The book has not been without controversy. The American Library Association listed it as one of the 10 most challenged books of 2017, "because it was considered 'pervasively vulgar' and because of drug use, profanity, and offensive language."[18] In July 2018, a South Carolina police union raised objections to the inclusion of the book, as well as the similarly-themed All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds, in the summer reading list for ninth-grade students of Wando High School. A representative of the police lodge described the inclusion of the books as "almost indoctrination of distrust of police" and asserted that "we’ve got to put a stop to that."[19]