairness, and even forgiving others.
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LibraryThing member CJPG
Wow! Wow! Wow!
You have to read this book!

Written for young adults, appropriate for middle grade, and a compelling read for adults. This true story takes place in Oakland, in the neighborhood my grandparents lived in long before the events described in this book took place. While the setting was
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familiar, the egregious realities of a hate crime such as the one described in The 57 Bus were not.

Although other readers found this book to be one-sided, preachy, and even lacking in detail, there is much to be gleaned from reading it.
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LibraryThing member rdwhitenack
Probably this book, more than any other medium, has forced me to open my eyes to genders beyond male and female. Slater reinforces the importance of pronouns and makes the reader more aware of their own biases.
Slater could have focused great attentiion and detail on the horrific act that this
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story revolves around, but she focused more on the people and families that were effected, the justice for Sasha, and the repercussions of the law for Richard. What comes through on all accounts is the empathy that humans can have, even when exposed to hardship and tragedy.
Good quick read. Took two days. Would recommend to high school readers particularly those looking for affirming stories and people in the LGBTQ community.
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LibraryThing member SBoren
This book was given to me by my bestie @mycornerforbooksand for Mother's Day. I have wanted it for so long. All opinions are my own. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater. This one is written differently. It is a true story of a true crime and how it effected more than just the two teens
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involved. While it has a horrid, scary story, Slater does a great job of providing facts, vocabulary words, and a way to help others navigate the complicated world we live in. Sasha, formerly Luke, was the victim of what was supposed to be a harmless prank by a high school boy, Richard. Richard and his friends get on the Bus and after laughing and cutting up decide to play a prank on the person asleep on the bus. Only it isn't harmless and it's wasn't just any person. Richard finds himself alone in a complicated situation charged as an adult, while Sasha fights to exist the entire ordeal. And all of their family and friends try to understand why exactly this had to happen the way it did. Review also posted on Instagram @borensbooks, Library Thing, Go Read, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Amazon, and my blog at readsbystacie.com
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LibraryThing member ewyatt
This was a true story engagingly told and well written. Sasha was on the 57 bus on the way home from school when their skirt was lit of fire by Richard. The text delves into the backstories of Sasha and Richard and then picks up at the event and what happened in the aftermath. Sasha identifies as
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agender, and there is a lot of information in the book about gender identity which is helpful. Sasha and Richard's families also are portrayed in the book. Throughly researchers, compassionately written. Reading the book serves to raise one consciousness.
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LibraryThing member jimrgill
Dashka Slater’s achievement in having written “The 57 Bus” is notable for a few reasons. First, she has composed a well-written and engaging work of non-fiction for Young Adult readers—a rather rare feat in itself. Second, she utilizes a writing style that blends journalistic and
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straightforward accounts of a quite brutal event with the voices of those whose lives were forever altered by that event. In doing so, she demonstrates the complexity of the issues involved in this tale of an agender teenager, Sasha, who fell asleep on a bus and woke up engulfed in flames after another teenager senselessly set fire to the skirt Sasha was wearing.

Most of the “chapters” that comprise this book are no longer than 2 or 3 pages. While this choppy reportorial structure could potentially create an uneven staccato rhythm to Slater’s writing, instead it accurately reproduces the assortment of viewpoints and contexts that create an intricate mosaic around the unfortunate event, its causes, and its consequences. Slater begins by presenting an account of the event itself. She then shifts the focus to Sasha, a teenager who embodies the very meaning of intersectional identity—Sasha, assigned male at birth, identifies as agender or genderqueer—that is, neither male nor female. Sasha uses the gender-neutral pronouns “they” and “them,” a practice Slater adopts throughout the book. Sasha is also on the autism spectrum. The next section of the book focuses on Richard, who set Sasha’s skirt on fire. Richard, a black teenager, lives in poverty and has grown up surrounded by crime and violence. When Richard’s and Sasha’s lives intersect one fateful day in Oakland on the 57 bus, Slater focuses on the complex ways in which race, gender, sexuality, privilege, prejudice, and socioeconomics affect what happens next as she discusses perceptions and misperceptions of sexuality, gender identity, and institutionalized racism.

The book proceeds at a brisk pace that belies its profound implications, and it handles complex and relevant contemporary issues in a style appropriate for its intended adolescent audience. I highly recommend that everyone read this book and share it with a young adult.
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LibraryThing member lindamamak
57 Bus is nonfiction that tells the true story of an agender teen, Sasha, who rode the 57 bus home every day. One day, on that bus, three teen boys are being obnoxious jerks and Richard takes a lighter to Sasha’s skirts and seems surprised when it goes up in flames. The remainder of the story
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discusses Sasha’s recovery and the court case surrounding Richard. It’s a remarkable story about identity, choices, consequences and, in the end, forgiveness. Everyone needs to read this bbo
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LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Sasha, self defined as asexual and with the preferred pronoun they, took the 57 bus to get home from school every day. Richard, from a very different part of town, took the same bus. One day, on the bus with his friends, Richard decided to prank the boy in a skirt. He didn't expect the skirt to go
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up in flames. Sasha landed in the hospital, and Richard found himself charged with a hate crime as an adult.
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LibraryThing member BDartnall
One of the three books on the YA choices for the Global Read 2019...wow. Well written, tightly woven re-telling through various perspectives of this true incident: an African-American teenage boy (Richard) lights another "genderqueer" kid's skirt on fire (Sasha) while riding on an Oakland city bus;
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the skirt ignites, awakes the drowsing Sasha but before the flames are put out, Sasha has burns all over his legs. Traces the path for both of them - before the event, the event itself, and then afterwards. The author unfurls the narrative in a respectful & empathetic tone, using straightforward prose with just enough imagery/specific details to convey the complexity of each individual key to the story: the victim Sasha, the perpetrator Richard, some of Richard's friends and some high school staff, the parents of each young person, Sasha's friends, the lawyers, and gives a fuller context by explaining how the Calif juvenile court system works, what juvenile prison is like, how Sasha's burns are treated and healed and his trajectory to college life, etc. Instead of providing a simplistic tale of "wayward teen does badly and gets caught in the justice system", the author helps readers see the humanity of Richard as well as Sasha, how an already happy go lucky teenage boy with fragile prospects for graduation & social/economic success changes his future in a split second, succumbing to peer pressure & sheer daring in one simple antisocial act. Narratives about each teen is broken up occasionally with court findings, commentary of friends and family members via interviews with author, and even text messaging on occasion but author always maintains a forward trajectory. Lengthy but worth it - excellent choice for esp older teens, who may appreciate the last year of high school to post high school experiences, worries and changes.
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LibraryThing member kimpiddington
Gripping and impartial view of both sides of a crime. Full of interesting facts that might change what people think is the "right" way to view a variety of topics.
LibraryThing member akblanchard
After school in Oakland, California, two teenagers habitually ride the same bus route to home. One teen is white, middle-class, agender and asexual. The other is an inner-city African-American male. When a prank gone wrong results in serious injury to the genderqueer one, the African-American teen
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finds himself stuck in the criminal justice system, charged as an adult with a hate crime.

In short chapters The 57 Bus illuminates both injured Sasha's and incarcerated Richard's stories both before and after the fateful afternoon their lives briefly intersected. I read this book in two days and I could hardly put it down. It is shelved in my local library as a "teen" book, but it really is for anyone who wants to read a story of redemption, hope and healing.
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LibraryThing member acargile
I finally got around to reading this book when Audibooksync had it paired with Monday's Not Coming for week 1 of 2020. These books are a great pairing! The 57 Bus is a true story from a few years ago.

The moment: person with a white skirt; person with a lighter--both on the 57 bus. Yes, what you
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think happens happens--the boy flicks his lighter, the skirt ignites and Sasha is burned. Is it that simple? A few sentences? I'm sure there are assumptions already going through your head. Situations never are as simple as what they appear.

The non-fiction book introduces the reader to each person, so that we do not assume "good vs. evil." Assumptions have consequences. Let's avoid what is avoidable. The facts. Sasha, born a male, considers themself agender and uses the plural pronoun, which takes getting used to while reading. Sasha likes wearing skirts. They were raised in a white, fairly safe community and they are super, super smart. They didn't fit in completely but had close friends growing up and respected for their intelligence. Sasha loved public transportation and the thought that goes behind making it all work. Seemingly, they seem advantaged, and to an extent, yes. Their parents accepted these choices by Sasha and expected others to respect them as well. Richard, on the other hand, has a much different life. His mother loves him but works a lot of hours, and Richard sometimes doesn't always hang around the best people. There is much more disadvantages to his community than Sasha has. He's actually a good kid, but he does do some stupid stuff sometimes and doesn't know why he didn't think it through. He ends up arrested before this incident; and, when he returns, he attends a different school where a counselor of sorts helps students like him use education to achieve and not end up dead.

These lives reflect the social divides in America. If Richard didn't live in a higher crime area because society had more choices for his mother, would he have done what he did? Was this a hate crime? As the book unfolds, Richard doesn't seem to have any animosity toward seeing a boy in a skirt. He claims to be homophobic, but I'm not convinced he knew what the word meant. As the novel progresses, you see how incarceration affects Richard. Did it keep him from achieving what he could have? Did it keep him out of trouble and gave him a future he wouldn't have had? Did it protect him? Sasha recovers and attends a prestigious college while Richard serves time in a juvenile facility. Two totally different lives. The parents even care for each other. Sasha's parents do not hate. They see the problems in society and the justice system and want Richard to have help. They don't judge him. Everyone wants what is best for everyone and strive for this positive outcome.

As you read the book, you discover statistics about incarceration of juveniles, what seems to help, and what doesn't. You also discover everyone is a person. Assumptions and hate create the problems and no one benefits. It's a fascinating look at an incident that lasted a short time but had consequences for all of us. It is well worth your time because you will really think about what is being said and, hopefully, take a deep breath and choose to be someone who researches truth instead of jumps to conclusions.
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LibraryThing member Darcia
I vaguely remember when this case was in the news. The media labeled it a hate crime committed by a homophobic black teen on a gay white teen. The truth is something else entirely, and Dashka Slater lays it all out for us beautifully.

This true story encompasses gender identity, racism, bias, class
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divisions, pack behavior, and teenage impulsiveness. It's complex, fascinating, and heartbreaking, yet also offers a profound sense of compassion and understanding.

Sasha identifies as agender, using the pronoun "they." I'm blown away by their sense of self. Most people would be left bitter, seeking retribution, but Sasha has this incredible inner peace. Really, I wish they could bottle it and spray it all over the world. Sasha's parents are supportive in a way that every child deserves, regardless of gender or sexual preference.

I especially love how this book questions the way we prosecute teens. Casting blame is easy, but the reality is almost always far more complicated.

While Sasha's and Richard's stories are unique, different versions are playing out all over the world. Maybe reading this will help us all learn a better way forward.
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LibraryThing member Sarah220
The true story of a black teenager who set a non-binary person's skirt on fire. The author is a journalist and there is definitely a news story feel to it. What I thought was fantastic though was how the author was able to provide the reader with both sides of the story in a very genuine way and I
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empathized with the perpetrator as much as the victim. The book also takes a look at brain development, how California laws have changed over the last 40 years (often not for the better), the effect of trauma on future actions, and how the judicial system is much more about punishment than rehabilitation, especially if juveniles are sent to adult prison.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
teen/adult nonfiction; human interest (Stonewall Award; LGBTQA interest).
This sounds like a terribly sad (true) story and one that you don't think you'd ever want to read, but Sasha and Richard's stories have so much heart that you won't regret picking it up. There's also a ton to think
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about/discuss for book groups.
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LibraryThing member suesbooks
I found th information presented in this book regarding adolescent crime and punishment very important. I was interested in the real people presented and the relationships. I found the writing unclear and repetitive, and that detracted greatly from this important story. I so admired the forgiveness
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proffered by the victim and their famiy.
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LibraryThing member Castlelass
Thought-provoking, insightful examination of a crime committed against an agender teen by a black teen in Oakland, California in 2013. Journalist Dashka Slater goes beyond the common media angles to probe current social issues such as gender identity, adolescent impulsivity, racial bias, and the
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criminal justice system. The author explores questions that could be useful in youth discussion groups or food-for-thought for anyone:

• What separates a hate crime from an impulsive, reckless decision?
• Should juveniles be tried and sentenced as adults? What are the potential impacts?
• How did the expression of gender identity influence the behavior of others? How did the expressions of support change this behavior?
• How can understanding of differences increase tolerance and acceptance?
• How does news reporting and social media influence public opinion? How does this book attempt to go further than the surface treatment of this case?
• What roles do remorse and forgiveness play in the outcome?

The book is divided into four sections: Sasha, Richard, the Fire, and Justice. Chapters are short and riveting. Up-to-date gender terminology is conveyed. We get to know the families and background of those involved, and I cared about what happened to them. It would be nice to see an addition to the book at some point in the future to find out each of these two fares later in life.

Recommended to readers who wish to become more informed about gender identity issues, juvenile crime, and criminal justice concerns. Book clubs may also be interested, as it challenges many commonly-held assumptions and includes lots of room for debate. Contains language and graphic descriptions the results of a person being set on fire. I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
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LibraryThing member Danielle.Desrochers
This book was well told and heartwrenching.
LibraryThing member secondhandrose
Very interesting non fiction account of a teenage hate crime, the ensuing trial and the use of restorative justice. Told from the perspectives of the victim and the perpetrator.
LibraryThing member skstiles612
This is a true story that took place in 2013. It explores many issues and how they are handled. Sasha is an agender, autistic teen who likes wearing skirts. Richard is a teen who decides to set Sasha’s skirt on fire while they are sleeping. It was meant to be a prank. Many things played a role in
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the sentence that Richard was given. The actual event was horrific no matter what gender. However, when you look at all the facts several things come to mind. So let me start by saying that the incident, no matter what race or gender the victim and perpetrator were needed to be punished. When reading the book I noticed a couple of things in particular. The first thing I noticed was that Sasha was white and Richard was African American. The second thing we notice is their gender identification and their financial status. When you read a book and the victim’s family stands up for the person accused of the crime and it is ignored then you have to imagine something is wrong with the system. Richard is questions without a lawyer and makes statements that paint him as homophobic. Due to this and other circumstances he is tried as an adult. Yes I do believe what he did was wrong on so many levels. Do I believe he should have been tried as an adult? No. This crime changed both lives. By the press and everyone involved focusing on race and gender there was a lot of bias found in this case. The author brings a human side to the story. By telling what happened to both teens and telling us both sides of the story we get a better picture of the humans these two are. So often the news takes a story and puts their own slant on it to fit the politics of the time. I can’t have it on my shelves, but I can sure recommend students check it out from their local library.
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Awards

Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Honor — Nonfiction — 2018)
Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards (Winner — Young Adult — 2018)
LA Times Book Prize (Finalist — Young Adult Literature — 2017)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2019)
Iowa Teen Award (Nominee — 2021)
Stonewall Book Award (Winner — 2018)
Green Mountain Book Award (Nominee — 2019)
Oregon Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2020)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — Teen — 2020)
Florida Teens Read Award (Nominee — 2020)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (High School — 2019)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — High School — 2020)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2020)
Golden Poppy Book Award (Winner — Young Adult — 2017)
Flicker Tale Award (Nominee — Older Readers — 2020)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2020)
Evergreen Teen Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2020)
Isinglass Teen Read Award (Nominee — 2020)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2019)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — 2018)
James Cook Teen Book Award (Honor Book — 2019)
In the Margins Official List (Nonfiction — 2019)
Great Reads from Great Places (California — 2018)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Teens (Top Ten — Nonfiction — 2017)
Project LIT Book Selection (Young Adult — 2019)

Physical description

320 p.; 8.55 inches

ISBN

0374303231 / 9780374303235
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