The Cost of Knowing
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- Create Date：2021-04-06 14:51:11
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Brittney Morris
- ISBN：1444951742
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Summary
Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best。 He wants to be the best employee at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend to his amazing girlfriend， Talia; the best protector of his little brother， Isaiah。 But however much he tries， he often comes up short。
It's hard to concentrate when every time he touches an object， or person， Alex sees its future。 It's fine when he touches the ice cream scoop and can see what flavor the customer will pick， but it's less fun when he touches his car and sees it submerged in water years from now， or when he touches his girlfriend， and sees them at the precipice of breaking up。
But Alex is about to find out the real cost of knowing。。。
When Alex touches a family photo， he sees that his brother， Isaiah， is going to die—he can't tell how， but he knows it will be soon。 If Alex has any chance of saving his brother's future， he will have to deal with the past。。。but can the curse be broken？
A story of brothers， grief， and what it means to be a young Black man in America。
It's hard to concentrate when every time he touches an object， or person， Alex sees its future。 It's fine when he touches the ice cream scoop and can see what flavor the customer will pick， but it's less fun when he touches his car and sees it submerged in water years from now， or when he touches his girlfriend， and sees them at the precipice of breaking up。
But Alex is about to find out the real cost of knowing。。。
When Alex touches a family photo， he sees that his brother， Isaiah， is going to die—he can't tell how， but he knows it will be soon。 If Alex has any chance of saving his brother's future， he will have to deal with the past。。。but can the curse be broken？
A story of brothers， grief， and what it means to be a young Black man in America。
Reviews
Helen Precious
，
The Cost of Knowing at it's core is an examination of race relations in America， but it is much more than this。 The time shifting premise of Alex being able to jump into the future when he touches， people or objects is a deft vehicle to explore the deeper ramifications of actions taken and how destiny can not be altered。。。or can it？Morris sets the narrative within a grieving family - two orphaned sons living with their Aunt in a different part of town， their life story rewritten by fate。 Alex li The Cost of Knowing at it's core is an examination of race relations in America， but it is much more than this。 The time shifting premise of Alex being able to jump into the future when he touches， people or objects is a deft vehicle to explore the deeper ramifications of actions taken and how destiny can not be altered。。。or can it？Morris sets the narrative within a grieving family - two orphaned sons living with their Aunt in a different part of town， their life story rewritten by fate。 Alex limits himself and his potential to the safety net of his immediate surroundings and flashforwards that he can to an extent control， but it is his brother Isaiah with his own secrets that are equally devastating， who provides the turning point。 This is a gripping tale of expectation - both personal， societal and universal that will hook the reader in to explore what ultimately is the cost of knowing。 。。。more
daphnereads
，
“The Cost of Knowing” has been promoted as “Dear Martin” meets “They Both Die at the End”， and I would have to say that there is no better way to describe it。 Heartbreak and hope all coming into one。This novel follows Alex， who， after the death of his parents， was gifted with the ability to see the immediate future of anything he touches。 He’s dealing with all the anxiety that comes with knowing what happens next， but all of this increases tenfold when Alex sees a vision of his brother’s gravest “The Cost of Knowing” has been promoted as “Dear Martin” meets “They Both Die at the End”， and I would have to say that there is no better way to describe it。 Heartbreak and hope all coming into one。This novel follows Alex， who， after the death of his parents， was gifted with the ability to see the immediate future of anything he touches。 He’s dealing with all the anxiety that comes with knowing what happens next， but all of this increases tenfold when Alex sees a vision of his brother’s gravestone。 Now it’s a race against time to save his little brother。Everything about this novel was just so authentic。 Brittany Morris constructed a piece of fiction that addressed what goes on in our real world。 Starting with the realities of being Black。 The profiling， the assumptions， and all the prejudices that dark skinned people have to face are not a shy topic in this novel。 It shouldn’t be any new information， but I do think that young YA readers would benefit from reading this。My personal favorite aspect was the emphasis on masculinity， specifically， the type of toxic masculinity that is pushed on BIPOC men。 In this novel， Morris allows the boys to act their age， instead of having to grow up too fast， she lets them have fun and embrace who they are。 Alex makes great character development， he starts off the novel believing he needs to be the provider， he needs to get his paycheck， and he wouldn’t be a man if he isn’t able to bring money home。 But by the end， he sees that there are things more important than financially supporting his loved ones， they need the emotional support too。 So Morris allows both Alex and his family， to be vulnerable with each other。The only reason I’m taking a star off is due to the writing style。 As I said before， this is a great option for the lower end of the age bracket for YA readers， but I found myself getting disconnected from the story sometimes due to the younger storytelling。 This is a personal preference so it may not affect your enjoyment。Thank you to Beth at Simon & Schuster for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Hazel 2019
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A deeply moving story about two brothers， 16 and 12 years old， and the reality of what it means to be a black child / teen in America。 There are elements of magical realism， which make the story all the more intriguing。 There is quite a bit of conflict， both internal and external， leaning on family， even those who have come generations before us， and of course lots and lots of deep feelings。 A truly 5 star read for me。 A big thank you to Goodreads and Simon & Schuster for providing this ARC。
Olivia
，
4。5 starsWowzers！！ Just as powerful as The Hate U Give and Dear Martin， this stunning story - a mix of contemporary with fantastical elements - focuses on not only the challenges facing young black men in America today， but also how to cope when you learn that something will happen to your nearest and dearest - and there's nothing you can do to stop it？ Can't recommend this enough！！**Thanks to the publishers for the advanced copy。 4。5 starsWowzers！！ Just as powerful as The Hate U Give and Dear Martin， this stunning story - a mix of contemporary with fantastical elements - focuses on not only the challenges facing young black men in America today， but also how to cope when you learn that something will happen to your nearest and dearest - and there's nothing you can do to stop it？ Can't recommend this enough！！**Thanks to the publishers for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Roger Hyttinen
，
The Cost of Knowing is a young adult novel that follows sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus， a black teen， and his twelve-year-old little brother Isaiah whose parents were killed in a car accident a few years prior。 Alex isn't quite like other kids because ever since the accident， he has the gift of psychometry - that is to say， he can see the future whenever he touches an object or a person。 For instance， if he touches an ice cream scoop at work， he sees himself using it to scoop ice cream a few minute The Cost of Knowing is a young adult novel that follows sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus， a black teen， and his twelve-year-old little brother Isaiah whose parents were killed in a car accident a few years prior。 Alex isn't quite like other kids because ever since the accident， he has the gift of psychometry - that is to say， he can see the future whenever he touches an object or a person。 For instance， if he touches an ice cream scoop at work， he sees himself using it to scoop ice cream a few minutes later。 If he touches his car， he sees it wrecked and underwater a few years from now。 He also saw his childhood best friend's death a few years prior， so since then， he lives in pretty much a constant state of anxiety surrounding his gift。 This burdensome ability also makes it challenging for Alex to maintain relationships because since he foresaw his friend's death， he's generally avoided touching the people he cares about， which isn't always easy to accomplish and has led to additional complications for Alex。 For instance， it's caused conflict between him and his girlfriend， who isn't aware of Alex's "gift" and doesn't understand why Alex won't hold her hand。But one day， his world turns completely upside down when， after picking up an old family photo， he sees the funeral of his little brother， Isaiah。 Alex knows that the events of his visions cannot be prevented — what he sees has always come to pass。 So now， Alex is determined to be the best brother possible during Isaiah's remaining days and to do everything in his power to ensure that his days are safe and happy。Though this is the story of two brothers， at its core， the book is also about what it means to be a young Black man today。 In fact， the author dedicates the book: "To all the Black boys who had to grow up too early。" As Alex attempts to protect his brother， we witness how the boys have to deal with the realities of racism， stereotypes， and constant microaggressions， especially given that they live in a primarily white neighborhood。 We see their continuous fear and anxiety of being targeted as criminals because of the color of their skin。 The author illustrates nicely how people can be racist without believing they're racist and addresses several themes such as the effects of trauma， systemic racism， intergenerational trauma， intimacy， grief， fear， guilt， toxic masculinity， mental health， Black history， ignorance， privilege， power， and more。 Additionally， there was the compelling theme of Black ancestral pride in which the legacy of Alex's ability is explained through the lens of familial history and heritage。 I also enjoyed the underlying theme of the necessity of working through our traumatic experiences。 I loved the beautiful relationship that developed between the two boys。 Up to this point， they were mostly estranged because Isaiah spent all of this time hiding in his room （as it turns out， Isaiah has his own secrets）。 It warmed my heart to see the boys open up to each other and experience joy together。 They even discover that they have the same musical tastes， a scene which brought a smile to my face。Though at times heartbreaking， the Cost of Knowing is also uplifting。 It's a gripping and magical book that's relevant， moving， and poignant。 Though the narrative does examine several serious themes， the powerful and addictive plotline， as well as the relatable characters， made this a page-turner for me。 I loved this brilliant book and give it 5 Stars。 。。。more
Karlie Schaefer
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"Joy in the face of oppression is its own kind of bravery。"The Cost Of Knowing by Brittney Morris puts the reader in the shoes of Alex Rufus， a sixteen year old who sees the future of any object or person he touches。 What sounds like an amazing superpower is really only a curse that Alex has been left with since the tragic death of his parents。 Unable to change the future， the cost of knowing it is steep， especially when he sees visions of his girlfriend breaking up with him and his younger brot "Joy in the face of oppression is its own kind of bravery。"The Cost Of Knowing by Brittney Morris puts the reader in the shoes of Alex Rufus， a sixteen year old who sees the future of any object or person he touches。 What sounds like an amazing superpower is really only a curse that Alex has been left with since the tragic death of his parents。 Unable to change the future， the cost of knowing it is steep， especially when he sees visions of his girlfriend breaking up with him and his younger brother's imminent death。 In addition to all that， Alex is still forced to deal with the complexities and anxieties of growing up in a world of toxic masculinity and racism。 Another great book by Morris！ The focus on sibling love and growing up too soon had me crying both tears of joy and sadness。Disclaimer: The quoted text is from an advanced reader copy I received from Simon & Schuster in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Kristen
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"The Cost of Knowing" is a book that blends magical realism with social commentary， focusing on sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus。 Alex is your average teenager in every way except one -- he has the ability to sense the future of an object or person when he touches it with his hands （okay， and maybe your average teenager isn't a black boy whose parents were both killed and now he has to live with his aunt in a ritzy suburb）。 As you can imagine， this is not ideal for the number of items one has to touc "The Cost of Knowing" is a book that blends magical realism with social commentary， focusing on sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus。 Alex is your average teenager in every way except one -- he has the ability to sense the future of an object or person when he touches it with his hands （okay， and maybe your average teenager isn't a black boy whose parents were both killed and now he has to live with his aunt in a ritzy suburb）。 As you can imagine， this is not ideal for the number of items one has to touch each and every day。 Alex tries to navigate his relationships with his friends， his girlfriend， and his brother， which prove challenging when you can see how those relationships will pan out over time。 Predictably， Alex runs from this power of his， refusing to get close to his girlfriend， and avoiding people when he sees impending bad news。 But that all changes one day when he sees his brother， Isaiah， die， and he realizes he lets this happen， or he tries to stop it。 As the two work together to try to stop the future events from happening， Alex and his brother learn about fear and what it means to be black men in 21st century America。This book took me awhile to get into and read for how short it was。 I didn't feel hooked by the story， and perhaps that's because of how long it took to get to what I considered the main conflict。 Morris did a great job with the structure of the story because despite that， the early foreshadowing made me want to make it to the end。 I also wished this story had decided to be one or the other -- either a book about black masculinity， or a book about racism in America， no matter how intertwined the two may be。 I felt like the themes about racial profiling were stereotypical and not as developed as the other half of the story。 I thought there were other ways the author could have integrated the racial issue into the story without bringing in the one-dimensional neighbor characters （however warranted that one-dimensionality was！）。 I usually LOVE when a YA book tackles social commentary， but I think that Morris does include that in many other ways throughout the book！ I think Morris could have achieved a similar end had she left this part out and focused more on the experience of navigating masculinity and mental health as a black boy。 That is something I don't see in YA much， and for me is a big gap on my classroom bookshelf！I don't want to spoil anything， so I'll be intentionally vague when I say that one of my favorite parts was where we get to see Alex's heritage and all of his ancestors。 I found that powerful and thought more could have been done with that。 I also really loved that this book focused on the importance of valuing the mental health of teen boys， and men in general。 As Alex discusses his upbringing， his fears， and his reactions to certain situations， I could see the parallels in how I see people raised today。 It's okay for men to cry， yes， but it's also okay for them to be afraid， and to not want to have sex because they aren't ready。 I like that this book helps take a step towards normalizing these ideas。I enjoyed this book overall， and ended up reading the second half in one unexpected sitting。 While it did take me a bit to get into， I think it was an interesting read that my students will definitely enjoy。 。。。more
Danielle
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Review to come
Leslie
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book was so good！ Better then good！ But I feel like this is different from most books。 Since Alex saw the future you kinda hap to plan ahead to and a story to lead up to it。 But this book is well put together。 And I was so happy when they got rid of their powers。。。or curse。 But yeah。
The Litt Librarian
，
Let me say， I had a tough time rating this。The Cost of Knowing is a book full of worry and anxiety。 Alex， who has the power to see in the future， is every bit apprehensive whenever he touches something with his palms。 Even though the synopsis warned me that there would be some "magical realism" in the story， I didn't expect it to be… this。 He can touch the smallest of inanimate objects and get a vision of coming in contact with it。 His endowment seemed more like Deja Vu than a vision， and frankl Let me say， I had a tough time rating this。The Cost of Knowing is a book full of worry and anxiety。 Alex， who has the power to see in the future， is every bit apprehensive whenever he touches something with his palms。 Even though the synopsis warned me that there would be some "magical realism" in the story， I didn't expect it to be… this。 He can touch the smallest of inanimate objects and get a vision of coming in contact with it。 His endowment seemed more like Deja Vu than a vision， and frankly， how he handles his gift/curse annoyed me。Morris tries to show a different side of men， Black men to be specific， and how they handle emotion。 I loved this。 Society has raised us to believe that men are this solid providing being who should take care of anything， no matter the cost or circumstance。 Morris wanted to break this myth and show a different side of man。 Sometimes you have the providers， and most times， you have people like Alex。Read the full review on The Litt Librarian！ https://thelittlibrarian。wixsite。com/。。。 。。。more
Adri
，
4。5 Stars CWs: anxiety， panic attacks， death/child death/parental death， grief， racism， brief mentions of suicidal ideation and self-harm， allusions to a suicide attempt， police brutality， references fo slavery and rape， and mass shooting
Nadia Jonesy
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Thank you very much NetGalley， Simon and Schuster Canada （love this publishing company） as well as Brittney Morris （you have done it again）。 This was an amazing read。 I felt the emotion in this book。 It was very well written and I could not put it down。 I am not a young adult。 I am actually in my 40's and this book read so well for me at my age。 I read "They both die at the end" and this book reminded me so much about how life is。 How we wish we can change things but we can't。 We have to focus o Thank you very much NetGalley， Simon and Schuster Canada （love this publishing company） as well as Brittney Morris （you have done it again）。 This was an amazing read。 I felt the emotion in this book。 It was very well written and I could not put it down。 I am not a young adult。 I am actually in my 40's and this book read so well for me at my age。 I read "They both die at the end" and this book reminded me so much about how life is。 How we wish we can change things but we can't。 We have to focus on being a great person and everything else will fall into place。 Many times I read this book and I kept saying wow。。LIFE！。 Read it and you will see why。 Thank you so much。 This book meant a lot for me to get a chance to read it and to read it in advance was even better。 。。。more
Lucy
，
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。I devoured this book in just over 24 hours （work and sleep got in the way） and I can't imagine anyone not being compelled to read the whole thing as fast as possible。 The characters leap off the page and Morris cleverly uses elements of science fiction to explore contemporary problems， such as the epidemic of young Black male deaths and unconscious racism in America。 This is a book that needs to be read as widely as possible， and particularly by Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。I devoured this book in just over 24 hours （work and sleep got in the way） and I can't imagine anyone not being compelled to read the whole thing as fast as possible。 The characters leap off the page and Morris cleverly uses elements of science fiction to explore contemporary problems， such as the epidemic of young Black male deaths and unconscious racism in America。 This is a book that needs to be read as widely as possible， and particularly by white people。 。。。more
jenny✨
，
i have mixed feelings， but one thing's for sure—the love between alex and isaiah hit me so。 hard。first， though: can we just take a sec to appreciate this stunning cover art by alvin epps？？？？ thank you netgalley and simon & schuster canada for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️the cost of knowing is， above all， brittney morris' love letter to all the Black men who had to grow up too early。four years ago， alex rufus lost both his parents i i have mixed feelings， but one thing's for sure—the love between alex and isaiah hit me so。 hard。first， though: can we just take a sec to appreciate this stunning cover art by alvin epps？？？？ thank you netgalley and simon & schuster canada for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️the cost of knowing is， above all， brittney morris' love letter to all the Black men who had to grow up too early。four years ago， alex rufus lost both his parents in a devastating accident。 now， he's sixteen and doing his damnedest to keep it all together: working at the local ice cream shop， being a good boyfriend to beautiful talia， and trying his best to protect his younger brother， isaiah， who has retreated wholly into himself。 on top of all this， alex has a secret。 ever since the accident that took his parents， he's been able to see the future—any time his fingers brush a person or object， he has visions of what will happen to that person/object。 it's less superpower and far more curse; his abilities mean that alex can never relax。 every minute of every day he is on edge， terrified he will see something he shouldn't。 his anxiety， bad enough without these supernatural happenings， is overwhelming。when alex sees a vision of isaiah's death， everything about the last four years comes into sharp focus。 events are set into motion that alex can't stop， but he will do everything he can to save his brother—and， somehow， himself， too。◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️thematically， this novel is so strong， so poignant。 it is a celebration of Black boy joy （especially through isaiah and alex's brotherhood， and their fierce love for rapper shiv skeptic） while recognizing the heart-rending—life-or-death—injustices faced by Black boys and their loved ones。 the execution， however， was a little scattered。 alex's powers play a central role in the story， but i wouldn't hinge your expectations solely on the SFF aspect of the cost of knowing。 the worldbuilding isn't particularly fleshed out; as a reader， you'll just have to accept things as they are told to you。 when alex and isaiah discover the root of the curse and how to "fix" it， there isn't much lead-up or complexity。 this might bother some readers， but for the most part i was fine with it—i was here to read about the love between the brothers， and in that regard， the cost of knowing more than delivered。another gripe i have has been mentioned by other reviewers: every time alex touches an object， he has to "cancel" the vision that emerges。 this is explicitly described *every* time alex touches something or someone， and it bogged down my reading experience， even as it very effectively conveyed the pervasiveness of alex's predicament。 such repetition definitely contributed to alex's—and my—mounting anxiety and frustration。 moreover， i wish that alex and talia's relationship had been more equitably represented， with as much love & joy as there was strife & hurt。i felt that i was often told， by alex， how much he loved talia—but i didn't get to see as much of this effusive aspect of their relationship shown through his actions or the book's events。 rather， the book depicts alex and talia going through several rough patches as alex grapples with his powers and his guilt at deceiving talia。 it's clear that talia is so important to alex and that they love each other， but for most of the novel their relationship evoked more sadness， hurt， and frustration in me than other emotions。lastly—the ending of this book gave me whiplash！！！！the conclusion left me a little dazed。 the pacing of the last 15% was so fast， i didn't initially believe it had happened。 i didn't realize that a crucial plot point （i。e。， （view spoiler）[isaiah's death; god i hate even typing that OUT （hide spoiler）]） had just occurred until several pages later—and i had to go back to reread it to make sure it had actually happened。◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️i want to end by talking about my absolute favourite part of the cost of knowing: alex & isaiah & their love for each other， especially as it plays out in the shiv skeptic storyline。shiv skeptic is a rapper beloved by alex， isaiah， and many people around them。 he is an immensely talented lyricist and artist， and an emblem of resistance， joy， and pride for Black boys like the rufus brothers。 the book's climax takes place at a shiv skeptic concert that alex and isaiah attend—and it was so phenomenally written。 the last time i read such visceral writing about music was in kelly loy gilbert's when we were infinite， and brittney morris captures that same euphoria， that sense of music being bigger than me or any other individual。 never is alex's love for isaiah clearer than when they are bonded through shiv skeptic's music。 BOTTOM LINE: i can't wait to read Slay and anything else brittney morris writes。 the cost of knowing wasn't perfect， but its themes of love and loss， Black boy joy and hurt， are undeniably important and impactful。["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more
Amanda
，
I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley。I loved Brittney Morris's first novel， SLAY。 This book is even better。 It's sad， it feels real even with the fantasy elements （our main character can see the future of an object when he touches it）， and it's beautifully written。Definitely recommending this one for purchase in the library where I work。 I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley。I loved Brittney Morris's first novel， SLAY。 This book is even better。 It's sad， it feels real even with the fantasy elements （our main character can see the future of an object when he touches it）， and it's beautifully written。Definitely recommending this one for purchase in the library where I work。 。。。more
Kim
，
There does not exist a better title for this book。 It sums up both the realistic and magical aspects of this book so well。 I think the real accomplishment here is that Morris has taken a hard subject and made it feel powerful by having the main character reclaim it。This review is based on an ARC of this book。
Dana
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TL;DR: A tragic， gripping YA loss-of-innocence tale interwoven with multigenerational magic that demonstrates just how elusive a carefree， joyful childhood is for Black boys in America。 My rating: 4 of 5 starsCW: Anxiety， gun violence， mass shooting， racism， death and griefAfter a few chapters， I had a hard time putting The Cost of Knowing down。 And yet， I’m having a harder time than usual reviewing this book because the parts of the story that make it so so special feel like spoilers。 But I’ll TL;DR: A tragic， gripping YA loss-of-innocence tale interwoven with multigenerational magic that demonstrates just how elusive a carefree， joyful childhood is for Black boys in America。 My rating: 4 of 5 starsCW: Anxiety， gun violence， mass shooting， racism， death and griefAfter a few chapters， I had a hard time putting The Cost of Knowing down。 And yet， I’m having a harder time than usual reviewing this book because the parts of the story that make it so so special feel like spoilers。 But I’ll try。 In the acknowledgements， Morris writes that before she could write a Black boy joy book， she had to write a “Black-boy-joy-despite book。” The Cost of Knowing is a story about two Black boy brothers （11 and 16） coping with the loss of their parents while living with their aunt in her very affluent and very white gated community in a suburb of Chicago。 On the surface， Alex is just a grieving kid struggling to be the man of the house his father taught him to be--working his ass off for Scoop， the owner of a local ice cream shop （and still unjustly being treated like he is unreliable）， to earn a paycheck and provide for the people he loves （like his girlfriend and deceased best friend’s mother， who he surreptitiously sends part of his earnings to）。 However， Alex has a secret。 Ever since his parents died， he can see the future of every object or person he touches。 This is not a superpower， it’s a curse。 Alex spends his days trying to avoid the thousands and thousands of visions that he’s plagued by， usually without success。 He lives with debilitating anxiety over the things he sees or is afraid he’ll see。 One of the smallest but most heartbreaking consequences of Alex’s curse is how isolated it leaves him， starving himself and his loved ones of the healing and comforting physical touches he and they crave。 Maybe it’s partially due to a year of being physically isolated due to the pandemic， but I DIED every time Alex wished he could hold his girlfriend’s hand or hug his brother。 GIVE THIS BOY A HUG。 Besides that， Morris also kept me in my feels with how she wrote Alex’s visions and anxiety。 I could imagine how exhausting they were to experience because they were exhausting to read。 One day Alex sees something he can’t unsee--a grave with his little brother’s name on it。 With this premonition， he must decide how to spend the last few days of his brother’s life。 Alex feels helpless amid thoughts of the many， many dangers that could befall a young Black boy， from a car accident， to a slippery floor， to the Karen nextdoor who bakes the boys cookies at the same time she reveals her racism with colorblind rhetoric and coded language petitioning against a Black rap artist’s performance to keep certain kinds of people out of their safe neighborhood。Despite being somewhat estranged in the years after their parents' passing， the brothers come together and discover the secrets they’ve each been hiding and how the curse connects them to the magic of their regal ancestors in Africa。 I found this part of the storyline particularly affecting given that the legacy of slavery continues to rob Black Americans of their genealogies。 Another aspect of this story that I loved was how this trauma gives Alex the maturity and courage he needs to reject the patriarchal norms of masculinity he grew up on and step away from some of the responsibilities he felt compelled to prematurely take on。 No one can give Alex， or frankly any Black boy， the childhood they deserve。 But he can learn to set boundaries and prioritize his mental health。 He can be open about his feelings and nourish and be nourished in meaningful relationships。 He can relish joy wherever he creates it or finds it。 His feelings matter。This story lost a star for me due to my frustration over one plot point。 In the days leading up to when he expects his brother’s death， Alex wants to give his brother happy and fun final days。 However， in connection with the curse， he’s also set on forcing both himself and his brother to face their worst fears。 These motives felt contradictory to me， and I don’t feel like that contradiction was acknowledged or reconciled as Alex vacillated between these conflicting desires。Also， read the acknowledgements。 They’re as beautiful as the story。Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jaymie
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[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。]4 stars - Great！ Might re-read。Wow。 This is the sort of book that will stick with me。 I loved Alex and Isaiah from the start。 The early parts of the story were hard to enjoy - Alex's anxiety and the burden of his visions is a LOT。 Once he shares that burden with one person， it lightens the load， both for him and for the reader。 There was a moment near the end of the bo [I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。]4 stars - Great！ Might re-read。Wow。 This is the sort of book that will stick with me。 I loved Alex and Isaiah from the start。 The early parts of the story were hard to enjoy - Alex's anxiety and the burden of his visions is a LOT。 Once he shares that burden with one person， it lightens the load， both for him and for the reader。 There was a moment near the end of the book where this clicked for me in a whole new way， where I understood what the author was going for at a new level。 （The author's acknowledgements are worth reading， too！） And from that moment to the end， I was captivated。 This is a heavy story - racism， grief/loss， gun violence - but the fantasy element of the visions gives this a different flavor than other books I have read in the last few years that have explored those same topics。 Don't miss this one， thinking it's like the rest。 It's really not。 I would *love* to explore this one with teens and get their take on it。 Tons of great material to dig into here。 （Language， TW: anxiety， grief/loss， racism， gun violence） 。。。more
Chloe Scully
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Fuck， Brittney Morris has broken my heart again and then mended it back together with little bits of beautiful， painful story。 THE COST OF KNOWING makes you want to cry， hug your sibling（s）， and to face every fear you have possible。 This is one of the most important books you could possibly read。
Katee
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Thank you to Simon Teen and Netgalley for a copy of The Cost of Knowing in exchange for my honest review。If you had the chance to see the future， would you？ After his parents are killed in a car accident， Alex Rufus wakes up with the ability to see the future。 It doesn't work quite like you would expect it to。 If he holds onto something， like an ice cream scoop， he can see himself using it。 How far into the future he can see depends on how far he holds onto an object or touches a person。When he Thank you to Simon Teen and Netgalley for a copy of The Cost of Knowing in exchange for my honest review。If you had the chance to see the future， would you？ After his parents are killed in a car accident， Alex Rufus wakes up with the ability to see the future。 It doesn't work quite like you would expect it to。 If he holds onto something， like an ice cream scoop， he can see himself using it。 How far into the future he can see depends on how far he holds onto an object or touches a person。When he touches a photograph of his parents， his brother， and himself he sees a few instances of him hold the photograph and the final image is him holding the photograph at his brother's gravesite。 This propels Alex on a mission to save his brother from death。The Cost of Knowing is a heartbreaking story about growing up too soon。 In her acknowledgements， Brittney Morris states it's her "love letter to the Black men who had to grow up too early， and for whom the task of being carefree and joyful and Black and male might seem impossible。" I thought Brittney Morris interwove the stories of Alex's family's past beautifully into the narrative explaining elements central to the story of the book。 It reinforced the generational trauma felt by his family in the past and present。 The Cost of Knowing also focused on societal issues of racism and discrimination that have been problems within the U。S。 since before any of us were born。 Black lives matter and own voice authors， such as Brittney Morris， are important in the narrative of YA fiction and beyond。 。。。more
Oliver Harris
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As I always say I am not own voices on these subjects so please go and check out those reviews。 This was a hard book to read and review。 There are a lot of hard subjects being covered in this book but it is definitely worth it if you can handle it。 This is so moving and emotional so this is also not a book you "enjoy" but a book that teaches you。 It moved me in so many ways。 I actually broke down and cried several times while reading this book。 This is definitely a rough and hard book but wort As I always say I am not own voices on these subjects so please go and check out those reviews。 This was a hard book to read and review。 There are a lot of hard subjects being covered in this book but it is definitely worth it if you can handle it。 This is so moving and emotional so this is also not a book you "enjoy" but a book that teaches you。 It moved me in so many ways。 I actually broke down and cried several times while reading this book。 This is definitely a rough and hard book but worth it。 This was also a really unique take a story we all need to hear and learn。 I am definitely going to recommend this book at work as much as possible。 。。。more
Geraldine （geraldinereads）
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Review coming soon！
Cathy Wood
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"I've tried to alter the future too many times to think it'll work anymore。" Alex Rufus is 16， Black， working at Scoop's ice cream shop， and cursed。 At least， that's how he thinks of his power to see the future。 When he touches something with the palm of his hand， he sees what will happen to that thing。 The more time he's spent touching the item， the farther into its future he sees。 For example， he's touched the ice cream scoop so many times by now that he estimates his vision of someone else tak "I've tried to alter the future too many times to think it'll work anymore。" Alex Rufus is 16， Black， working at Scoop's ice cream shop， and cursed。 At least， that's how he thinks of his power to see the future。 When he touches something with the palm of his hand， he sees what will happen to that thing。 The more time he's spent touching the item， the farther into its future he sees。 For example， he's touched the ice cream scoop so many times by now that he estimates his vision of someone else taking the shop over from Scoop is about two years in the future。 Alex gained this ability three years ago， after he and his brother survived the car crash that killed their parents。 His anxiety is not helped by this constant inundation of visions。 By thinking about it， he can stop them as they start， but still - he touches his clothes in the morning and sees himself putting them on， someone hands him a business card and he sees himself throwing it away in a moment。 Constant。When his girlfriend Talia took his hand， Alex had a vision of their future and saw her as he never had before - furious with him。 He doesn't know why she would be angry with him， and， scared to know what comes after， avoids touching her again。 But then his visions show him something even more important than their possible breakup。 Holding a photo of his family that slipped under the sofa， Alex sees himself pocketing the photo。 He has no idea why he would， so he continues the vision。 Looking at the photo in bed at night， looking at the photo at a graveyard， looking at the photo in bed again， the photo traveling in his pocket in darkness， the photo illuminated through his pocket by flashing lights， and looking at the photo at the graveyard again， this time at the side of a grave。 The grave of his younger brother， Isaiah。 Alex saw a future death once before and hid。 For his brother， he wants to make the time count。Brittney Morris' sophomore effort is just as great as her debut - I tore through this！ Alex knowing what will come in the future along with his anxiety creates a tension throughout the story。 I'm usually not a fan of magical realism， but this worked for me。 I loved watching the brothers grow closer。 Alex builds on lessons from his father and others to figure out what's most important to him， and Alex and Isaiah both have to confront their fear and find courage。 The book is dedicated "To all the Black boys who had to grow up too early" and there are a lot of heavy topics here。 These content warnings contain spoilers: （view spoiler）[death， racism/prejudice， anxiety， mass shooting （hide spoiler）]Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC。 The Cost of Knowing will be published April 6th， 2021。 。。。more
Jen
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Ever since the accident that killed his parents， Alex Rufus tries to avoid touching things with his hands because when he does， he’s forced to look into the future。 Alex gets a vision of the death of his younger brother， and he’s determined to mend their relationship before that happens if he can't stop it from happening。I loved the magical realism part of this story where it describes Alex's visions when he touches things and how he cancels out visions。 I also enjoyed following his relationship Ever since the accident that killed his parents， Alex Rufus tries to avoid touching things with his hands because when he does， he’s forced to look into the future。 Alex gets a vision of the death of his younger brother， and he’s determined to mend their relationship before that happens if he can't stop it from happening。I loved the magical realism part of this story where it describes Alex's visions when he touches things and how he cancels out visions。 I also enjoyed following his relationship with Talia。 The story had me really engaged until about the middle of the book。 The rapping and shiv。 I was not interested in I wanted read more about his powers and relationships with the other characters。 My favorite parts were at the beginning of the story， Alex is a great character that deals with a lot of things as a young adult。I love the cover to this book and overall I think if you enjoy young adult contemporary books with a touch of fantasy/magic realism you'd enjoy this。 。。。more
Glenda Nelms
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Heartbreaking， gripping， expressive Ya novel about brotherhood， prejudice， being black in America， and resilience。 Exploring the effects of Trauma overtime and injustices in society。 It's about Alex Rufus， an 16 year old who can see the future， his brother Isaiah sees the past。 Alex and Isaiah lives with their Aunt Mackie after their parents were killed in a car accident。 Heartbreaking， gripping， expressive Ya novel about brotherhood， prejudice， being black in America， and resilience。 Exploring the effects of Trauma overtime and injustices in society。 It's about Alex Rufus， an 16 year old who can see the future， his brother Isaiah sees the past。 Alex and Isaiah lives with their Aunt Mackie after their parents were killed in a car accident。 。。。more
✧･ﾟ⁽⁽ଘ Shreya ଓ⁾⁾✧･ﾟ
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~Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！~Joy in the face of oppression is its own kind of bravery。 My Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐This was my first ARC review with Netgalley and it was amazing！ First Impressions\Overall Thoughts: This book drew me in from the start。 I absolutely loved how it had fantasy elements while also being centered around real-life issues such as racism， the danger of stereotypes， anxiety， and grief。 Brittny Morris did a gre ~Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！~Joy in the face of oppression is its own kind of bravery。 My Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐This was my first ARC review with Netgalley and it was amazing！ First Impressions\Overall Thoughts: This book drew me in from the start。 I absolutely loved how it had fantasy elements while also being centered around real-life issues such as racism， the danger of stereotypes， anxiety， and grief。 Brittny Morris did a great job of weaving all the elements together in a way that left me wanting more and “flipping” pages as quickly as humanly possible。 Characters: Alex’s character with his anxiety and regrets and also his love for those around him was written perfectly。 From page one， I wanted to know what was going to happen to him。 I have to admit though that Isaiah was my favorite character。 He was just so thoughtful and funny and so twelve-year-old boyish that I wanted him to stay like that forever。 I was rooting for him and hoping with everything in me that Alex would be able to protect him。Emotions: Alex’s relationship with his brother Isaiah was so so beautiful that it left me wanting to cry even when they weren’t talking about something sad。 I loved reading about how they started off barely talking to each other but slowly opened up and began to share their feelings and experiences with each other。The anxiety and grief that the characters were feeling were portrayed so well that it felt as real as if I were really them。 But the nice scenes with them together were just as breathtaking。This book gave a fresh take on an important issue and I’m looking forward to its official release into the world！ ✨ You can find this review and others on my blog！✨ 。。。more
Jessica
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TW for death of a loved one， racism， and anxietyThis one is definitely a lot to read and so hard to rate。 Ever since his parents died， Alex has been able to see the immediate future of anything he touches。 He's learned to live with it， but it's affecting his relationships with his girlfriend and his brother， especially when he has visions off is girlfriend angry with him and his brother dying。 Every single vision of his comes true， so Alex must race to spend time with his brother and protect him TW for death of a loved one， racism， and anxietyThis one is definitely a lot to read and so hard to rate。 Ever since his parents died， Alex has been able to see the immediate future of anything he touches。 He's learned to live with it， but it's affecting his relationships with his girlfriend and his brother， especially when he has visions off is girlfriend angry with him and his brother dying。 Every single vision of his comes true， so Alex must race to spend time with his brother and protect him from a world and a future that may be impossible to avoid。 What was so hard about reading this book is that Alex is extremely anxious that his brother， Isaiah， it going to die at any second。 It is A LOT to feel that sort of anxiety for a 300+ page book。 And it continuously happened。 Alex would lose sight of Isaiah for a second and he was convinced he was going to die then。 I get that was the point of this book， but it was a lot to handle for the entirety of the book。 I really loved， though， how close Alex and Isaiah grew throughout this book and how Alex was pushed out of his comfort zone and forced to face his fears。 This was such a unique book with the special powers aspect and I even started tearing up at the end because of how emotional and emotionally exhausting this book was。 I definitely recommend picking this book up if you can。 。。。more
Jennifer
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 TW: self harm， death， anxiety， depression， grief， racism， mass shooting-After losing his parents in a car accident， Alex Rufus can see the future。 When he touches a person or an object， he has visions of what will happen。 In the future he sees his car in an accident， the ice cream shop he works at being sold， his girlfriend breaking up with him， and， in the near future， he sees his little brothers headstone。 But his little brother， Isiah， is not dead yet。 Alex knows he urgently needs to figure o TW: self harm， death， anxiety， depression， grief， racism， mass shooting-After losing his parents in a car accident， Alex Rufus can see the future。 When he touches a person or an object， he has visions of what will happen。 In the future he sees his car in an accident， the ice cream shop he works at being sold， his girlfriend breaking up with him， and， in the near future， he sees his little brothers headstone。 But his little brother， Isiah， is not dead yet。 Alex knows he urgently needs to figure out how he got this power of his， and stop his vision from happening。 Together， the two brothers unravel the past， present and future。 -You definitely need to be in the right headspace to read this book。 From early on in the story， the sense of dread was in the pit of my stomach。 The panic I felt slowly built up as Alex’s anxiety heightens。 At times it felt like the weight of their grief would choke me。 I found myself forgetting that Alex was only 16 years old— he’s already carrying the world on his shoulders。 My heart ached for him and boys like him。 Morris’s writing is excellent— really， really excellent。 The characters she has created felt real， they were fully fleshed out。 This story was harsh and tragic， but also very hopeful。 After everything— despite everything— I felt as though a weight lifted off of Alex’s shoulders。 I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about this story。 -5/5 stars， THE COST OF KNOWING by Brittney Morris is absolutely incredible and it’s available April 6， 2021！-Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review！ 。。。more
Kodie
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I was given this review to read and give my honest opinion。 My review was first posted here:https://ideallyinspiredreviews。com/ko。。。At Ideally Inspired Reviews as a part of their team。The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris was such an emotional read。 From our first introduction to the main character， Alex， you are immediately drawn to him。 Alex has had a rough childhood， losing his parents a few years ago， and now lives with his Aunt and brother。 Alex was also cursed with the ability to see the I was given this review to read and give my honest opinion。 My review was first posted here:https://ideallyinspiredreviews。com/ko。。。At Ideally Inspired Reviews as a part of their team。The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris was such an emotional read。 From our first introduction to the main character， Alex， you are immediately drawn to him。 Alex has had a rough childhood， losing his parents a few years ago， and now lives with his Aunt and brother。 Alex was also cursed with the ability to see the future of things or people when he touches them， and unfortunately saw the death of his best friend before it happened and was unable to stop it。Now riddled with anxiety， and not wanting to see what may happen with his family， Alex has pushed everyone away。 When he unknowingly touches something showing the imminent death of his brother， Alex decides to do everything he can to change the future， despite that never working in the past。Navigating racial tensions， anxieties， and grief， this book takes you on a very real and emotional journey， one everyone should take the time to read。 。。。more
Bickering Book Reviews
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For a more in-depth review watch https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=OEPpk。。。A book with strong characters and a powerful message that was weakened by an underdeveloped science fiction storyline。We received eARCs of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 For a more in-depth review watch https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=OEPpk。。。A book with strong characters and a powerful message that was weakened by an underdeveloped science fiction storyline。We received eARCs of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Cost of Knowing
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Cost of Knowing&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Cost of Knowing&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0