book review the 57 bus

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Common sense media reviewers.

True story of teens' fateful encounter and its aftermath.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

The 57 Bus explores race, class, gender, incarcera

When life is hard, lean on your friends, your fami

This story details a horrible crime, but the love

Richard's past in crime-plagued Oakland is detaile

Mention of more than one teen pregnancy, including

Conversational swearing by teens throughout, inclu

Mentions of drug dealing in Oakland and drug searc

Parents need to know that The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives is a compelling, sometimes emotional nonfiction story of a 2013 assault in Oakland, California, when an African American public school teen boy named Richard set fire to a sleeping, gender…

Educational Value

The 57 Bus explores race, class, gender, incarceration, and identity. It details life from two very different parts of Oakland, California, and two very different families. Sasha is a white straight-A student at a small private school in Berkeley and is agender, meaning they do not identify as male or female. Richard, who's African-American, attends public school and has lost many loved ones to murder.

Positive Messages

When life is hard, lean on your friends, your family, your teachers. We all hurt and make mistakes. Most of all, forgive. And have compassion for others.

Positive Role Models

This story details a horrible crime, but the love shown by parents, friends, teachers, and mentors here is remarkable. The grown-ups illustrate how crucial it is to learn from your mistakes, forgive, and make amends.

Violence & Scariness

Richard's past in crime-plagued Oakland is detailed: Two of his aunts were slain before he was a teenager; his best friend was shot and killed while sitting in a parking lot; a week before the incident on the 57 bus, Thomas was robbed at gunpoint. Graphic scene in which Richard lights the sleeping Sasha's skirt on fire, and the resulting blaze that leaves third-degree burns over 22 percent of Sasha's body.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Mention of more than one teen pregnancy, including Richard's mom's. She had him when she was 14. No sexually descriptive scenes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Conversational swearing by teens throughout, including "s--t," "f--k," "ass," "bitch," "damn" (and variants), and "nigga," though it doesn't seem excessive.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Mentions of drug dealing in Oakland and drug searches by prison guards, as well as a friend posting "a photo of himself with a bottle of cognac and a bottle of cough syrup."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives is a compelling, sometimes emotional nonfiction story of a 2013 assault in Oakland, California, when an African American public school teen boy named Richard set fire to a sleeping, gender-nonconforming white private school teen named Sasha on that bus. The book includes an intense, scary scene in which Richard lights Sasha's skirt and Sasha is rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. The story follows the subsequent trial and punishment, and there are descriptions of Richard's past, including family and friends who were murdered. Much of the violence is revealed in flashback and not graphically described. Parents should be ready to discuss what it means to be a gender-nonconforming teen and what life is like for a teen in prison. Conversational swearing includes "s--t" and "f--k." The story is thought-provoking and provides great discussion points about gender, the criminal justice system, and empathy for others.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (2)
• Kids say (23)

Based on 2 parent reviews

Amazing book

What's the story.

This nonfiction account is based on the New York Times Magazine story that journalist, novelist, and children's author Dashka Slater wrote about a 2013 assault that occurred when two teens were riding home from school on THE 57 BUS in Oakland, California. While one teen, Sasha, who appeared male but was wearing a skirt, slept, 16-year-old Richard -- egged on by friends -- lit the sleeping Sasha's skirt on fire. The fire left third-degree burns over 22 percent of Sasha's body. Richard was charged as an adult with two hate crimes and faced life in prison. The story is divided into four parts -- "Sasha," "Richard," "The Fire," and "Justice" -- in which Slater deeply explores the lives of these two teens, their pasts, their friends and families, and the events that led to that fateful day on the bus.

Is It Any Good?

Heartbreaking but infused with compassion, this true story is riveting. The short, compelling chapters of The 57 Bus peel back issues of race, class, and gender in a subtle, empathic way. The writing is intense and insightful, and the reader comes away more aware and feeling more compassion for both teens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how The 57 Bus deals with growing up agender, which means not identifying with a specific gender. Why does society sometimes ridicule and hurt nonconforming people? Have you read any other books about someone who's gender-nonconforming? Did this story make you feel more empathy?

How do you talk about race with friends and family? How do you deal with friends who tell racist, homophobic, and otherwise offensive jokes? What about family members who say inappropriate things?

What are your thoughts about the U.S. criminal justice system after reading The 57 Bus ?

Book Details

• Author : Dashka Slater
• Genre : History
• Topics : Activism , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models , High School
• Book type : Non-Fiction
• Publishers : Farrar , Straus and Giroux
• Publication date : October 17, 2017
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
• Number of pages : 320
• Available on : Paperback, Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Award : ALA Best and Notable Books
• Last updated : June 6, 2022

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Our editors recommend.

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

Kirkus Reviews' Best Books Of 2017

New York Times Bestseller

Stonewall Book Awards Winner

A TRUE STORY OF TWO TEENAGERS AND THE CRIME THAT CHANGED THEIR LIVES

by Dashka Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 17, 2017

An outstanding book that links the diversity of creed and the impact of impulsive actions to themes of tolerance and...

In the fall of 2013, on a bus ride home, a young man sets another student on fire.

In a small private high school, Sasha, a white teen with Asperger’s, enjoyed “a tight circle of friends,” “blazed through calculus, linguistics, physics, and computer programming,” and invented languages. Sasha didn’t fall into a neat gender category and considered “the place in-between…a real place.” Encouraged by parents who supported self-expression, Sasha began to use the pronoun they . They wore a skirt for the first time during their school’s annual cross-dressing day and began to identify as genderqueer. On the other side of Oakland, California, Richard, a black teen, was “always goofing around” at a high school where roughly one-third of the students failed to graduate. Within a few short years, his closest friends would be pregnant, in jail, or shot dead, but Richard tried to stay out of real trouble. One fateful day, Sasha was asleep in a “gauzy white skirt” on the 57 bus when a rowdy friend handed Richard a lighter. With a journalist’s eye for overlooked details, Slater does a masterful job debunking the myths of the hate-crime monster and the African-American thug, probing the line between adolescent stupidity and irredeemable depravity. Few readers will traverse this exploration of gender identity, adolescent crime, and penal racism without having a few assumptions challenged.

Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-374-30323-5

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION

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THE NEW QUEER CONSCIENCE

From the pocket change collective series.

by Adam Eli ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2020

Small but mighty necessary reading.

A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.

Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.

Pub Date: June 2, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Penguin Workshop

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

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THEY CALLED US ENEMY

by George Takei & Justin Eisinger & Steven Scott ; illustrated by Harmony Becker ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2019

A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.

A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s ( Lions and Tigers and Bears , 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.

Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.

Pub Date: July 16, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Top Shelf Books

Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION | GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS | BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

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Review: The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives Dashka Slater Farrar, Straus, & Giroux Published October 17, 2017

Amazon | bookshop | goodreads, about the 57 bus.

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.

I’ve had this book on my TBR for a long time, and I seriously can’t believe I waited so long to read it. What an incredible book! It blew me away.

What’s funny is that I’ve read several picture books by Dashka Slater (the Escargot books are a favorite in my house). This book is so different than those, and each is so well done.

It’s obvious that the author put so much care and thoughtfulness into the book’s structure. It’s got a ton of short sections. One defines some different queer identities. Another spells out the rights of a prisoner at a juvenile detention center. Others contain short stories or observations by Sasha or Richard or people close to them.

The narrative explores the lives of Sasha (victim) and Richard (perpetrator) with dignity and fairness. Nowhere does the author minimize or dismiss the seriousness of what happened to Sasha. She also includes interviews and statements from Richard’s friends and family, along with some biographical information about and statements from Richard himself. This way we get a more complete picture of both of the teens involved that terrible day on the 57 Bus.

Slater discusses how different people become targeted in hate crimes and the advancement and rolling back of protections for LGBTQIA+ people and the impact that has had. She also talks about the justice system, particularly in the process of juvenile offenders being charged as adults, and how that impacts the lives of young people and the community as a whole.

It’s such a powerful book. The points and information are clearly stated and related in a way that made me feel like I knew each of the people the narrative followed. I think this is a really important book for people to read.

Fans of true crime books and readers looking for compelling nonfiction or stories about LGBTQIA+ youth need to grab a copy of this one. Put it on your Pride Month reading list or read it on a weekend– the short sections and compelling writing make this a super quick read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages  14 up.

Representation Sasha is agender and uses they/them pronouns. Some of their friends have LGBTQIA+ identities as well. Richard is Black. His family members and some of his friends are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently. The N-word is used, usually by a Black boy to his Black friends. There are a few homophobic statements.

Romance/Sexual Content Some discussion of various sexual and gender identities and what the labels mean to the people using them.

Spiritual Content None.

Violent Content Contains brief but graphic descriptions of the burns sustained by Sasha when their skirt was set on fire on a bus and brief but graphic descriptions of the treatment of the burns.

Drug Content References to the smell of pot smoke in bathrooms at school. Doctors prescribe morphine for Sasha during their recovery from burns and surgeries.

Note:  This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but help support this blog. All opinions my own.

Book Bans and The 57 Bus

THE 57 BUS is a frequently challenged or banned book. Author Dashka Slater offers this statement about book bans in general and in reference to this book.

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Frappes and Fiction

Books & Philosophy

Book Review: The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

Favorite quote: “Never let your obstacles become more important than your goal.”

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Favorite quote: “Never let your obstacles become more important than your goal.” 

I picked up The 57 Bus because it was nominated for a book award in my state. It’s a nonfiction true-crime book that explores the backstories of two very different teens and the crime that caused their worlds to collide.

18-year-old Sasha is a middle-class white teen with Asperger’s who goes to a private school. They identify as agender- neither male nor female. 16-year-old Richard is an African-American boy who is from a poor and crime-ridden neighborhood. Both of them live in Oakland, California, but they never would have met if it weren’t for the day they both rode the 57 bus. When Richard saw Sasha sleeping in a nearby seat, wearing a skirt, he decided it would be funny to light the skirt on fire. It would only be a joke; Sasha’s skirt would just smolder a little and go out. Richard didn’t expect Sasha’s skirt to go up in flames, leaving 70% of Sasha’s body burned and Richard facing adult hate crime charges and possible life in prison.

The great thing about this book was that it didn’t make things black and white, and it showed compassion for both people. Dashka Slater didn’t opt for a narrative that condemned Richard as an evil, remorseless criminal; in fact, she criticized the media that tried to do exactly that. Richard’s side of the story was completely told, the story of a kid who made a terrible mistake and must live with the consequences. Slater unpacked the flawed justice system, homophobia and prejudice, and the negative cycle of poverty and crime. She advocated for both kids. The one part of the book I found most emotionally impactful was the inclusion of the apology letters Richard wrote to Sasha just one week after the fire. I also found it incredible how forgiving Sasha was; they had so much empathy for Richard even after what he did. It was a little slow at times, but The 57 Bus is a standout nonfiction book, especially if you are interested in criminal justice, etc.

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Book Review

• Dashka Slater
• Contemporary , Drama

Readability Age Range

• Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, an imprint of MacMillan Publishing Group LLC
• New York Times bestsellers list, 2019; Stonewall Book Awards, 2018; Washington Post Best Children’s Books, 2017; and others

Year Published

*The 57 Bus* by Dashka Slater shows how a community responds when a disadvantaged black teen lights an agender teen on fire on a city bus.

Plot Summary

This true story, compiled from interviews, news articles and other documents, revolves around an incident that took place Monday, Nov. 4, 2013, on Oakland, California’s 57 bus. Sasha, a teen at a small private school, rides the 57 bus home as usual. The bus’s 11-mile route joins middle-class and less desirable areas of the city.

Sasha, an intelligent young person with Asperger’s, lives with educated parents in a better area of town. Sasha identifies as “agender,” someone who does not claim a specific gender. Sasha is a boy previously known as Luke. Sasha has come to enjoy dressing in unique and flamboyant clothing. On that day, Sasha wears a gauzy white skirt.

On the same bus, 16-year-old Richard and his friends from southeast Oakland are looking for trouble. The black teens try to pick up girls before noticing Sasha sleeping in a seat nearby. As his friends egg him on, Richard uses a lighter to set Sasha’s skirt on fire. Richard doesn’t expect much to happen and thought it would be funny.

The first few attempts yield nothing. Then, the whole skirt bursts into flames. Two men on the bus act quickly to put out the fire, but Sasha suffers third-degree burns and spends weeks getting skin grafts in the hospital burn unit. Richard and his friends flee the scene, but the bus camera has captured the act. Richard is arrested, and the court plans to try him as an adult for a violent hate crime.

*The 57 Bus* profiles Sasha, Richard and their families, showing what their lives were like before and after the events of Nov. 4, 2013. The author, a journalist, describes the character of Oakland and the criminal justice system’s typical treatment of underage offenders at the time. She reveals how both families fought to have Richard tried as a juvenile in hopes he would avoid the long-term repercussions and influences of adult prison.

The narrative also offers detailed information about gender issues and the challenges nonbinary individuals face in society. It includes a list of terms explaining the various classifications by which non-heterosexual people choose to identify. The book ends with Sasha’s acceptance into MIT and Richard getting out of prison before his 21st birthday due in part to Sasha’s parents’ testimony.

Christian Beliefs

Jasmine takes Richard to church during his childhood and prays for him. She urges those who speak out against her son in the media to take their remarks to God and pray for Richard. She claims God doesn’t do anything on accident, so He knows what He’s doing with Richard in the midst of the court battles.

Richard writes several letters of apology to Sasha’s family. In one, he quotes Jeremiah 1:5. He contends all people were made for a good purpose, so he hopes they won’t think he is evil. In another place, the author says Richard goes to church services in his facility and likes studying the Bible. He especially likes the story of Job.

Richard reports finding comfort in God’s wisdom and the idea that he shouldn’t question God’s choices for his life. (When summarizing the story of Job for readers, the author erroneously writes that “God kills” the people and takes away the possessions Job loved. She also says God killed Job’s wife.)

Other Belief Systems

Richard’s old friend says their group did a lot of things wrong. She blames karma for the group’s tragedies, including Richard’s incarceration and the deaths of other members.

Authority Roles

Sasha’s parents initially struggle a little to embrace “they” as a pronoun for their son. They support Sasha’s decisions and stand with Sasha through hospitalization and court battles while demonstrating sympathy and forgiveness for Richard and his family. Jasmine, Richard’s poor single mom, often regrets the things she couldn’t or didn’t do to help her son. Richard’s mentor, Kaprice, uses her past experiences to guide and help troubled kids.

Profanity & Violence

The Lord’s name is used in vain a number of times. The f-word, s—, a–, d–n, b–ch, p—y and the n-word (and variations) often appear. Oaklanders use hella and its politer form, hecka , to mean very . As a youth, Sasha’s father was followed by a man who asked to suck his pr–k .

The book includes many statistics about the violence inflicted on people identifying as non-heterosexuals as well as ethnic minorities in neighborhoods like Richard’s. It also lists facts surrounding youth incarceration and youths tried as adults. It mentions the horrific conditions of some prisons before reform began in the mid-2000s. The life stories of Richard’s mother and Richard’s mentor include notes about extreme drinking, drug trafficking and use, gang activity, poverty, rape, shootings and other crime in their poor area of town.

Sexual Content

Sexual orientation is a major theme, and the author lists a number of terms that define different types of sexuality. For example, “gender fluid” refers to someone who sometimes identifies as male and sometimes as female. A “genderqueer” person feels their gender identity doesn’t fit neatly in either the male or female category. Other terms define what type of person might be chosen as a romantic or sexual partner, if the person finds sex interesting at all.

The text mentions how Sasha’s friend, Samantha, hides her developing breasts. Samantha later transitions to become Andrew. People who don’t know better ask if Andrew had a sex transplant. Andrew calls it a thank God moment when he learns Sasha is also questioning gender. When Andrew and Sasha meet again years later, Andrew admits being a boy isn’t wonderful either. He says he might consider moving toward androgyny.

Sasha initially identifies as “genderqueer” when first questioning and later switches to “agender” (someone who doesn’t identity as any gender). Sasha insists that parents and friends use the pronouns “they, them and their” rather than “he” or “she” when referring to Sasha. (The author always refers to Sasha using these pronouns.) Sasha’s mother is annoyed by the mandate at first, mainly because it’s hard to remember to use “they” and because Sasha refuses to go to a designated “male” or “female” bathroom. Most of Sasha’s friends have enough experience with people in the LGBTQ community that they don’t see Sasha’s decision as a big deal. Sasha has no interest in intercourse with anyone, male or female. Sasha makes several petitions on a White House website to have all legal documents recognize and provide options for people who don’t fit into the gender category of male or female.

Sasha dates Nemo, who identifies as gender fluid. To Nemo, that means having the potential to be any gender at any time. The two describe their relationship as platonic with elements some might consider romantic, like cuddling. It is nonsexual, since Nemo claims to be asexual (not physically attracted to anyone) and Sasha claims to be aromantic (not romantically drawn to anyone).

Describing Oakland, the author mentions that the city prides itself on open-mindedness and has one of the largest gay and lesbian populations in the nation.

Richard’s mother, pregnant at 14, decides to raise a child because it’s too late to have an abortion. Richard tells police he doesn’t hate gay people but is homophobic. Because he admits these things without a lawyer present, the police use them to charge him with a hate crime. Richard has a non-heterosexual relative.

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The 57 Bus - Book Review

The 57 Bus is about two Oakland teenagers who are trapped in a hate crime incident, which eventually leads to court and other complications. On the other hand, the 57 Bus is also a book openly portraying racism and homophobia among young teens in America. The book consists of sections, switching between the two main characters’, Sasha and Richard’s worlds. Sasha is a non-binary, model sudent, living on the “wealthier” side of Oakland. On the contrary, Richard is a young black teenager who lives on the “poorer” side of the neighborhood, with one goal: to graduate. On what could be considered a “normal day” Richard lights Sasha’s skiort on fire and the story really begins. I believe this book isn’t so much of a fiction fantasy world, but more of a thought-provoking story everyone should have a chance to read. Centered around the worlds of two teens, this is an ideal book everyone should have the chance to read. The book is written around the hate crime, and deals with many controversial topics involving: race, gender identity, and social classes.

The author, Dashka Slater, was trying to bring awareness to a problem in our society. Understanding for teens who have to suffer and go through what Richard and Sasha had to go through. The 57 Bus is the kind of book that makes you sit down and think: does anyone deserve anything? Should Richard go to jail and serve a life sentence for what he did, or does he deserve some understanding and compassion? Throughout the book, lots of character change took place. Richard was overwhelmed in the beginning, and that caused him and his actions to be misled by confusion. However, towards the end, he wasn’t so blinded by confusion, he was led by his determination and his need to do better. Sasha wasn’t driven by anything at the start, like Richard in a way, and near the end they found their meaning, purpose, what they could do. The book was their journey, and not only about the awareness of the social issue but their journey as characters and how they evolved into something better, someone better, a valuable lesson taught to all readers.

As I read this book, I felt empathetic for both Sasha and Richard and what they were going through.I don’t always feel so great, and Sasha and Richard are in tough positions, something all of us can relate to at some point in our lives. As the conflict progressed, character change took place but also theme change; it started by focusing on Sasha, but the book ended by zooming in on Richard and his future, his decision making. All teens should read the 57 Bus, to inform and see for themselves what gender, homophobia, and racism really are, and how they can affect everyone.

The 57 Bus doesn’t just teach you about conflicts and problems in our society, it doesn’t just open your eyes about everything going on in our world, it shows you what those problems are. It shows you what can happen, and what does happen in our world. Undoubtedly, I knew about issues in our society, and knew that it was overly present in our society, but the 57 Bus showed it to me. It showed me a very real situation, which proved to me that it was so real, that it was somewhat normalized in our society. The 57 Bus allowed me to see racism and homophobia directly from the perpetrator and the victim‘s perspective, from Richard and Sasha’s perspective. The incident in this book was a real event, and there are people suffering from similar situations every day. Reading the 57 Bus allows readers to know that this is very real, and that incidents like these happen way too often, while allowing readers to see the issues-racism and homophobia- from different perspectives.

This book review was really just an English assingment that turned into something much more.

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The Bookshelf

BOOK REVIEW: The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

Powerful story of how one moment changed the lives of two teenagers.

This story was recommended to me by a close friend, and while I am not a big nonfiction reader, the story pulled at me. So, needless to say, I eventually broke down and decided to read it, and man am I glad I did. I was hooked and engrossed in the lives of Sasha and Richard right from them the start. My heart broke for both of them in very different ways. When I finished, I even spent some time Googling this story and the lives that were forever changed.

I loved how the author approached the writing of the book. The chapters were short and easy to get through and alternated between Sasha’s point of view and Richard’s. This was powerful in seeing how the events unfolded and the fallout from both the victim and the one responsible. Not only that, but we are able to see how it impacted the parents and friends of these two teenagers. As a parent of teenagers myself, I can’t even begin to comprehend the pain and torture that this event had on both sides.

The book in its entirety was broken down into three parts which allows the readers to see the moments, experiences, and pressures that lead to that fateful moment when Richard lit Sasha’s skirt on fire on the ride home on the 57 bus.

Never let your obstacles become more important than your goal.

There are a lot of implications in this story in regards to race, gender identification, and financial status. But there are a lot of implications as well when it comes to forgiveness and moving forward. The resilience that Sasha shows in her recovery is inspirational and moving, and Richard’s resilience in facing his consequences and accepting responsibility is equally moving. I work with teenagers every day and while they don’t do what Richard did, they do make decisions that can change the course of their lives without taking the time to think about what the consequences might be.

Sasha’s parents are also admirable people in their love of Sasha, but also in their support of Richard. This is something that everyone would probably be able to do. There are some moments I raised my eyebrows in confusion as to how the legal system was treating Richard at times. 

Overall, it was a great book. And that is coming from someone who doesn’t really read nonfiction, but as someone who works in a high school, I would love to see this book read in more schools and more accessible to students. There are lessons here and opportunities for thought provoking discussions that I think could be huge in teens' lives. I struggled to put it down once I got going, and I’m thinking about starting the Index Card game with my family. I loved it!

The very last part of the brain to get myelinated is the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for reason, planning, and deliberation. So while teenage emotions have gone into hyperdrive, reason and logic are still obeying the speed limit. The result is that while teenagers can make decisions that are just as mature, reasoned, and rational as adults’ decisions in normal circumstances, their judgment can be fairly awful when they are feeling intense emotions or stress, conditions that psychologists call hot cognition. In those situations, teens are more likely to make decisions with the limbic system rather than the prefrontal cortex.

Where is this book on my bookshelf?

Top shelf for sure. The social implications surrounding this event are critical to be shared. It’s a powerful book and a definite must read. The themes of forgiveness and perseverance are ones that everyone can learn something from, regardless of how old you are or what your own background is. There is a lot of strength shown from all the characters in sharing their experiences. I appreciate and respect the decision to share.

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The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives Paperback – May 31, 2018

• Print length 320 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Wren & Rook
• Publication date May 31, 2018
• Dimensions 5.08 x 0.91 x 7.8 inches
• ISBN-10 152636123X
• ISBN-13 978-1526361233
• See all details

Editorial Reviews

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wren & Rook (May 31, 2018)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 152636123X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1526361233
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.91 x 7.8 inches
• Best Sellers Rank: #575,522 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books )

About the author

Dashka slater.

New York Times-bestselling author Dashka Slater has been telling stories since she could talk. An award-winning journalist who writes for such publications as The New York Times Magazine and Mother Jones, she is also the author of fifteen books of fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and has won many awards, including the Wanda Gág Read Aloud Award.

Dashka’s true crime narrative, The 57 Bus, has received numerous accolades, including the 2018 Stonewall Book Award from the American Library Association, the 2018 Beatty Award from the California Library Association, the California Book Award Gold Award for Young Adult Literature, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. It was a YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Finalist and an LA Times Book Award Finalist, in addition to receiving four starred reviews and being named to more than 20 separate lists of the year’s best books, including ones compiled by the Washington Post, the New York Public Library, and School Library Journal. In 2021, The 57 Bus was named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.

The recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Dashka teaches at Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program. She has spent most of her adult life in Oakland, California, where she is always working on far too many writing projects.

Learn more at www.dashkaslater.com.

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Customers find the book an amazing, powerful read that sheds light on the trans community. They also appreciate the author's balanced, thought-provoking look at an incident. Customers describe the writing as well-written, unbiased, and hard to put down.

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Customers find the book an amazing, informative, entertaining read that's powerful.

"This was well written and put together. Compelling to read , it was eye opening as to disparities in the juvenile justice system, as well as socio..." Read more

" This book is amazing and TRUE. The author’s work is an incredible account from interviews, articles, diaries, etc...." Read more

"My Only Banned Books Club picked this to read and it was powerful ...." Read more

"I really liked The 57 Bus i thought it was a great book , the characters were interesting...." Read more

Customers find the book informative, thought-provoking, and encouraging. They also say it's intelligent, brave, and heartbreaking. Readers also appreciate the author's deft ability to explore and give equal weight to tragedy. They say the book provides frank discussion points on juvenile crime, restorative justice, and hate crimes. They mention it'll provide an excellent tool in helping us better understand the trans community.

"This was well written and put together. Compelling to read, it was eye opening as to disparities in the juvenile justice system, as well as socio..." Read more

"...What she gives the reader is a fair, unbiased, truly informative book told from multiple perspectives and world view...." Read more

"...than choosing sides in this urban tragedy, Slater shows a deft ability to explore and give equal weight to disparate realities...." Read more

"...story about how kids feel/handle peer pressure, this is a good little dive into reality ...." Read more

Customers find the story very moving, interesting, and riveting. They also say the author captures the power of forgiveness and the awful incident.

"This book is amazing and TRUE. The author’s work is an incredible account from interviews , articles, diaries, etc...." Read more

"...as I enjoyed the book–and I really did; it was like listening to a great investigative podcast thanks to the narrator’s solid skills–I don’t feel it..." Read more

"...The 57 Bus was riveting , emotional and full of empathy...." Read more

"...I love the way that it was written and the fact that it was based on a true story . I cried. I laughed...." Read more

Customers find the writing and content well-written, interesting, and quick. They also say the book is written for young adults and appropriate for middle grade. Readers also mention that the perspectives from the victim and the perpetrator are well-told.

"This was well written and put together...." Read more

"...What she gives the reader is a fair, unbiased , truly informative book told from multiple perspectives and world view...." Read more

"...It’s a quick read at a middle school /early high school reading level and short chapters. Good luck putting it down!" Read more

"This book is well written with no bias and I recommend everyone read it." Read more

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

By Dashka Slater

The riveting New York Times bestseller and Stonewall Book Award winner that will make you rethink all you know about race, class, gender, crime, and punishment. Artfully, compassionately, and expertly told, Dashka Slater's The 57 Bus is a must-read nonfiction book for teens that chronicles the true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus in Oakland, California.

BUY THE BOOK

Average rating: 7.81

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February 21, 2018 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Take 5: Five Reasons You Should Read THE 57 BUS by Dashka Slater, seriously right now

February 21, 2018 by Karen Jensen, MLS   3 comments

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I don’t typically read a lot of nonfiction, but I was blown away by The 57 Bus , which I stumbled onto by accident. I’m part of a book club and this Christmas, we played some book exchange game where everyone brought a book and we traded and what not. The 57 Bus was hands down the book that everyone was fighting over, the premise is that compelling. I didn’t go home with the book that night, by the way. It was stolen right out of my hands. But they let me borrow it and I read it and wow! I have thought about, talked about, and recommended this book a lot since reading it.

The 57 Bus is narrative 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 discusses Sasha’s recovery and the court case surrounding Richard. It’s a remarkable story about identity, choices, consequences and, in the end, forgiveness.

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In the midst, there are a lot of informational tidbits thrown in that I think everyone who values, raises, or works with teens should read.

1. Gender and Sexual Identity

Sasha does not identify as male or female and considers themselves to be agender. Sasha’s preferred pronouns are they/them. I am not going to lie, I what my friend calls “an old” AND I come from a conservative Christian background, so trying to think differently about the gender binary is challenging. And although I have teens and adult friends that identify as asexual or aromantic, I continue to grapple with what these terms mean and put them into context into what I thought I knew about the world and the people who populate it. The 57 Bus has one of the best, most straightforward discussions about what various terms on the GLBTQ spectrum mean. In addition, seeing how Sasha’s parents and the community respond to Sasha is a very educational experience. In my library, we have a lot of teens who identify as being on the GLBTQAI+ spectrum and this discussion is helpful in understanding what those various labels mean.

2. The Teenage Brain

Part of my job is knowing and understanding adolescent development. One thing we know is that the teen brain is very different from the adult brain. Teens don’t make the same decisions that adults would make because their brains are literally wired different. The 57 Bus has one of the best discussions of those differences and what that means that I have ever read. If you work with teens, you need to read this chapter alone just to help get a deeper understanding of why teens think and act differently, and why they make decisions that make absolutely no sense to adults. Teens are not mini-adults, and understanding the teenage brain is imperative in being able to serve them.

3. Adolescent Justice

It is no secret that the United States has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world. At a previous library I worked there was a local juvenile detention center and I worked with that detention center in various ways to provide services and materials to those teens. The 57 Bus really challenges the idea of trying teens as adults given what we know about the adolescent brain. It posits the question: given what we know about the development of the teenage brain, can we justify trying teenagers for their crimes as adults?

4. Forgiveness

Throughout the story of The 57 Bus is a discussion about forgiveness and reconciliation. Sasha’s family is approached by a group that wants to lead them through the reconciliation process with Richard. Richard himself writes several letters to Sasha asking for forgiveness. In the end, Sasha’s family chooses to speak on Richard’s behalf, despite the overwhelming pain and suffering that Sasha has undergone. Even if you don’t agree with the ideas presented, it’s an interesting point of view to sit with.

The 57 Bus is now an award-winning book, having won a Stonewall Book Award at the 2018 Youth Media Awards recently announced. It was also honored with a YALSA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS. It deserves these awards, it’s that good.

The 57 Bus also features teachers being awesome, a look at complex family dynamics, friendship and more. The teens in this story also create their own game which is one of my favorite things ever. I just highly recommend this book.

Filed under: YA Lit , YA Literature

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

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Reader interactions.

February 25, 2018 at 11:25 am

I am obsessed with this book and have been recommending it as an all-school read to high schools here in Baltimore. Dashka Slater does such a fantastic job examining the ways binaries- gender, race, class, right vs wrong etc – are destructive. And she provides excellent information about juvenile justice and restorative practices, but focuses on the individuals involved, so it never gets dry.

[…] and sexual identity, the issue of hate crimes, and juvenile justice. There is a great article in the School and Library Journal here about why this book should be included in school reading […]

[…] out this review from School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox: Five Reasons You Should Read The 57 Bus – by Karen […]

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Review: ‘The 57 Bus’ is an emotional read

Hargun Multani

“The 57 Bus” by Dashka Slater is a nonfiction book about an agender teenager who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus home from school in Oakland, Calif. in 2013.

In a small private high school, Sasha, a white teen, enjoyed “a tight circle of friends,” “blazed through calculus, linguistics, physics, and computer programming,” and invented languages.

Sasha didn’t fall into a neat gender category and considered “the place in-between…a real place.” Encouraged by parents who supported self-expression, Sasha began to use the pronoun they. They wore a skirt for the first time during their school’s annual cross-dressing day and began to identify as genderqueer.

On the other side of Oakland, Richard, a Black teen, was “always goofing around” at a high school where roughly one-third of the students failed to graduate. Within a few short years, his closest friends would be pregnant, in jail, or shot dead, but Richard tried to stay out of real trouble. One fateful day, Sasha was asleep in a “gauzy white skirt” on the 57 bus when a rowdy friend handed Richard a lighter.

Richard, a Black American teenager, is a junior at Oakland High School. He spent the previous year in a home for boys after getting arrested for fighting. Richard is usually a positive person, often goofing off to try to make people laugh, but he has made some poor choices and often skips school with other students who make poor choices. Richard meets Kaprice Wilson, a school guidance counselor.

When she tells him about the program that she runs for underperforming students, he asks if he can join the program voluntarily. After examining Richard’s file, Kaprice accepts him into her program. Sasha is an agender teenager (identifying as neither male nor female) with Asperger’s who attends Maybeck, a private high school. Sasha was named Luke at birth, but at a young age, Sasha decided that neither gender correctly applied.

Sasha chose an androgynous name and the pronoun them. Within a tight-knit group of friends at Maybeck, Sasha feels welcome and supported. They and their friends regularly play a game called 1001 Blank White Cards, where each of the participants has made their own cards, full of in-jokes and silly rules. Sasha forms a close, platonic relationship with Nemo, another agender teenager. Since neither is interested in romance or sex, many people find their relationship confusing.

In November 2013, Sasha rode home on the 57 bus. They fell asleep, tired after a long day at school. Richard and his friend Lloyd also take the bus home after school. When Richard and Lloyd board the bus, they greet their friend Jamal. He gives Richard a lighter. The three boys see Sasha sleeping on the backseat, wearing a skirt. Richard playfully flicks the lighter near Sasha’s skirt, as well as near Lloyd’s sleeve.

With encouragement from Jamal, Richard lights Sasha’s skirt before exiting the rear of the bus. By the time Sasha’s skirt bursts into a ball of flame, Richard is staring at the back of the bus, hearing Sasha’s screams as the bus drives away. After the bus pulls over and confused passengers jump out, two men smother Sasha’s burning skirt. Sasha phones their parents, Karl and Debbie, who arrive before the ambulance and see that Sasha’s upper legs are burned badly. An ambulance takes Sasha to a burn unit in San Francisco.

Richard is arrested at school the next day and questioned by police. Without truly understanding the word, Richard states that he is “homophobic.” He tries to cooperate with the police and gives a statement without his mother or a lawyer present. Richard is charged as an adult with multiple felonies, including hate-crime enhancements. Sasha undergoes weeks of painful surgeries. After the story goes viral, Richard is vilified as anti-gay, while Sasha receives support and gifts from all over the world.

While in Juvenile Hall, Richard writes two letters to Sasha, apologizing and explaining that he never meant to hurt them, that he was just trying to pull a prank. Jasmine, Richard’s mother, hires lawyer Bill Du Bois to defend Richard. Du Bois does not deliver Richard’s letters to Sasha, because he thinks that the admission of guilt will hurt Richard’s case. Sasha’s family is encouraged by all of the support that they have received, but they are still confused by the incident.

After a lengthy series of court proceedings, the district attorney offers Richard a plea bargain: if he maintains good behavior in the juvenile system, he can be released by his twenty-first birthday and never have to serve time in adult prison. Over a year after the incident, Du Bois gives Sasha the letters that Richard wrote.

Sasha’s family is moved by Richard’s sentiments, and Karl reads a statement at one of Richard’s sentencing hearings, stating that the family has forgiven Richard and hopes that the justice system will be lenient. Richard is given the shorter sentence and allowed to stay within the juvenile system.

Richard does well in the juvenile justice system: he earns his high school diploma, obtains vocational training, and works for a nonprofit. He is eventually released before his twenty-first birthday. Sasha is accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the intent to pursue a career in transit.

At MIT, they join a fraternity of like-minded individuals and feel welcome. Sasha returns home on winter break and plays a game of 1001 Blank White Cards with their best friend, Michael. Sasha decides to leave all of the cards that reference “Luke” in the deck, and they digitally scan the cards to preserve them forever. Sasha has moved on from the incident and has a bright future.

In conclusion, I would rate this book 4.5/5 stars because it was a bit long and got a little boring at times. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and it shouldn’t stop you from reading this book. There’s a lot of real world problems that can be correlated with this book and life lessons you can learn. I highly encourage you to read this book!

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Words About Words

Two friends united against their massive TBRs

BOOK REVIEW: The 57 Bus

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater Publication Date: October 17, 2017

TW: violence against LGBTQ+ teens, homophobia, transphobia, & fire

I read this one for my YA Fiction class this semester and was blown away and figured I would write a full review on this blog. I also tend to only review contemporary or romance books on the blog and want to start diversifying that.

I think it is best going into the novel knowing very little about it, that is how I went into it. I did not even realize it was a true story until I read the synopsis. Yes, I am aware it is in the title, but in small font!! and I was sick when I checked it out from the library!!

But, if you want a bit more, this book follows two teens living in Oakland, California whose chance encounter changed both their lives. Sasha is a white, agender teen who goes to a small private school. While Richard is black and just started attending a different high school. They end up on the same bus and Richard accidentally (we will never know exactly if this was an accident or not, but that is not the point of the story) set’s Sasha’s skirt on fire. What follows is a look at how this event changes their lives, but also a stark look at our criminal justice system, gender, and teenagers.

WHAT I LOVED (to be honest since this is a true story about a tragic event it feels a bit weird to say I loved anything about this, so this is what I loved about the book):

• This writes this into a gripping narrative. I could not put this book down. I read it in two sittings.
• The chapters are short and some are just tidbits of information rather than information on the teens, but this just added to the complexity of the narrative and provides a full picture of the event
• She also does not take a side and presents each side fairly
• Although I am happy to say I did already know what “hella” and “hecka” meant.
• seeing two very different families experience the same tragedy, but on different ends of it was interesting
• Sasha’s family. I loved seeing their reaction to Richard and their willingness to forgive.
• Richard’s family. They struggled, but were still so open and loving.
• I had to read books that won awards from different genres for this class and honestly only picked this one up because on Goodreads people marked it as a true crime and I needed something in this genre.
• This 100% is making it onto my top books of the year

WHAT I DID NOT LOVE:

• After reading a few teen reviews it was clear that a few of them were confused by the nonlinear timeline. This did not bother me, but since this is a book written for teens, their comprehension of the story is most important and worth noting.
• Honestly nothing else, I had no exceptions for this book and it was phenomenal.

5/5 stars (if you couldn’t tell)

Goodreads link: The 57 Bus

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Book Review: The 57 Bus

The book, The 57 Bus, by Dashka Slater, is quite the moving novel. The author does a great job of solidifying the main characters, Sasha and Richard, and develops there characters in a beautifully realistic way. The sudden transition for just normal everyday life to a calamity also flows well with the book. The fact that this story actually happens is also very interesting. Overall, The 57 Bus is a fantastic book and I would recommend it to anyone. The novel is a decent length but will have you engrossed in it until the end.

Book details

A true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives.

Author: Dashka Slater

Award Winner

• ALA Stonewall Book Award - Winner
• Northern California Book Award
• YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
• CPL: Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
• Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year
• NYPL Books for the Teen Age
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
• Shelf Awareness Best Books of the Year
• Washington Post Best Books of the Year
• School Library Best Books of the Year
• Northern California Book Award Master List

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013 By four-thirty in the afternoon, the first mad rush of after-school passengers has come and gone. What’s left are stragglers and stay-laters, swiping their bus passes as they climb onto the 57 bus and take seats among the coming-home workers, the shoppers and errand-doers, the other students from high schools and middle schools around the city. The bus is loud but not as loud as sometimes. A few clusters of kids are shouting and laughing and an older woman at the front keeps talking to the driver. Dark is coming on. Daylight savings ended yesterday, and now evening rushes into the place where afternoon used to be. Everything is duskier, sleepier, wintrier now. Passengers look at their phones or stare through the scratched and grimy windows at the waning light. Sasha sits near the back. For much of the journey, the teenager has been reading a paperback copy of Anna Karenina for a class in Russian literature. Today, like most days, Sasha wears a T-shirt, a black fleece jacket, a gray flat cap, and a gauzy white skirt. A senior at a small private high school, the teenager identifies as agender—neither male nor female. As the bus lumbers through town, Sasha puts down the book and drifts into sleep, skirt draped over the edge of the seat. A few feet away, three teenage boys are laughing and joking. One of them, Richard, wears a black hoodie and an orange-billed New York Knicks hat. A sixteen-year-old junior at Oakland High School, he’s got hazel eyes and a slow, sweet grin. He stands with his back to Sasha, gripping a pole for balance. Sasha sleeps as Richard and his companions goof around, play fighting. Sleeps as Richard’s cousin Lloyd bounds up and down the aisle flirting with a girl up front. Sleeps as Richard surreptitiously flicks a lighter and touches it to the hem of that gauzy white skirt. Wait. In a moment, Sasha will wake inside a ball of flame and begin to scream. In a moment, everything will be set in motion. Taken by ambulance to a San Francisco burn unit, Sasha will spend the next three and a half weeks undergoing multiple surgeries to treat second- and third-degree burns running from calf to thigh. Arrested at school the following day, Richard will be charged with two felonies, each with a hate-crime clause that will add time to his sentence if he is convicted. Citing the severity of the crime, the district attorney will charge him as an adult, stripping him of the protections normally given to juveniles. Before the week is out, he will be facing the possibility of life imprisonment. But none of that has happened yet. For now, both teenagers are just taking the bus home from school. Surely it’s not too late to stop things from going wrong. There must be some way to wake Sasha. Divert Richard. Get the driver to stop the bus. There must be something you can do. OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA Oakland, California, is a city of more than 400,000 people, but it can still feel like a small town. Not small geographically, of course. The city sprawls across seventy-eight square miles, stretching from the shallow, salty estuary at the edge of San Francisco Bay to the undulating green-and-gold hills where bobcats and coyotes roam. What makes it feel small is the web of connections, the way people’s stories tangle together. Our lives make footprints, tracks in the snows of time. People know each other’s parents or siblings, their aunties and cousins. They go to school together, or worship together. They play sports on the same team, or work in the same building. The tracks cross. The stories overlap. Oakland is considered one of the most diverse cities in the country. It’s Asian and Latino, black and white, African, Arab, Indian, Iranian, Native American, and Pacific Islander. No one group is a majority. It has more lesbian couples per capita than any city in the nation, and one of the largest proportions of gay- and lesbian-headed households. It’s a city that prides itself on its open-mindedness, its lack of pretension, and its homegrown slang. (Oaklanders say hella when they mean very— and hecka when they want to be polite about it.) But for all its laid-back inclusiveness, Oakland is also a city of stark contrasts. In 2013, the year Sasha was burned, Oakland ranked seventh among American cities in income inequality—just below New York. Its per capita rate of violent crime made it the second most dangerous city in America, but its citizens still paid some of the highest rents in the country. Gravity works backward here—the money flows uphill. The wealthier neighborhoods in the hills boast good schools, low crime, and views of the bay. Thanks to the Bay Area’s high-tech boom, long-vacant historic buildings downtown are filling with start-ups, boutiques peddling handmade jeans, and nightspots serving seven-ingredient cocktails. But little of this good fortune spilled over into the flatlands of East Oakland, where Richard lived. This is where the bulk of the city’s murders happen—two-thirds of them, in 2013. The schools are shabbier here; the test scores are lower. There’s more trash on the streets, more roaming dogs, more liquor stores, fewer grocery stores. The median strips are ragged with weeds. The 57 bus travels through both kinds of neighborhoods, traversing an eleven-mile path from one end of the city to the other. It begins at the northwest corner of Oakland and lumbers diagonally through the city, crossing the middle-class foothills where Sasha lived and where Richard went to school, and then chugging along MacArthur Boulevard for 120 blocks. The route terminates at the city’s southeast border, close to Richard’s house. Each afternoon, the two teenagers’ journeys overlapped for a mere eight minutes. If it hadn’t been for the 57 bus, their paths might never have crossed at all. Text copyright © 2017 by Dashka Slater

Buy This Book From:

Reviews from goodreads, about this book, book details.

The riveting New York Times bestseller and Stonewall Book Award winner that will make you rethink all you know about race, class, gender, crime, and punishment. Artfully, compassionately, and expertly told, Dashka Slater's The 57 Bus is a must-read nonfiction book for teens that chronicles the true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus in Oakland, California. Two ends of the same line. Two sides of the same crime. 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 economically challenged 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. But in The 57 Bus , award-winning journalist Dashka Slater shows that what might at first seem like a simple matter of right and wrong, justice and injustice, victim and criminal, is something more complicated—and far more heartbreaking. Awards and Accolades for The 57 Bus : A New York Times Bestseller Stonewall Book Award Winner YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist A Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book Winner A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist Don’t miss Dashka Slater’s newest propulsive and thought-provoking nonfiction book, Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed , which National Book Award winner Ibram X. Kendi hails as “powerful, timely, and delicately written.”

Imprint Publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

9780374303259

Reading Guide

Reading Guides for The 57 Bus

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In the news.

A New York Times Bestseller Stonewall Book Award—Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award Winner YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist A Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist A TAYSHAS Reading List Selection School Library Journal Best LGBTQIA+ Book A Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List Selection An Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award Nominee A James Cook Honor Book for Diversity in Teen Literature A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Washington Post Best Book of the Year A New York Public Library Top Ten Book for Teens California Library Association's Beatty Award Winner An ILA Notable Book for a Global Society An OLA Sequoyah Book Award Winner A Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominee A Florida Teens Read Book List Selection Green Mountain Book Award Winner A Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee "A sensitive study of an incident wrapped up in so many modern conundrums." — The Financial Times ★ "The text shifts from straightforward reporting to lyrical meditations, never veering into oversentimentality or simple platitudes. Readers are bound to come away with deep empathy for both Sasha and Richard. VERDICT Slater artfully unfolds a complex and layered tale about two teens whose lives intersect with painful consequences." — School Library Journal , starred review ★ "With a journalist's eye for overlooked details, Slater does a masterful job debunking the myths of the hate-crime monster and the African-American thug, probing the line between adolescent stupidity and irredeemable depravity. Few readers will traverse this exploration of gender identity, adolescent crime, and penal racism without having a few assumptions challenged. An outstanding book that links the diversity of creed and the impact of impulsive actions to themes of tolerance and forgiveness." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ "Using details gleaned from interviews, social media, surveillance video, public records, and other sources, Slater skillfully conveys the complexities of both young people’s lives and the courage and compassion of their families, friends, and advocates, while exploring the challenges and moral ambiguities of the criminal justice system. This painful story illuminates, cautions, and inspires." — Publishers Weekly , starred review ★ "[A] multi-layered lesson on the healing power of humanity." — Shelf Awareness , starred review "It is likely that this account will spark conversations, debates, and contemplation, perhaps leading readers to define for themselves what justice means." — VOYA "A powerful story of class and race (Sasha is white), gender and identity, justice and mercy, love and hate. Slater has crafted a compelling true-crime story with ramifications for our most vulnerable youth." — The Horn Book “This book challenged my views and it started a conversation in my house that I thought I’d never have. We all changed, at least in my house, because of this book.” —Kate Terbush, Burbank Leader "Slater approaches both students’ perspectives with nuance and complexity, and while there are no easy answers in this narrative, her compassionate writing shows that there’s often more to the story than we see." — TIME Magazine “A thought-provoking tale of class, race, gender, morality and forgiveness . . . ‘The 57 Bus’ will leave you with a hole in your heart and tears running down your cheeks. For a book about a horrible crime, the amount of love is remarkable.” — The Daily Californian

About the Creators

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives..

By four-thirty in the afternoon, the first mad rush of after-school passengers has come and gone. What’s left are stragglers and stay-laters, swiping their bus passes as they climb onto the 57 bus and take seats among the coming-home workers, the shoppers and errand-doers, the other students from high schools and middle schools around the city. The bus is loud but not as loud as sometimes. A few clusters of kids are shouting and laughing and an older woman at the front keeps talking to the driver.

Dark is coming on. Daylight savings ended yesterday, and now evening rushes into the place where afternoon used to be. Everything is duskier, sleepier, wintrier now. Passengers look at their phones or stare through the scratched and grimy windows at the waning light.

Sasha sits near the back. For much of the journey, the teenager has been reading a paperback copy of Anna Karenina for a class in Russian literature. Today, like most days, Sasha wears a T-shirt, a black fleece jacket, a gray flat cap, and a gauzy white skirt. A senior at a small private high school, the teenager identifies as agender—neither male nor female. As the bus lumbers through town, Sasha puts down the book and drifts into sleep, skirt draped over the edge of the seat.

A few feet away, three teenage boys are laughing and joking. One of them, Richard, wears a black hoodie and an orange-billed New York Knicks hat. A sixteen-year-old junior at Oakland High School, he’s got hazel eyes and a slow, sweet grin. He stands with his back to Sasha, gripping a pole for balance.

Winner of the American Library Association’s Stonewall Book Award

YALSA-ALA Excellence for Nonfiction Award Finalist

Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book Award for Nonfiction

Winner of the California Library Association’s Beatty Award

Winner of the California Book Award Gold Medal

Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award

Northern California Independent Booksellers Best Young Adult Book

A Junior Library Guild Selection

A TAYSAs Top Ten Book

A  Washington Post Best Children’s Book of the Year

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

A Kirkus Best Teen Nonfiction Book

A Shelf Awareness Best Children’s & Teen Book

A 2018 American Library Association Rainbow Reads Top Ten Book

A 2018 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers

A Children’s Book Review  Best Young Adult Book

A New York Public Library Notable Book for Teens

A Denver Public Library Best & Brightest Teen Book 

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Teen Book

A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year

A Bustle Best True Crime Book

A Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List Book

An International Literacy Association Notable Book for a Global Society

A Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children & Teens

Nerdy Book Club Award for Long Form Nonfiction

On the CCBC Choices list from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center

A NCSS-CBC Notable Social Science Trade Book for Young People

Oklahoma Library Association Sequoyah Book Award Nominee

Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards Program Master List

Winner Green Mountain Book Award

Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee

• North Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominee
• A Florida Teen Read
• A Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee
• A Project Lit Book Club Selection

57 BUS DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR TEACHERS & EDUCATORS

Sasha sleeps as Richard and his companions goof around, play fighting. Sleeps as Richard’s cousin Lloyd bounds up and down the aisle flirting with a girl up front. Sleeps as Richard surreptitiously flicks a lighter and touches it to the hem of that gauzy white skirt.

In a moment, Sasha will wake inside a ball of flame and begin to scream.

In a moment, everything will be set in motion.

Taken by ambulance to a San Francisco burn unit, Sasha will spend the next three and a half weeks undergoing multiple surgeries to treat second- and third-degree burns running from calf to thigh.

Arrested at school the following day, Richard will be charged with two felonies, each with a hate-crime clause that will add time to his sentence if he is convicted. Citing the severity of the crime, the district attorney will charge him as an adult, stripping him of the protections normally given to juveniles. Before the week is out, he will be facing the possibility of life imprisonment.

But none of that has happened yet. For now, both teenagers are just taking the bus home from school.

Surely it’s not too late to stop things from going wrong. There must be some way to wake Sasha. Divert Richard. Get the driver to stop the bus.

There must be something you can do.

LISTEN TO INTERVIEWS WITH DASHKA SLATER ABOUT THE 57 BUS

Grotto Podcast

Book Page 

Mother Jones

GLOWING PRAISE FOR THE 57 BUS

“Slater artfully unfolds a complex and layered tale about two teens whose lives intersect with painful consequences. This work will spark discussions about identity, community, and what it means to achieve justice.” 

–School Library Journal, starred review

“An outstanding book that links the diversity of creed and the impact of impulsive actions to themes of tolerance and forgiveness.” 

–Kirkus, starred review

“This painful story illuminates, cautions, and inspires.”

–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A multi-layered lesson on the healing power of humanity.”

–Shelf Awareness, starred review

“The 57 Bus does what all great books do—reveals our world to us anew.” — BookPage

“Slater provides a nuanced portrait of both teenagers and delves into the hot-button issues of gender nonconformity, bias crimes and juvenile justice.” — The Washington Post “A powerful story of class and race, gender and identity, justice and mercy, love and hate . . . Slater has crafted a compelling true-crime story with ramifications for our most vulnerable youth.” — The Horn Book

“A sensitive study of an incident wrapped up in so many modern conundrums.” — The Financial Times

“Dashka Slater wrote The 57 Bus for teenagers, but her audience should also include parents. The two youngsters from Oakland, Calif., whose paths cross so disastrously are both extremely likable . . . Slater doesn’t apologize for Richard; she just asks us to consider where he came from and to question the ingrained prejudice of a legal system that

eventually locked him up for five years.” — The New York Times Book Review

“Journalist Dashka Slater’s nuanced nonfiction account of an Oakland crime involving two teens—Sasha, the victim, and Richard, the perpetrator—encourages readers to think beyond rigid, traditional social norms and the prejudices that often accompany them . . . This is a book about individuals caught within—and pushing against—the framework

of culture.” — Chicago Tribune

“A thought-provoking tale of class, race, gender, morality and forgiveness . . . The 57 Bus will leave you with a hole in your heart and tears running down your cheeks. For a book about a horrible crime, the amount of love is remarkable.”

— The Daily Californian

“It is likely that this account will spark conversations, debates, and contemplation, perhaps leading readers to define

for themselves what justice means.” — VOYA

“A truly impressive book. Never biased, never sentimental, consistently heart-breaking, it challenges everyday assumptions that affect even the most liberal readers. You can’t afford not to read it.” — Deerfield Valley News

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4 takeaways from President Biden’s Oval Office address

Domenico Montanaro

President Biden speaks during an address to the nation about his decision to not seek reelection in the Oval Office at the White House on Wednesday. Evan Vucci/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

For the latest on race for president, head to NPR's Election 2024 page.

It’s not often that a politician takes a step back.

They are often their own biggest champions. But in rare cases, when the writing is on the wall, because of age, health — or politics, they do.

In an address to the nation from the Oval Office Wednesday night, President Biden said he will serve out his term as president, noting there are still things he wants to accomplish. But he explained that he is not seeking reelection, in part, because he wants to “pass the torch to a new generation.”

Here are four takeaways from what Biden had to say:

1. Biden tried to send the message that no one person is bigger than the country — and that what America stands for is at stake.

“Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy,” Biden said. “That includes personal ambition.”

It was a remarkable statement for Biden, 81, who has held public office for more than half a century and ran for president multiple times — unsuccessfully until Donald Trump came along — and was ushered into office at 78 years old, the oldest person ever to be elected president.

Biden's brand was overcoming obstacles. But this one, he couldn't beat

Biden invoked past presidents — Abraham Lincoln, he said, urged Americans to “reject malice;” Franklin Delano Roosevelt implored the country to “reject fear.” He cited George Washington, who, by stepping aside after two terms despite his popularity, “showed us presidents are not kings.”

“I revere this office,” Biden said, “but I love my country more. It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president, but in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it's more important than any title.”

In other words, Vice President Harris gives those who see former President Trump as an existential threat to that democracy the best chance to win because of Biden’s diminished capabilities to prosecute the case against him.

It's a case that Biden sees as necessary for someone to make effectively, considering Trump's unwillingness to accept the results of the 2020 election and his refusal to agree to accept the results of the upcoming election.

6 political takeaways from Biden's decision to step aside

In Washington’s farewell address on Sept. 19, 1796, he also warned that “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

“The great thing about America is,” Biden said, “here, kings and dictators do not rule; the people do.”

Biden and others see that foundational American principle as lost on someone like Trump, who, when he visited Mount Vernon, Washington’s estate in Virginia, in 2019 with French President Emmanuel Macron, said of the nation’s first president, per Politico :

“If he was smart, he would’ve put his name on it. You’ve got to put your name on stuff or no one remembers you.”

2. Biden desperately wants to be seen as a uniter, but that’s been a struggle for him as president — and maybe one of his biggest personal disappointments.

President Joe Biden pauses before he addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Wednesday about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. Evan Vucci/Pool/via AP hide caption

The president cited the need for unity among Americans multiple times:

“America is going to have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division.” “In this moment, we can see those we disagree with not as enemies, but as fellow Americans.” “The sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us, and those of us who cherish that cause … a cause of American democracy itself, [we] must unite to protect it.” “So I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation.” “Let's act together, preserve our democracy.”

The idea of uniting the country is something Biden ran on in 2020. But it hasn’t worked out that way. He’s been sharply criticized by the right and views of him — in this hyperpolarized environment where people get their information largely from sources that reinforce their previously held beliefs — are as partisan as any president before him, including Trump.

Just 43% said they had a favorable view of Biden, according to an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll taken before the debate between him and Trump. That included just 38% of independents and only 10% of Republicans.

3. This is the start of a review of Biden’s legacy — and that views of it may take a long time to set in.

Biden defended his legacy and laid out what he believes he’s accomplished and what he still hopes to do.

“I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future, all merited a second term,” he said, “but nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.”

Poll: Presidential race hits a reset with Harris vs. Trump

The latest NPR poll , taken this week after Biden said he would not continue to run for reelection, tested what people think of his presidency. It showed most, right now, are unimpressed.

Despite the record of legislative accomplishments Biden cited, only slightly more than a quarter of respondents said he would be remembered as an above average president or one of the best presidents in U.S. history. Half said he would be remembered as below average or one of the worst.

Those views can change with time, especially when a president is no longer in the political arena. President Obama’s favorability, for example, has improved since leaving office and views of his signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act, have hit record highs.

A 2022 survey of historians found Biden rated as the 19th best president of the 46 that have served. Trump was in the bottom five at No. 43. But, at this point, Americans overall, feel differently.

4. After seeing Harris for a few days, the contrast with Biden is clear.

Vice President Harris speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at West Allis Central High School on Tuesday in West Allis, Wis. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images hide caption

Biden could have made the determination years ago, after saying he would be a “transitional” president during the 2020 election, that he would not run for reelection.

But the realities of his personal limitations after his dismal debate performance last month, and how his political support had cratered in swing states led to this moment.

Biden had a problem with young voters. Can Harris overcome it?

Trump tries out attack lines on Kamala Harris as her campaign heats up

For years now, Democrats have been holding their breath with every public appearance he made. They crossed their fingers that he would acquit himself at least decently well, but they knew one bad speech, interview or… debate… could sink his — and their party’s — chances to hold onto the White House.

After watching Harris' first couple of days of campaigning, from her first speech before staffers to her first official campaign rally in Wisconsin, Democrats have been breathing a bit easier.

She has spoken clearly and coherently, and there has been energy from the grassroots. Whether that lasts or if it resonates with swing voters is still to be decided.

Biden didn’t explicitly lay out Wednesday night why he stepped aside, but watching what was an, at times, halting address, the contrast was like night and day.

It was very much a moment in history with a president, who appeared in many ways, to be delivering something of his own farewell. He was recognizing he cannot be as effective a campaigner as he would have liked, so he is taking a step back from the public eye, handing over the reins of the campaign to his vice president for the next 103 critical days in American democracy.

• Election 2024

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Bella Hadid Wears the Naked Dress to End All Naked Dresses

Anthony Vaccarello finally figured out how to reproduce his collection of ultra-sheer pantyhose dresses. Bella Hadid hit Cannes in look seven from the Saint Laurent fall 2024 show: a halter dress featuring 10 denier hosiery cups, a knotted pantyhose bodice, and a below-the-knee skirt with a control top hemline.

Hadid, styled by Molly Dickson, leaned into the Old Hollywood glamour that has become synonymous with the Cannes Film Festival, adding a pair of mahogany peep-toe ankle strap heels and an enormous pair of drop earrings from Chopard.

This look fits into Hadid’s latest sartorial M.O. of sheer earthy tones that can only be described as “sexy nymph.” While promoting her fragrance, Orebella, in New York, the model wore a diaphanous nude Dior slip dress by John Galliano, as well as a cream-colored Rokh dress with a lace bodice. And yesterday in Cannes, she further explored brown tones in a simple tank dress . But this look—with only some extremely well-placed seams preserving her modesty—is by far her boldest to date.

When asked about how he would manufacture these ephemeral pieces from the collection, Vaccarello told Vogue, “Don’t even ask me about production—I can’t tell you.” This being the first instance the delicate outfits have been spotted on the red carpet speaks to Hadid’s risk-taking style. Even if she is the only person who ever wears one of these sheer Saint Laurent looks out in the world (let’s see if she can make it to the end of the night without any snags) the fact that Vaccarello was readily willing to make one for her speaks to Hadid’s immense power in the fashion industry.

And if this is Hadid’s wardrobe for her first official day of events in Cannes? We can only imagine what’s to come.

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• Cast & crew

A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.

• Halina Reijn
• Nicole Kidman
• Harris Dickinson
• Antonio Banderas
• 1 nomination

• Intern Rose

• Uber Driver

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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2024 Venice Film Festival Guide

• December 20, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Netherlands
• New York City, New York, USA (street scenes)
• Man Up Film
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 54 minutes

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