Ghost

Jason Reynolds is even better at the MG level! Loved Castle/Ghost, his grey-area character nuances, and the diversity of supporting characters (getting their own books soon, hopefully). Audio was excellent and gave distinct voices to the many characters, especially nailing Ghost (“I could feel the altercationess rising” is one of my all time favorite lines). I have known so many of these characters in real life, and I know kids will strongly embrace this realistic reflection of their realities.

This is such a fun heartwarming book. I really enjoyed the dialog and the characters. You never know how you may affect others by just being there.

After I heard Jason Reynolds speak at a breakfast at BookExpo this year, I couldn't wait to read one of his books. It turns out I could wait because I had to wait: all his books were checked out at the library. Wow. I had no idea he was such a popular author.

Finally, I was able to check out Ghost on audio, and it was like hearing Reynolds speak. I love the authenticity of his characters. They have troubles, they do the wrong thing, they accept the consequences, they help each other, they jab at the world with humor...brave, heroic, weak, foolish, struggling, epic.

I loved hearing this story from a black community of a boy who starts running when his dad points a gun at him and who goes on to meet a strong track coach who gently but firmly shapes his life.

Jason Reynolds may be my new favorite author.

I definitely read this last year or earlier but apparently didn't put it on GoodReads! It was great though!

This book is an interesting contemporary novel about a boy who wants to change who he is, but is not sure how. After running from his drunk father, who tried to shoot him and his mother, Ghost isn't sure about his life. He wants to play basketball, but he knows that he won't get on with his troubled attitude. Then, one day, he decides to run for the local track team, and he begins to think that there may be more to his life and the way he treats himself and others. But can he escape his delinquent past, and run towards a better future?

Ths was a fun novel to read, and I really liked the personal voice that Reynolds gives to Ghost. This voice is something that can be a challenge to write convincingly, and this was done excellently. I also liked the different side characters. Many of them, with the exception of Coach, we not given enough of a spotlight, but they were developed enough that I could see them in future installments. Another element that truly stuck out to me was the journey that Ghost took as a character. I believe he made a convincing change from beginning to the end, and seeing the introspection that Ghost goes through is something that may young people need to read, and can benefit from.

So why did I give this book a four out of five? Well, I listened to it on audio, and I think that one problem with the narrator is that he is too old for the role. We needed someone like the narrator who did the first Percy Jackson series, aka someone who can do the fun and whimsy when it is needed, but also display the vulnerability of someone when they are young. This narrator tries to do this, but all I can think of when I hear him is more of a class clown in high school, rather than a delinquent middle schooler.

Still, this was my first experience with Jason Reynolds, but it will not be the last. I enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait to give his novels another go. I give this book a four out of five.

PBS' Great American Read program introduced me to Jason Reynolds and “Ghost.” And, I'm so glad! This is a delightful Book because we hear the voice of a teenager who is just learning he has a talent for running, but also that he sometimes doesn't make the best decisions. And that he can find ways to take a horrible experience that shattered his family and rise above.

I loved the characters in this book because they are real people with real issues and real ways of looking at things. This is not just for young adults; a good book is a good book. And I look forward to reading additional books in this series, as well as other books by this author.

Also, I listened to the audiobook version on Libby and the narrator was amazing!