Jaclyn’s Review: Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
written by Jason Reynolds
published by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2019

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Apple Books, Target, Kobo, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book? This book is listed as a middle grade book; I bought this for my son to read over the summer to work on reading comprehension. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I liked the writing, and I liked the structure. Each chapter was a different story or vignette; they all happened concurrently, so details from chapter 1 might show up in chapter 5. Some of the stories were cute, others were heartbreaking to read. After reading this book, I decided that it was not age appropriate for my 10-year-old son. I thought that a few of the chapters dealt with material that he wasn’t emotionally ready to tackle, and I thought the writing in the final chapter was too advanced for him to understand. That being said, the last chapter may have been my favorite of the entire book. Overall, I am glad that I read this, and I will likely hang on to this book until my son is in 7th grade. I think he will be ready to appreciate this in a few more years.

Would I recommend it? I absolutely recommend this book. While the first chapter may be a little juvenile for an adult, I did not think that the overall book was “too young” for me to read and enjoy. I actually found the writing quite masterful and would look to read other books by this author for pure enjoyment of the written word. If you are thinking of picking this up for your child to read, I would definitely encourage you as the parent to read it first and ensure that your child is ready for it.
 

 

About the book – from Goodreads: From National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes a novel told in ten blocks, showing all the different directions a walk home can take.

This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy—

Talking about boogers.
Stealing pocket change.
Skateboarding.
Wiping out.
Braving up.
Executing complicated handshakes.
Planning an escape.
Making jokes.
Lotioning up.
Finding comfort.
But mostly, too busy walking home.

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

 

 

 

* This post contains affiliate links.

** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on February 8, 2021.