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kristinjones28's review against another edition
4.0
This a powerful memoir that follows Walter Dean Myers’ youth his struggles with identity. He talks a lot about understanding the press to discover his identities with maleness and a career, but struggling to understand how he felt about being Black in addition to his other identities. This is a book I will feature on my classroom shelves for sure.
vtlism's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A real pleasure, a bit lightweight (appropriate for teens imo). He shows such compassion for his younger self by showing his childhood point of view. This is yet another book showing someone who wasn't great at school but was hugely talented and successful. It's also cool bc you see him as a youth coming across Langston Hughes on the street and Billie Holliday in a club. Classic.
leilah_grace's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
maryanne19's review against another edition
3.0
Book with a great message but sometimes gets a little too lofty.
hellojay's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
4.0
kebojo's review against another edition
3.0
Acclaimed young adult author Myers (Monster, Shooter)describes his childhood and teenage years in Harlem, couching his narrative in family history and sensitive reflections about sports, books, school, racism, and getting into and out of trouble on a regular basis.
I love Myers' crisp, straightforward style, and his reflections about his growing-up years are poignant, especially his battle with a speech impediment and his growing awareness of racism as a system embedded in institutions. I appreciate that Myers does not rely on overly dramatic action sequences to move the plot forward, instead spinning leisurely yarns, almost as though he is repeating events as they came to mind.
Overall, though, I did not enjoy Bad Boy as much as Myers' fiction. At times the pacing is tedious and the stream of consciousness disjointed. Certain facts or observations are repeated over and over, which I found distracting. Still, Myers' autobiography and his way of relating it are clearly important, and I would recommend this book to readers looking for a slow ride down a lazy river – with a few surprising twists and bends along the way.
I love Myers' crisp, straightforward style, and his reflections about his growing-up years are poignant, especially his battle with a speech impediment and his growing awareness of racism as a system embedded in institutions. I appreciate that Myers does not rely on overly dramatic action sequences to move the plot forward, instead spinning leisurely yarns, almost as though he is repeating events as they came to mind.
Overall, though, I did not enjoy Bad Boy as much as Myers' fiction. At times the pacing is tedious and the stream of consciousness disjointed. Certain facts or observations are repeated over and over, which I found distracting. Still, Myers' autobiography and his way of relating it are clearly important, and I would recommend this book to readers looking for a slow ride down a lazy river – with a few surprising twists and bends along the way.