#boy 21

[hpldreads]

Books about Basketball:

Black and White by Paul Volponi

Boy 21 by Matthew Quick

Boost by Kathy Mackel

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Kuroko’s Basketball by Tadatoshi Fujimaki

Rebound by Bob Krech

The You Know Who Girls: Freshman Year by Annameekee Hesik

The Perfect Shot by Elaine Marie Alphin

The Final Four by Paul Volpoini

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Boy 21 | Author: Matthew Quick | Publisher: Little, Brown Books (2012)

[bookscoffeeandi]

[glenrocklibraryteens]

BOOK REVIEW: BOY 21

Boy 21 by Matthew Quick Young Adult Fiction - Realistic Number of Pages: 250 Rating: 4.5 stars Reviewed By: Noah Hu

Today, I’m writing a book review on the realistic fiction novel, “Boy 21” by Matthew Quick. This book had an awesome cover with great pictures that gave a visual about what the basketball phenom looked like, as well as a hidden message that you get only after reading this fantastic story. This novel is 250 pages long, and is written from the perspective of Finley, the one of the few white high schoolers growing up in a mostly African American community. Being one of the top basketball players in the town and having many friends, Finley’s life is good until one of the top high school recruits is shipped into his town, under cover since his parents were killed and he is in hiding. It’s Finley's job as a leader to keep this secret and help this basketball phenom stay hidden, but problems start to unfold and Finley is forced to make decisions that will change his life forever. Can Finley rise to the occasion? Or will he let the stress pile up and force him to be a person he is not?

As a middle schooler, I really enjoyed reading this book and could understand the story very clearly, something that you always love when you read. The author’s writing made the story flow easily and he wrote a gripping story with well developed characters. The writing style of the author made reading enjoyable.

I also enjoyed the book because I identified strongly with the main character, Finley. We both love to work at and play basketball, and we are both leaders on the team and can connect strongly with our coaches. In the book, Finley turns to basketball to help himself think and solve problems. Similarly, when a difficult problem arises in my life, I always play basketball because it helps me think and relax. This character of Finley also made me change the way I think about solving problems. After reading what Finley had to do and some of the decisions he had to make, I learned how important it is to really think through things, because decisions can change your life.  

I would recommend this book to middle and high schoolers, because the story is so relatable to both. I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, because the characters are absorbing and the storyline keeps you on the edge of your seat. It truly was a well written book that I am happy I found.

[sookool-blog1]

Project: Book cover 'Boy 21′

[thepaperworlds]

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick This book had a very interesting premise, and I have to say that Matthew Quick did a very good job displaying the main character's inner thoughts and feelings throughout the book. The concept of having the footnotes really intrigued me and I have to say that at times, while they did get excessive at points, were very insightful to the plot. However, I felt that the main character was worked up over small things that normally wouldn't bother anyone. While I understand why he was upset throughout the book, it felt as if he directed all of his rage on one single thought that didn't hold as much significance in his life. I completely understand why Leonard was angry at Asher and his mother, and feel for him. Though at some points, it felt as if he was rambling on about useless things in life, which caused me to have to make myself read through long passages of him talking about random topics. I really wanted to love this book, but it had those little things that did not meet my expectations. I do, however, look forward to reading more of his novels, and see how they flow as well.

[thepaperworlds]

Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick I would first like to thank Little Brown for sending me an ARC of this novel along with three other novels by Matthew Quick. This book was so inspiring and eye-opening to me in retrospect to how people feel when they think that no one cares and how sometimes families and people appear to be something when they're really not. This was my first Matthew Quick novel, and it's safe to say that I will definitely be reading more of his work very soon. The characters in Every Exquisite Thing are relatable to a wide spectrum of readers and develop beautifully into people who are aware of what they what from the world and what they want from themselves. I loved how we are immersed into Nanette's life and her mind. This really allowed me as a reader to understand Nanette and her feelings throughout the novel and help me form an idea of who she was in my head. I highly recommend this novel to fans of All The Bright Places, it truly captures the same feel and essence that All The Bright Places brings to the table and goes even further than I imagined. This novel will truly change your perspective on life and how you will see the world.

[thenovl]

The April NOVLbox

Quick! Hurry and enter the NOVLbox giveaway! This month’s curator is Matthew Quick (aka Q), author of The Silver Linings Playbook, Boy 21, Sorta Like a Rock Star, and Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. We’re thrilled to have Q curate this month’s box and we just know it’s going to be filled with quirky bookish fun. 

What’s a NOVLbox? It’s a care package from one of our favorite authors. What’s inside? It’s a mystery! If we told you what’s inside, we’d ruin the fun. But…we’ll give you a hint of what to expect. Check out the archive to see what curators have included in the past!

How It Works:

Enter HERE for a chance to win.

We’ll select & notify 10 lucky winners at the end of the month.

A surprise will be waiting in the winners’ mailbox!

P.S. If you’re dying to read Q’s upcoming new novel, Every Exquisite Thing, we really really recommend entering this giveaway ;-)