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Chameleon
Set to the beat of an urban summer, this street-smart novel follows an L.A. teen as he hangs with friends and faces life transitions — and his first romance.
Shooting the breeze with his boys. Tightening his D on the court. Doing a color check — making sure nobody's wearing blue or red, which some Crip or Piru carrying a cut-down golf club would see as disrespect. Then back to Auntie's, hoping she isn't passed out from whiskey at the end of the day. Now that Shawn is headed for high school, he wonders if he'd be better off at the school in Mama's neighborhood, where he'd be free of Compton's hassles. But then he wouldn't be with his fellas — cracking jokes, covering each other's backs — or the fine Marisol, who's been making star appearances in his dreams. Dad says he needs to make his own decision, but what does Shawn want, freedom or friendship? With teasing, spot-on dialogue and an eye to the realities of inner-city life, Chameleon takes on the shifting moods of a teenager coming of age.
Shooting the breeze with his boys. Tightening his D on the court. Doing a color check — making sure nobody's wearing blue or red, which some Crip or Piru carrying a cut-down golf club would see as disrespect. Then back to Auntie's, hoping she isn't passed out from whiskey at the end of the day. Now that Shawn is headed for high school, he wonders if he'd be better off at the school in Mama's neighborhood, where he'd be free of Compton's hassles. But then he wouldn't be with his fellas — cracking jokes, covering each other's backs — or the fine Marisol, who's been making star appearances in his dreams. Dad says he needs to make his own decision, but what does Shawn want, freedom or friendship? With teasing, spot-on dialogue and an eye to the realities of inner-city life, Chameleon takes on the shifting moods of a teenager coming of age.
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2008
7 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Charles R. Smith Jr.
46 books34 followersCharles R. Smith Jr. is an award-winning author, photographer, and poet with more than thirty books to his credit. His awards include a Coretta Scott King Award for illustration for his photographs accompanying the Langston Hughes poem "My People" and a Coretta Scott King Honor for his biography of Muhammad Ali, Twelve Rounds to Glory. He is the author of Rimshots, Hoop Kings, Hoop Queens, Tall Tales, Short Takes, Diamond Life, and I Am America. A father of three himself, Charles brings his love of basketball and baseball right down to the toddler set in Let's Play Basketball! and Let's Play Baseball! His recent work celebrates subjects he's been interested in since he was a kid, such as The Mighty 12, which honors Greek gods and goddesses. He currently lives in Poughkeepsie, NY, with his wife, Gillian, and their three kids. You can visit him online at www.charlesrsmithjr.com.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 14, 2019
Playing ball with his friends, checking his colours to stay safe from local gangs, chasing the love of his life, coming to his aunt's house making sure she isn't drunk. Shawn has a long ride, with lots of twists and turns.
November 3, 2016
This book was really interesting. I really liked it because i am a teenage boy who has to go through some of these problems . It shows how you can do things without breaking any laws . He was always around drugs, alcohol, and fighting but he never got into to all that . I like how they show a kid from Compton can actually not be a in a gang or use/sell drugs. He is just a normal kid shooting hoops and playing with friends , He always stuck by his friends if one fought they all fought . This was a great book but one thing i did not like was the ending I would love for him to make a part two to this book would be amazing . This book really had a lot of issues that i have to deal with and like his big decision I had to make one of those . If you are looking for a good book to read and you are a teenager i would highly recommend this book to you .
July 1, 2022
An excellent Young Adult book - timely and informative. The protagonist is experiencing teenage transformation – been in a group of friends, hit puberty, getting along with the opposite gender and of course, had to make a major life decision. The story includes issues and problems that almost all young men have to deal with.
May 27, 2018
Okay. This is mostly "slice-of-life" set in Compton. It gave me a real perspective on puberty for boys. Some of the "girls/women" talk was a little... idk. F**kboy-ish? But maybe that's what dudes really think.
Anyway, a pretty good read.
Anyway, a pretty good read.
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September 27, 2024Chameleon is a slow book that makes you think of the future it reveals a lot about the setting and how it affects the characters. Overall Chameleon reveals the art of learning respect and to not be like the crowd and to work something you are really passionate about.
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July 10, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Recreational drug use
Alcohol consumption & abuse
Alcoholism
Gang violence
Physical assault
Animal attack
Recreational drug use
Alcohol consumption & abuse
Alcoholism
Gang violence
Physical assault
Animal attack
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by LaLeesha Haynes for TeensReadToo.com
"The Crips and Pirus are black just like me, but they might as well be white and I might as well be living in the segregated South, because as far as I'm concerned if you can't wear what you want or go where you want, when you want, then you ain't free."
Charles R. Smith's CHAMELEON is a coming-of-age story that takes us into the heart of Los Angeles and the challenges that the main character, Shawn, is facing.
Throughout this book we see how basketball, gangs, girls, and friends make an impact on Shawn's summer and future. The descriptive account of Shawn facing his fears and developing into a teenager from a boy makes the story a good read for urban youth.
While Shawn improves his D on the court and falls in love with the "fine" Marisol, he is faced with the tough decision of whether to go to a school that is safe and free of gangs, or with his friends where he will fear the Crips and Pirus and have to see his alcoholic auntie every day.
The story is told with abrupt honesty and humor. Shawn's relationship with his father was my favorite section of the book. They set a great example for young men because Shawn trusts his dad and talks to him about serious life-changing events in his life.
Many males will be able to relate to Shawn's life and fears about his future, and that is why this book is one I would recommend to young men.
"The Crips and Pirus are black just like me, but they might as well be white and I might as well be living in the segregated South, because as far as I'm concerned if you can't wear what you want or go where you want, when you want, then you ain't free."
Charles R. Smith's CHAMELEON is a coming-of-age story that takes us into the heart of Los Angeles and the challenges that the main character, Shawn, is facing.
Throughout this book we see how basketball, gangs, girls, and friends make an impact on Shawn's summer and future. The descriptive account of Shawn facing his fears and developing into a teenager from a boy makes the story a good read for urban youth.
While Shawn improves his D on the court and falls in love with the "fine" Marisol, he is faced with the tough decision of whether to go to a school that is safe and free of gangs, or with his friends where he will fear the Crips and Pirus and have to see his alcoholic auntie every day.
The story is told with abrupt honesty and humor. Shawn's relationship with his father was my favorite section of the book. They set a great example for young men because Shawn trusts his dad and talks to him about serious life-changing events in his life.
Many males will be able to relate to Shawn's life and fears about his future, and that is why this book is one I would recommend to young men.
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July 28, 2011An excellent YA novel about young men of color. While gangs and basketball play prominent roles in the plots, this novel is different because it mixes a lazy summer day feel with the tensions and terrors of adolescence. And shock of shock, it does it well. Unlike other novels about driftless teens in the summer, the main character is compelling enough to make the format work. Shawn balances normal teen emotions with the rough gang-ridden urban setting and an unexpected sense of joy that steams from his friends, family, and crush. He is smart with books, but still chafes with a sense of powerlessness over his own life and that tension moves most of the plot along. There are fights and problems that emerge from the gang violence in his neighborhood, and he often fantasizes about how those fights could have gone differently and ended with him on top. What he and his other young African American friends will do and make of themselves is left up to the imagination of the reader.
October 31, 2009
A good solid book for an older middle school or young high school boy to read.
It's summer in Compton, CA, and Shawn and his 3 friends are trying to have fun and keep out of major trouble at the same time. They play a lot of b-ball and check themselves for gang colors each morning before they go out. The Crips and Pirus are notorious and violent and they try to avoid crossing their paths as much as possible.
Shawn experiences his first crush on a girl, takes care of his alcoholic aunt, while dealing with his functional family of a caring mom and dad who are divorced. Shawn has some heavy decisions to make this summer, but he's got a smart head on his shoulders and he still finds time to have fun with his pals.
It's summer in Compton, CA, and Shawn and his 3 friends are trying to have fun and keep out of major trouble at the same time. They play a lot of b-ball and check themselves for gang colors each morning before they go out. The Crips and Pirus are notorious and violent and they try to avoid crossing their paths as much as possible.
Shawn experiences his first crush on a girl, takes care of his alcoholic aunt, while dealing with his functional family of a caring mom and dad who are divorced. Shawn has some heavy decisions to make this summer, but he's got a smart head on his shoulders and he still finds time to have fun with his pals.
December 26, 2014
This felt kind of didactic to me. The protagonist, Shawn, has doubts and fears and considers making some bad choices, but basically he's a model 14-year-old in spite of many adults expecting him to be some kind of delinquent. Perhaps the author intended Shawn to be a role model for his readers. But if that's so, it makes it all the more irritating that Shawn's only way of interacting with his female peers is to objectify them. Maybe that's just realistic for a 14-year-old boy; I have never been one so I don't know. My son is 10 so perhaps I need to brace myself.
June 14, 2010
This book would appeal to an adolescent boy. The main character has to navigate life with an alcoholic aunt, parents who are divorced but who get along and the intricacies of wandering their neighborhood w/o crossing color boundaries. He and his friends support each other and Shawn has to make tough decisions about where and what he wants to do with his life.
July 4, 2013
This should have been a quick read but, because it did not "hook" me, I had a hard time pushing through. It was predictable. I kept waiting for something to happen...
August 26, 2013
Good! Family friends in between the life of gang violence
February 1, 2016
too long
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews