Cannonball Read 11

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And THAT’S how you pull off a second novel.

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas

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After the disappointment that was Sally Thorne’s 99 Percent Mine, I was really nervous about Angie Thomas’ sophomore offering. Would anything even be able to come close to the wonder that was The Hate U Give? Fortunately, yes. On the Come Up focuses on Bri, the teenage protagonist who is pursuing her dream of becoming a rap star. She is trying to make a name for herself without trading in on the name of her father who was just making a name for himself in the industry when he died. She doesn’t need to worry however, because her talent is […]

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7/11/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:12 |

That’s how it goes though. The drug dealers in my neighborhood aren’t struggling. Everybody else is.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

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CBR 11 Bingo – Youths This is the second novel by Angie Thomas, the author of The Hate U Give. I have to imagine even if she keeps writing and publishing novels, it’ll be awhile before she outpaces the magnitude of that first novel. The thing is, I think this one is better for a few reasons. That’s not to say I really had much criticism for the first novel, only that this one is more fully realized and I would argue is more clearly populated by more rounded characters. In addition, this novel takes on issues of respectability politics […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

Share the post "That’s how it goes though. The drug dealers in my neighborhood aren’t struggling. Everybody else is."

7/4/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:384 |

Did Not Heart as Much as The Hate U Give

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

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Well, though I did enjoy this book, I didn’t love it as much as The Hate U Give. I could not help making comparisons between Starr and Bri (the main character in this one) and also about the story-lines. I think in the end that Bri was more frustrating to me as a reader. She really doesn’t listen to anyone, though in the end that causes her to forge her own path that can lift her family up out of poverty. However, how realistic is it for many teens to go out and become rap superstars? Should that be a […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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4/7/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:83 |

A completely unsatisfactory review of a good book.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

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Contemporary isn’t usually my genre, but this was really well put together. A good follow up to The Hate U Give. This is one of those reviews that makes my review backlog pile up, because I’m having a hard time saying stuff about it. So I’m just going to wing it and live with the fact that my review will not be as good as I want it to be, or say what I want it to say (whatever that is? I don’t even know). I liked this book quite a bit, but not as much as I liked THUG. […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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3/18/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:27 |

“One song is sometimes all it takes. I’ve got one song.”

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

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While On the Come Up is far from a Sophomore slump it never reaches the heights Thomas’ breathtakingly haunted debut novel The Hate U Give achieved. We can’t have any power, either. I mean, think about it. All these people I’ve never met have way more control over my life than I’ve ever had. If some Crown hadn’t killed my dad, he’d be a big rap star and money wouldn’t be an issue. If some drug dealer hadn’t sold my mom her first hit, she could’ve gotten her degree already and would have a good job. If that cop hadn’t murdered that boy, people […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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3/3/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:18 |

Color me surprised: Someone on the internet thinks this book is racist

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

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First things first: I want to give a shout out to the Little Free Libraries of the world. A few weeks ago I picked this up from one in my neighborhood and it was my first time borrowing anything from one of those tiny bibliotecas. I’d heard of this novel but might not have been prompted to borrow it if I hadn’t seen it through the friendly little window. I’m inspired to pay it forward by adding something from my “already read” stack when I return it. Second, I don’t normally read reviews before I write my own, because I […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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3/3/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:9 |

A Satisfying Follow up

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas

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  I adored Angie Thomas’s debut, The Hate U Give. I recommended it to nearly every person I encountered in the last year and have never been disappointed by their reactions. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Thomas’s second book was an option in my Book of the Month Club membership. On The Come Up follows Bri, a sixteen year-old girl living in the Garden Heights neighborhood that is familiar to readers of The Hate U Give. The action takes place about a year following the events of that book, in a neighborhood still recovering from the murder of […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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3/2/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:12 |

No Sophomore Slump Here

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

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On the NYT book list for Young Adult/Hard Cover, Angie Thomas reigns as queen. Her debut novel The Hate U Give has been at or near the top of the list for 103 weeks. It is currently number two. The number one spot is held by Angie Thomas’ follow up, On the Come Up. Thomas takes us back to the Garden Heights neighborhood but we see it from a different perspective this time. Brianna Jackson, known as Bri, is a teenager who lives immersed in the Garden. Her father was a famous rapper skyrocketing to fame when he was murdered. Her […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

Share the post "No Sophomore Slump Here"

2/22/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:9 |


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