e-ALC, 06:33:50
Narrated by: Miles J. Harvey & Derrick Barnes
Release Date: September 23, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape
Read from: September 22-23, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: PRH Audio App (I received a free ALC from the publisher and their app. I also received a physical ARC from the ALA conference. This did nothing to influence my review)
Content Warning: Racism, Police Brutality, Slavery, Colonization
For Readers Interested In: Sparkly Covers, Magical Realism, Romance, Sports (Football), Audio, Family Diversity, Middle Grade, Own Voices, So Good I Read the AcknowledgementsAuthor of the Newbery Honor book An Ode to the Fresh Cut and National Book Award finalist Victory. Stand!, Derrick Barnes tackles timely issues of race and prejudice in this powerful, nuanced middle grade novel about an accomplished Black boy who strives to be seen as human.
In the small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, all eyes are on Henson Blayze, a thirteen-year-old football phenom who many have wondered if he was super-human. The predominately white townsfolk have been waiting for Henson to play high-school ball, and now they’re overjoyed to finally possess an elite Black athlete of their own.
Until a horrifying incident forces Henson to speak out about injustice.
Until he says that he might not play football anymore.
Until he quickly learns he isn’t as loved by the people as he thought.
In that moment, Henson’s town is divided into two chaotic sides when all he wants is justice. Even his best friends and his father can’t see eye to eye. When he is told to play ball again or else, Henson must decide whether he was born to entertain people who may not even see him as human, or if he’s destined for a different kind of greatness.
Derrick Barnes’s groundbreaking novel masterfully combines a modern-day allegory with classic-style tall tales to weave a compelling story of America’s strange obsession with the Black body, relegated to labor or entertainment. Spanning the 1800s to today, it shows how much has changed over centuries. . . and, at the same time, how little.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This was so powerful. As someone who’s Black but also enjoys watching sports, this really touched me. Sadly, the people who will need to read this and open their minds to be held accountable will probably be trying to ban it. They hate to see themselves in truth and hate to be held accountable.
This message in this was so powerful. People look to certain people to “shut up and dribble” or act like that’s all we’re good for, their entertainment. In fact, I just watched a video of one player who hurt his knee really badly and the people in the comments were talking about their fantasy points. The moment the athletes start acting like humans or thinking about or wanting y’all to think about more, you’re nothing to them. Barnes puts all of this in your face and forces you to see how crazy this sounds.
The characters were some of the sweetest kids! I felt so sad because of the way they were treated. The kid that it happened to was so young and so sweet. And he was still a boy. I hated them for what they did to him. And Henson was so strong and thoughtful. He took care of his friend like he was family, and I don’t think you can get better than that. He really was a stand -up guy who looked up who just wanted justice for his friend.
There’s no real plot twist here, but trust me, you don’t need it. This book is complete on its own. And IYKYK that this is how they always end anyway. Nothing changes and we repeat this same struggle over again. I was happy to see what it was that at the very least they got him some type of justice. This book is one of those ones that will break you, and then help you stich everything back together.
Overall, I give this
