This was a great little read. Apparently Jason Reynolds has published four in this series, so I’ll be looking for the next one for sure.
“Trouble is, you can’t run away from yourself.” Coach snatched the towel from his shoulder, folded into a perfect square, and set it in the space between us. “Unfortunately,” he said, “ain’t nobody that fast.”
Ghost (his real name is Castle Cranshaw but he expects you to understand why he doesn’t want to go by that) has always been fast. But his focus is basketball — he wants to get good enough to join the pick up games around his neighborhood. But one day he challenges a bratty kid to a race, and blows the whole track team away with his natural raw talent for running. He doesn’t see the big deal, but the coach convinces him to train and work with the team. Inspired by the chance to set a world record, Ghost agrees and watches track open up a whole new world.
This book was aimed for a slightly younger audience than most YA I read — more middle school than high school — but it’s not childish by any means. Ghost is a kid filled with anger and fear, and for good reason: his father threatened to kill his mother right in front of him. He feels trapped and hurt and doesn’t know what to do with all that emotion. Reynolds does a great job at showing his audience what that’s like, rather than talking down to anyone. I’d definitely recommend it for 6th graders and up.
