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srm20's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
4.0
I read Miracle’s Boys on a whim to fulfill a personal goal for the month of September. The driving force being its short length. It’s a heart wrenching little story about a family of three brothers dealing with the fallout of their mothers’ passing two years after the fact.
We come in a little after middle brother Charlie has returned from the juvenile correctional facility he entered two months before their mother died. He has a lot of pent up rage that he takes out on protagonist Lafayette. Oldest brother Ty'ree shoulders the brunt of all the responsibility in the household. Now 22, he forsook an acceptance to MIT to take care of Lafayette.
Charlie, nicknamed NewCharlie by Lafayette to reflect his change, is like a powder keg waiting to be lit. His volatile mood is a source of great pain to Lafayette who longs for the once sensitive, kind young man he was before everything changed. Ty’ree is the mediator between the two, but he himself is barely an adult. Though I will say his emotional intelligence at such a young age was massively impressive.
There are a lot of complex, complicated feelings bubbling up under the surface. Charlie causes a lot of strain on the household, but underneath it he’s clearly carrying a lot of hurt. Lafayette is struggling with his own trauma and is unwilling to see outside of his own. Given how Charlie treats him coupled with his age I don’t blame him. I loved how Ty’ree was able to bridge the gap between the two - he balanced their individual feelings well with the reality of the situation. In short he was a parent when they desperately needed one.
Underneath everything was how the strength of love can see you through the worst bouts. Black men are often not given the clemency to share their hidden depths. The gamut of emotions these young men were allowed to express was nothing short of amazing. The compassion and tenderness with which Jacqueline Woodson treated them was beautiful. We are sorely in need of more considerate depictions like this.
It’s a fast read. Take the time to read it. You won’t be sorry.
We come in a little after middle brother Charlie has returned from the juvenile correctional facility he entered two months before their mother died. He has a lot of pent up rage that he takes out on protagonist Lafayette. Oldest brother Ty'ree shoulders the brunt of all the responsibility in the household. Now 22, he forsook an acceptance to MIT to take care of Lafayette.
Charlie, nicknamed NewCharlie by Lafayette to reflect his change, is like a powder keg waiting to be lit. His volatile mood is a source of great pain to Lafayette who longs for the once sensitive, kind young man he was before everything changed. Ty’ree is the mediator between the two, but he himself is barely an adult. Though I will say his emotional intelligence at such a young age was massively impressive.
There are a lot of complex, complicated feelings bubbling up under the surface. Charlie causes a lot of strain on the household, but underneath it he’s clearly carrying a lot of hurt. Lafayette is struggling with his own trauma and is unwilling to see outside of his own. Given how Charlie treats him coupled with his age I don’t blame him. I loved how Ty’ree was able to bridge the gap between the two - he balanced their individual feelings well with the reality of the situation. In short he was a parent when they desperately needed one.
Underneath everything was how the strength of love can see you through the worst bouts. Black men are often not given the clemency to share their hidden depths. The gamut of emotions these young men were allowed to express was nothing short of amazing. The compassion and tenderness with which Jacqueline Woodson treated them was beautiful. We are sorely in need of more considerate depictions like this.
It’s a fast read. Take the time to read it. You won’t be sorry.
mcmendez's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
robbynjreeve's review against another edition
3.0
JACQUELINE WOODSON
When their mother dies, 12 year-old Lafayette, 15 year-old Charlie, and 21 year-old Ty'ree are left on their own. All coping with the death of their mother, and Charlie's recent return from juvy after being charged with armed robbery, the boys struggle to get by, and to do it together. Woodson's "Miracle's Boys" explores the idea of what it means to be a family, and learning to get over the past and move on, together.
When their mother dies, 12 year-old Lafayette, 15 year-old Charlie, and 21 year-old Ty'ree are left on their own. All coping with the death of their mother, and Charlie's recent return from juvy after being charged with armed robbery, the boys struggle to get by, and to do it together. Woodson's "Miracle's Boys" explores the idea of what it means to be a family, and learning to get over the past and move on, together.
ashleyeila's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
swhite's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sarahlizsmiles's review against another edition
5.0
A pretty short read, but well worth it. Really captures grief and having to move forward through the eyes of a kid
theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
4.0
After listening to her Brown Girls Dreaming, I knew that I wanted more from Jacqueline Woodson. That is how I found Miracle's Boys. Since my first experience with her was so enjoyable over audio, I decided to go the same route with this one as well and once again loved the experience. I went into it not knowing much about this book at all but I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed. Though it has a short timeline and the book itself is not very long either, it was still educational and eye-opening. She makes you feel the relationships of the characters and took my heart on a rollercoaster ride once again. I can't wait to get my hands on more of her work.
hikool101's review against another edition
4.0
It feels so rare for fiction to depict boys showing emotions in the way Miracle's Boys did. I'm very happy I discovered this gem of a book. I love the relationships between the brothers and how touching everything is. This is how you pack a punch in less than 150 pages. 9/10