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A review by christygoldsmith
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds
3.0
I have been a Jason Reynolds fan since I read All American Boys in hardcover. I find his language to be both poetic and accessible, and he somehow writes about really hard topics in a way that doesn't leave me feeling hopeless. But I really struggled with his newest book--Look Both Ways.
I loved the symbol of the school bus falling out of the sky and the ways it was threaded throughout the narrative. I found the last chapter to be profound--the strongest of the book. In reflecting on it for book club, I considered why this book wasn't as revelatory to me as his others. Part of my lukewarm feelings were likely a result of it being more a middle grades text than a true YA one.
And I also realized that it must be exhausting for authors to continually write about trauma, especially trauma that is happening in the real world to communities of color. So it led me to wonder if Reynolds wanted to step away from revealing the impacts of generational trauma on a community and, instead, celebrate it for its complexities, personalities, joys, and challenges. While each kid in the book had very real challenges, they also all had very real personalities--elements that made them unique and special and lovely. From the candy lady to the grandpa collecting cigarette butts, we were able to experience one day for a community of folks living out their connected lives. I can't wait to hear what a group of 6th graders thinks about this one.
I loved the symbol of the school bus falling out of the sky and the ways it was threaded throughout the narrative. I found the last chapter to be profound--the strongest of the book. In reflecting on it for book club, I considered why this book wasn't as revelatory to me as his others. Part of my lukewarm feelings were likely a result of it being more a middle grades text than a true YA one.
And I also realized that it must be exhausting for authors to continually write about trauma, especially trauma that is happening in the real world to communities of color. So it led me to wonder if Reynolds wanted to step away from revealing the impacts of generational trauma on a community and, instead, celebrate it for its complexities, personalities, joys, and challenges. While each kid in the book had very real challenges, they also all had very real personalities--elements that made them unique and special and lovely. From the candy lady to the grandpa collecting cigarette butts, we were able to experience one day for a community of folks living out their connected lives. I can't wait to hear what a group of 6th graders thinks about this one.