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ali_brarian's review
2.0
Sitomer, Alan Lawrence. The Hoopster. Hyperion, 2005. 12-14.
With a title like The Hoopster and cover art depicting an African-American male holding a basketball, readers might think this book is solely about life on the basketball court, but it is much more than that. Andre Anderson has got it all: a summer internship at Affairs magazine, a fiery Latina girlfriend and stellar basketball skills to boot. But when Andre is asked to write a personal essay on racism for the magazine, his perfect world gets disrupted by white racists who are not happy about the article. When first presented with the opportunity to write the piece, Andre wasn’t sure that he could do it. But after hearing his cousin’s stand-up routine that ousts African-Americans with stereotypes galore and his own father’s story that led to dropping out of college and becoming deaf because of racists, Andre is more prepared than ever to share his story. “Crafting words to express the combination of rage, frustration, and disappointment he felt, commingled with the ideas of hope, optimism, and possibility he wanted to infuse into his writing was proving to be a grueling task.” When Andre finally finishes his story, in which he calls himself a “racist and a bigot” he is met with a lot of praise, except for a group of older white males who attack Andre about what he has written. At the conclusion of the book, everything ties up nicely, despite the fact that Andre’s attackers have not been found.
Just as the book fights with stereotypes, the reader might also fight the urge to stereotype the main character. But Sitomer shows us that Andre is not the typical African-American urban character; he comes from a good family and has a lot going for him, in fact, he is almost more privileged than his white best friend Shawn. While the book gives the reader a lot to think about in regards to prejudice and race, it doesn’t provide much depth in its characters or plot. Despite mild violence, the themes of hope and perseverance make The Hoopster appropriate for readers at the younger end of the young adult spectrum.
With a title like The Hoopster and cover art depicting an African-American male holding a basketball, readers might think this book is solely about life on the basketball court, but it is much more than that. Andre Anderson has got it all: a summer internship at Affairs magazine, a fiery Latina girlfriend and stellar basketball skills to boot. But when Andre is asked to write a personal essay on racism for the magazine, his perfect world gets disrupted by white racists who are not happy about the article. When first presented with the opportunity to write the piece, Andre wasn’t sure that he could do it. But after hearing his cousin’s stand-up routine that ousts African-Americans with stereotypes galore and his own father’s story that led to dropping out of college and becoming deaf because of racists, Andre is more prepared than ever to share his story. “Crafting words to express the combination of rage, frustration, and disappointment he felt, commingled with the ideas of hope, optimism, and possibility he wanted to infuse into his writing was proving to be a grueling task.” When Andre finally finishes his story, in which he calls himself a “racist and a bigot” he is met with a lot of praise, except for a group of older white males who attack Andre about what he has written. At the conclusion of the book, everything ties up nicely, despite the fact that Andre’s attackers have not been found.
Just as the book fights with stereotypes, the reader might also fight the urge to stereotype the main character. But Sitomer shows us that Andre is not the typical African-American urban character; he comes from a good family and has a lot going for him, in fact, he is almost more privileged than his white best friend Shawn. While the book gives the reader a lot to think about in regards to prejudice and race, it doesn’t provide much depth in its characters or plot. Despite mild violence, the themes of hope and perseverance make The Hoopster appropriate for readers at the younger end of the young adult spectrum.
rahthesungod's review
4.0
3.5 stars. This is a great story, written for a specific audience. That audience is high school students with low reading levels or middle school students with an understanding of the world. There are a few typographical errors, the narration is simplistic and sometimes cheesy, but the story is sophisticated, smart, culturally sensitive and dictates a strong social commentary. Very well executed.
debz57a52's review
4.0
The Hoopster is a simple story, but it will definitely appeal to teens because it begins with "street cred" from the beginning. It has a good message, but I thought the pace of the story was all off. It had some good, gradual development at the beginning, but skipped over major plot points from the middle to the end. I currently have a reluctant reader using my copy, and he's not willing to give it up so others can read it, so that's high praise... but I wouldn't recommend it to any of my adult friends.
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