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When I Was The Greatest (2014)

by Jason Reynolds(Favorite Author)

4 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1442459476 (ISBN13: 9781442459472)

languge

English

genre

Young Adult Fiction

publisher

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

review 1: I was a bit unsure of what to think about this when I first started since I don't often read YA. However, I found myself completely immersed in the world that Reynolds created! The writing was simple and basic, and it incorporated enough of the casual way people speak - specifically those in the Black community located in Brooklyn, NY - to make it all feel like I was really living alongside the characters. I realized I was caring about them, wondering what was going to happen next, worrying about their futures, and so forth. Reynolds does a great job of bringing his characters to life without making them seem forced or contrived.
review 2: The concept for this novel is wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of an urban story when things aren't simply go... moreod or bad. Not only is this a solid read that provides the YA lit world much needed racial diversity, but the story is also diverse by bringing in a character who has Tourette Syndrome, and who is a male character who knits to try to control his verbal outbursts at that. There is a father figure who isn't perfect and has spent significant time in jail, but who is always looking out for his children. My only criticism is that the author has a tendency to state out right what should be shown instead. This comes across a bit didactic. The narrator's voice also reads a bit like an adult trying to appeal to teens and how he thinks they sound. As another reviewer here states, the novel is a bit vanilla and tidy in many ways, but the unique storyline, drama, and appealing characters somewhat make up for it. I think Jason Reynolds will one day become the next Walter Dean Myers after he grows himself a bit more as an author. less

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