My Thoughts:
Perfect for middle level readers, this is the story of Isaiah, his inner turmoil of fear, guilt, grief and eventually self forgiveness. "Be like water," Isaiah says. "Always," replies Darius as he takes off on his bike to break the Guinness world record for the wheelie. Isaiah is the lookout person for cars, but there is an unexpected confrontation that ends in Darius' death. Williams' handling of the heavy themes in this book are also like water. She has a delicate touch with sensitive topics like death of a teenager, grief, racism and gender expression. The illustrations by Novgorodoff add to the feeling of vulnerability and hopefulness.
I think struggling middle level readers, especially boys, need to be given more novels in verse like this. It will bring them back to reading.
From the Publisher:
It’s the last few months of eighth grade, and Isaiah feels lost. He thought his summer was going to be him and his boys Drew and Darius, hanging out, doing wheelies, watching martial arts movies, and breaking tons of Guinness World Records before high school. But now, more and more, Drew seems to be fading from their friendship, and though he won’t admit it, Isaiah knows exactly why. Because Darius is…gone.
A hit and run killed Darius in the midst of a record-breaking long wheelie when Isaiah should have been keeping watch, ready to warn: “CAR!” Now, Drew can barely look at Isaiah. But Isaiah, already quaking with ache and guilt, can’t lose two friends. So, he comes up with a plan to keep Drew and him together—they can spend the summer breaking records, for Darius.
But Drew’s not the same Drew since Darius was killed, and Isaiah being Isaiah isn’t enough for Drew anymore. Not his taste in clothes, his love for rock music, or his aversion to jumping off rooftops. And one day something unspeakable happens to Isaiah that makes him think Drew’s right. If only he could be less sensitive, more tough, less weird, more cool, less him, things would be easier. But how much can Isaiah keep inside until he shatters wide open?
A hit and run killed Darius in the midst of a record-breaking long wheelie when Isaiah should have been keeping watch, ready to warn: “CAR!” Now, Drew can barely look at Isaiah. But Isaiah, already quaking with ache and guilt, can’t lose two friends. So, he comes up with a plan to keep Drew and him together—they can spend the summer breaking records, for Darius.
But Drew’s not the same Drew since Darius was killed, and Isaiah being Isaiah isn’t enough for Drew anymore. Not his taste in clothes, his love for rock music, or his aversion to jumping off rooftops. And one day something unspeakable happens to Isaiah that makes him think Drew’s right. If only he could be less sensitive, more tough, less weird, more cool, less him, things would be easier. But how much can Isaiah keep inside until he shatters wide open?
Publication Information:
Author: Alicia D. Williams
Illustrator: Danica Novgorodoff
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books (April 23, 2024)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1481465830
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