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myeshatiara's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
Favorite Quote: “You’ve got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them.”~Kenny Rogers
Right away we are throwing into the world of spades, which is an African American tradition and I love it! I’ve never read a book that focuses on spades at all and to read a YA novel that does that is intriguing.
The book is told from a third party perspective and I’m not sure I like it.
Ant is moving onto a new chapter in his life as he is in his last year of Elementary school. Becoming a young man. However I can tell there is an issue between his parents that some younger readers may not catchy on the first read.
I do enjoy the deep dive into Ant’s best friend, Jamal and his family life and that they have them deal with real issues like addiction.
Right away we are throwing into the world of spades, which is an African American tradition and I love it! I’ve never read a book that focuses on spades at all and to read a YA novel that does that is intriguing.
The book is told from a third party perspective and I’m not sure I like it.
Ant is moving onto a new chapter in his life as he is in his last year of Elementary school. Becoming a young man. However I can tell there is an issue between his parents that some younger readers may not catchy on the first read.
I do enjoy the deep dive into Ant’s best friend, Jamal and his family life and that they have them deal with real issues like addiction.
emekay's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
marisatn's review
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
kailamarie's review
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lauriehnatiuk's review
4.0
Anthony Joplin (who goes by Ant) has turned ten and is finally eligible to play in the Spades tournament that has been part of his family tradition for years. His father and older brother are both previous tournament winners, and Anthony wants to follow in their footsteps and continue the Joplin winning tradition. When Ant and his buddy Jamal get caught playing Spades at school (banned for the trash-talking getting out of control), Jamal gets grounded, and Ant decides to play with new girl Shirley who can hold her own when it comes to cards. Another layer is the many struggles and secrets in Ant’s family and other characters in the story. Ant has to overcome the teasing and “trash-talking” for having a girl as a partner and decide what he should do when he learns his family secrets.
Playing the Cards You’re Dealt introduces readers to a few topics that I have not come across often in middle-year books – card-playing, specifically the game of Spades. I enjoyed the theme of card-playing, growing up playing various card games, and I wanted to learn more about the game of Spades. After reading the acknowledgements where Varian Johnson provides his connection to the card game, it added another layer to the realistic portrayal of the “trash talking.” I admit I wondered about the omniscient narrator who refers to Ant as Youngblood and seems to know the family history. This narrator may be confusing for some readers but also is part of the appeal of the story. Playing the Cards You’re Dealt provides readers with another mentor text introducing an omniscient narrator acting as a springboard for discussion. This story realistically tackles some family issues not often discussed. We learn how alcoholism and gambling lead to Ant’s father leaving until he gets some help, while Jamal’s mother deals with drug addiction. The number of well-developed secondary characters that support Ant (and Jamal) as they deal with their situations is remarkable. Ant’s older brother Aaron, the middle school principal, Shirley and her parents, the store owners who run the tournament are all positive role models for readers to connect with and see.
Readers who enjoyed this book may wish to read The Rookie Bookie by L. Jon Wertheim and Tobias Moskowitz , Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth and/or Stars Beneath My Feet by David Barclay Moore.
Playing the Cards You’re Dealt introduces readers to a few topics that I have not come across often in middle-year books – card-playing, specifically the game of Spades. I enjoyed the theme of card-playing, growing up playing various card games, and I wanted to learn more about the game of Spades. After reading the acknowledgements where Varian Johnson provides his connection to the card game, it added another layer to the realistic portrayal of the “trash talking.” I admit I wondered about the omniscient narrator who refers to Ant as Youngblood and seems to know the family history. This narrator may be confusing for some readers but also is part of the appeal of the story. Playing the Cards You’re Dealt provides readers with another mentor text introducing an omniscient narrator acting as a springboard for discussion. This story realistically tackles some family issues not often discussed. We learn how alcoholism and gambling lead to Ant’s father leaving until he gets some help, while Jamal’s mother deals with drug addiction. The number of well-developed secondary characters that support Ant (and Jamal) as they deal with their situations is remarkable. Ant’s older brother Aaron, the middle school principal, Shirley and her parents, the store owners who run the tournament are all positive role models for readers to connect with and see.
Readers who enjoyed this book may wish to read The Rookie Bookie by L. Jon Wertheim and Tobias Moskowitz , Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth and/or Stars Beneath My Feet by David Barclay Moore.