A review by alenka
Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles

emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A solid story about an 11 year old boy who decides to try and stop developers from buying out his neighborhood and breaking up his community. The kids in the book - Wes the most, of course, as it's told form his first person perspective - really carry this story. They're very sweet and charming; it was easy to imagine them together, laughing, playing video games, ribbing each other, and, of course, fighting and making up. I liked that Wes is used to going to protest marches and participating in organizing because of his mother, but he's not fully invested in it until the problem of gentrification really hits home. He grows naturally into leadership, but it's not the easiest road - he's a kid, public speaking makes him nervous, and he has to balance working for the neighborhood with school work and his friendships. He feels like a very real kid, stepping up in a very real, very admirable way.

I appreciated the way Brent and Wes' friendship evolved, especially when Brent's parents make their choice, and Wes must come to terms with that. The class differences among the friend crew play a crucial role in the novel, but the story of Brent and Wes is a bit subtler. It's easy to empathize with Wes' frustrations with Brent's parents, but it's also easy to empathize with Brent's parents themselves. Giles isn't painting a simplistic portrait of the situation, and I think young readers will appreciate that. The Oaks doesn't emerge unscathed from this attempt at a full neighborhood takeover, and Giles explains that in a very gentle, understandable way.

A fantastic novel for budding young activists.