Me and Banksy

Me and Banksy is a powerful novel about middle-schooler Dominica Rivers taking charge at her school. Dominica goes to a private school which, for security reasons, is covered in cameras. They were put up when school security breaches became worse. However, someone has hacked into the camera files and is posting mortifying videos on the student forum, like one of Dominica’s classmates Ana, picking her nose. Dominica and her best friends Holden and Saanvi don’t think much of the Event until a video of Dominica quickly turning her shirt around in the seemingly private library is posted. It’s horrible not only because it’s on the forum but also because the school has had so many assemblies about media safety too! Dominica wants to retaliate against whoever is posting the clips but decides to go directly to the source — the cameras. She takes inspiration from Banksy an anonymous street artist who focuses on current events, politics, and issues in society. His art is amazing and this book has inspired me to look up more of Banksy’s work. Dominica begins to do her own silent protests that say that her school has become a literal prison that has inmates being watched at all times. This book was absolutely amazing! I love that it discusses current issues like a person’s privacy, school security breaches and shootings, media safety and even human rights regardless of skin color or gender or sexual orientation. Along with that this book was realistic, Dominica balanced well-tried her best to do school, protesting against her school, her mom’s new boyfriend and misunderstandings with her friends and her love for art all at the same time. She also used her abilities to her advantage to protest the cameras. I would recommend this novel for anyone ten and up that likes reading about our generation taking charge and changing things for the better.