Colin O'Brien's Review 1

[Colin]

Darius and Twig by Walter Dean Myers is about two high schoolers from Harlem who are best friends and look for a future better than what they were brought up in. Darius’s hope is betting on his story being published to impress colleges so he can get a scholarship to escape his neighborhood. Throughout the book this story is brought up and his thoughts on what his story is about changes with the progression of the story. Twig is an excellent runner which is shown multiple times throughout the book and because of this ability he gets an opportunity for a better future. I really liked the friendship between these two and the book makes it very clear that they have each other's back throughout their story. Even when teachers, coaches and family members doubted them, Darius and Twig always were there for each other. The book touches on many different themes such as race, alcoholism, money, violence, and family struggles. I appreciated how the characters, even the school bullies, were humanized and their struggles were felt when reading. The book emphasized that there’s a reason people act the way they do and you can’t judge them solely on their actions. There were lots of heartfelt moments throughout the story and I think it did a phenomenal showcasing the hope of a brighter future with the depression of the people around our main characters. Overall I enjoyed this book and if you are looking for a quick read with likable characters then I'd recommend you give it a read.