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Black Boy White School
by Brian F. Walker
by Brian F. Walker
Kelly's review
bookshelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2012
Mar 15, 12
bookshelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2012
Read from February 29 to March 01, 2012
Anthony grew up in East Cleveland where there's little to hope for, and there's plenty of violence, drugs, and poverty. When he gets the chance to attend a private school in Maine on scholarship, he takes it -- and he faces the kind of racism and discrimination he never imagined.
The story is the strength here, as the writing leaves much to be desired. The characters are never really well fleshed out, there are intense moments that should have incited some feelings but failed to do so (there's a lot of loss in this book, but never once did Anthony mourn and while it makes sense because he's grown up having become immune to it because he has to, it's jarring). The use of third person didn't feel right in this particular story, but I suspect that will help make this a book reluctant readers will gravitate toward. The style makes it a quick read and one that'll resonate with middle schoolers and early high schoolers.
Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/03/t...
The story is the strength here, as the writing leaves much to be desired. The characters are never really well fleshed out, there are intense moments that should have incited some feelings but failed to do so (there's a lot of loss in this book, but never once did Anthony mourn and while it makes sense because he's grown up having become immune to it because he has to, it's jarring). The use of third person didn't feel right in this particular story, but I suspect that will help make this a book reluctant readers will gravitate toward. The style makes it a quick read and one that'll resonate with middle schoolers and early high schoolers.
Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/03/t...
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Reading Progress
| 02/29/2012 | page 25 |
|
10.0% | |
| 03/01/2012 | page 125 |
|
51.0% | "The writing is less than impressive but the story's making that forgivable." |
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Karyn
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Mar 16, 2012 06:49pm
I think you're spot on about audience; one of my students discovered the ARC in my piles and is devouring. 9th grade boy, and while not totally reluctant, certainly not avid.
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Karyn wrote: "I think you're spot on about audience; one of my students discovered the ARC in my piles and is devouring. 9th grade boy, and while not totally reluctant, certainly not avid."I think it's the style - the third person made it a quick read and one I can see less-avoid readers finding appealing. And it's got boy appeal all over it, no doubt.
