A Story of Freedom and Finding Yourself.
It’s 2020. Surrounding the news of her best friend DeShaun being shot, 11-year-old Jasmine is learning what it means to live in a Black body in St. Louis, Missouri — which some consider to be a microcosm of the United States and the epicenter of a new Civil Rights movement.
Jasmine struggles with being called names and picked on within her private school by her nemesis, Jacob Taylor. She unwittingly lets her friend Tiffany know. Tiffany is a fighter who comes from a complicated past that leads her to Jacob’s home in the suburbs of St. Louis and a sticky situation.
All Jasmine wants is to dance and be free, but in 2020- something America, that task can be harder than it seems for a young Black woman.
Summary: Not So Princess Jasmine
The book’s plot centers on the following events and themes:
- A traumatic event: The story begins as news spreads that Jasmine’s best friend, DeShaun, has been shot. This forces Jasmine to face the harsh realities of racism and what it means to be Black in America in 2020.
- Bullying: At her private school, Jasmine is constantly picked on by a nemesis named Jacob Taylor. When Jasmine’s street-smart friend, Tiffany, learns of the bullying, it leads to a tense and “sticky situation.”
- Classical dance: As a classical dancer, Jasmine faces a personal crisis when an injury threatens to end her dream. She is forced to choose between the risk of painkiller addiction and rehabilitating her injury naturally.
- Quest for freedom: Throughout her journey, Jasmine’s ultimate goal is to simply “dance and be free.” However, societal obstacles make this task more difficult than it seem
