Insta Review: Ghost, by Jason Reynolds

Insta Review gives you a new book recommendation in under a minute. Go ahead, time it!

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Jason Reynolds, co-author of All American Boys, brings a new story full of racial tension, misunderstandings, and diverse characters struggling to move out of the shadow of stereotypes. Castle "Ghost" Crenshaw is just focused on surviving – it's all we can think about after his father was arrested for chasing him and his mother out of their home with a loaded gun. But when he stumbles upon the track team practice and realizes that there are those that run TOWARDS things instead of just running AWAY, his life starts to change. Ghost had a great plot and would provide an excellent opportunity for discussion. But I struggled to get past one big hump: in the opening pages, Ghost, who we are immediately are told is a guarded and tough dude, spills what is supposed to be his deepest, darkest secret to the reader without a second thought. It left me feeling confused about his character, and kept me from fully diving in. I enjoyed his developing relationships with his teammates and loved Coach – but I never recovered from that "wait, what?" in the opening pages. This worthwhile read from the fabulous Jason Reynolds didn't connect for me on the first read, but you better believe I’ll be trying again. #amreading #bookreview #book #librarian #middleschool #ireadya #youngadult #yalit #weneeddiversebooks #runner #run #youngadultbooks

A post shared by Ms. Fitz (she/her) (@fitzbetweentheshelves) on Nov 28, 2016 at 8:25am PST