Bazan Librarians Review...

A couple of friends had recommended reading this book so I picked it up last week and finished reading it on Friday.  Don't let my time spent reading the book fool you.  This is a novel written in verse and readers can easily finish reading in a day! This book hit a little too close to home.  Our main character, Xiomara, who goes by the alias X, faces a real challenge which most teenagers experience, and that is communication.  Sure, any one who reads this story will list many others that Xiomara undergoes but none is greater than family communication.  As the reader becomes invested in Xiomara, the reader realizes that while X lives in a compact apartment unit being able to eavesdrop on her parent's conversations through the apartment's thin walls, and watching her family routinely watch tv, pray, or text, we begin to notice that Xiomara does not know her family as well as she believes, and vice versa. What made me fall in love with her characte...

I chose to read Long Way Down from Jason Reynolds because it had been on my to-read shelf for a long time. I had picked up the book in the past to get a glance of the text, since I've heard that the book was written in verse. Right now I have more than enough of time to read what's been on my to-read list, and I tackled this book today. The book tells the story of a fifteen year old, African American boy named Will who is troubled by seeking revenge on the person who murdered his brother. Will has been taught by his deceased brother, friends, and family that there are three rules in life: No crying, No snitching, and no matter what, seek revenge. Will takes the elevator at his apartment from the 7th floor down to the lobby, only to be greeted by six people who question his intent, while providing some wisdom. The novel takes place in less than 24 hours, and most of the novel is set in a one minute time frame! A lot goes on in just one minute. Brief stories that t...