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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
victoriacampbell's review against another edition
5.0
This book punched me in the gut, and I'm not ashamed to say I cried. It is a gritty, raw novel that upper middle school and high school kids will love. Walter Dean Myers is a master at telling stories through the eyes of teens who are just like students I've had.
pattyo1984's review against another edition
2.0
It is a truth universally acknowledged that fans of Jane Austen would not enjoy reading this book. . .
llesky's review against another edition
5.0
The characters in this book have really stuck with me. Meyer's characterization is such that I feel like I know these kids like I know my own students. Such a sad story presented very realistically which shows that this very story plays out for so many real students every day. I already have several 10th grade boys who are interested in reading this since they heard me talking about it and have read Monster in their literature circles.
kim_j_dare's review against another edition
5.0
Utterly relatable characters, real dialog, and the tension between two blood-brother friends who are making decisions about how involved they want to be in the gang lifestyle of their neighborhood make this a stand-out in urban fiction. I listened to the audio version, and narrator J. D. Jackson does an outstanding job of bringing Jesse and his friends and family to life. [a:Walter Dean Myers|13291|Walter Dean Myers|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1230178601p2/13291.jpg] had such a feel for urban teens, and it shines through in this story.
coleycole's review against another edition
2.0
I listened to this book, and wasn't a huge fan. The voices the reader used for different characters were really jarring. It looks like it would've been a better book to read also because it has quite a few illustrations. I did feel like a lot of the dialogue Myers used sounded out-dated -- more like what African American teens sounded like in 90s... Maybe it's an East coast/West coast thing, but none of the kids I know talk like that. It was a National Book Award finalist, and got lots of good reviews, so maybe it's just me...
maiello13's review against another edition
5.0
another great Walter Dean Meyers book!! I love his accurate and heartbreaking tales of inner city life.
kaboomcju's review against another edition
4.0
If you like Walter Dean Myers, you'll like this book. My copy was missing some pictures at the beginning, but that didn't really hurt the story. Myers protagonist is a very likable boy who illustrates that there are many good people who live in the ghetto. While bad things happen all around him, you can't help but cheer for this boy.
terezi's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
Wow i really loved this book it’s so good for late middle school early high school but even as an adult it was true to my heart about the pain of loving somebody who is throwing themself in harms way… the art was really beautiful as well
yetilibrary's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up because (a) it was on a library display and (b) I'm a fan of one of Myers's other books, Monster. I didn't think it was quite as good as Monster, but Myers still does a solid job of capturing the voice of a teenage boy (no mean feat). He also tells a story about tough situations and choices with sensitivity, without sacrificing (much) truth. It's a hard line to walk with a YA book.
tlmarkides's review against another edition
Mix mediums of story & art help bring this novel to life. Told from the perspective of Jess. He attempts to write his BFFs bio. He explores the loss of their friendship & realizes that people change as they grow up.