Reviews

Rez Ball by Byron Graves

Only show reviews with written explanations

mreardon3's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.25

runningonwords415's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

It was so fun to read about Tre’s rise to fame on the Warriors basketball team. The scenes of the basketball games were action packed and really moved the book along, I was having a hard time before the season started to get into the book. The minor characters are helpful but forgetful, but too many loose ends to the story to really love the whole picture. It really bothered me how few repercussions Tre experienced for his missteps, but that being said, after recently speaking with someone who lives on a reservation, it feels more real than not. This acquaintance shared that because everyone is basically, or actually, is family, you can get away with a lot of things (like underage drinking or breaking the law), for better or for worse, especially if you’re talented (she was actually talking about a local basketball star, too). So while I read Tre’s conversation with Mr. Thomas through that lens, it wasn’t explained that way in the story, which would have helped the slap on the wrist he got make more sense to readers.

ems_rxlibrary's review

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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

3.75

Content Warnings

k_fallah's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

rainbowbookworm's review

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5.0

This was a very strong start to the year. The more I read about Indigenous communities the more overlap I find in our cultures. Living under the yoke of colonialism is hard, especially when you are clinging to your culture.

The build-up to the big basketball game reminded me of watching my own country folk beat the US in the 2004 Olympics (becoming the second team to do that in the Olympics) and the iconic image of Carlos Arroyo and his jersey. It felt as if the entire island watched every basketball game; I know I was a teacher at the time and my students watched them. (I would do the same for other Olympic feats.)

This book took me on an emotional journey. As a former teacher it was hard to see moments that could have cost our protagonists future academic opportunities. I find it hard to think that this may be my favorite book I will read in 2024, as I write this we are only 24 days into the new year, but it is a strong contender.