alexopoulou

2.5 stars When Keith's father, a producer who works in the music business, is shot and killed, Keith and his mother are left with nothing. All of the family's savings are gone, and they are forced to move from Brooklyn to live with his father's sister Berny in a small town in Ohio. Keith, who is biracial and wears his hair in an afro and clothes from the 1970s, definitely stands out at his new school. But his style and his love of Jimi Hendrix - his father's favorite musician - make him feel closer to his father. Though Keith is having trouble accepting his new environment, he does his best to deal with his grief and stay strong. But then his mother makes a shocking discovery that could destroy Keith's idealized image of his dad forever. This novel in verse has an interesting premise, but the plot is slow to get going and then becomes a little melodramatic at the end. Though I have enjoyed some novels in verse, in this case, the format didn’t work for me. The poetry was a little clunky at times and it seemed like it could have just as easily been prose. However, Adoff does a decent job of expressing what it’s like for teens who are biracial or simply feel that they don’t fit in as well as those who are dealing with grief over loss of a loved one.

2022-11-14 14:12