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Review: Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Title: Crossover
Author: Kwame Alexander
Year Published: 2014

Genre: YA fiction (sports)
Pages: 237
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Location (my 2015 Google Reading map)USA

FTC Disclosure: I bought this book with my own money

Summary (from the inside flap): "A bolt of lightening on my kicks... the court is sizzling. My sweat is drizzling. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering." raps basketball phenom Josh Bell. Thanks to his dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court, with crossovers that make even the toughest ballers cry. But Josh has more than hoops in his blood. He's got a river of rhymes flowing through him--a sick flow that helps him find his rhythm when everything's on the line.

As their winning season unfolds, things begin to change. When Jordan meets the new girl in school, the twins' tight-knit bond unravels. In this heartfelt novel, basketball and brotherhood intertwine to show Josh and Jordan that life doesn't come with a play book and, sometimes, it's not about winning.

Review: I read Kwame Alexander's book He Said She Said and liked it so when I saw this one on the shelves, I bought it without hesitation. I figured I would donate it to my high school's library when I finished it. Then, about 50 or 60 pages in the character mentions that he is in junior high. Junior high? I thought they would be high school students. They aren't. So I figured I would donate it to one of our junior highs. Then I finished the book and now I plan on giving it to the high school.
  • The book is written in verse, which I really liked. It makes the story move quickly and really sets a mood that fits
  • I liked Josh Bell (JB). He is all about basketball, but also really cares about his parents and his twin brother
  • The basketball storyline is fun: a winning team, a supportive coach, there's no violence, drugs, alcohol, or bullying. There is tension, sadness, and it's intense, but that's good

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