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corky12's review against another edition
This book was probably very important when it came out in the '90s. Now, in 2024, you don't hear about things like hazing anymore. So it doesn't feel relevant or relatable, which makes it hard to read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Sexual content
nic_fish's review against another edition
4.0
Good book but difficult at times to read. I wanted to read but had to keep taking a break.
briannethebookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Jericho Prescott is psyched when he and his cousin are asked to pledge for the most exclusive and reputable club at their high school, the Warriors of Distinction. The club is known for their community service and highly regarded social events. When the initiation begins, Jericho and the rest of the pledges are asked to do some demeaning activities to prove their commitment, and Jericho begins to question whether membership to this club is worth it, especially when the pledging activities interfere with his music dreams.
This was pretty heavy for a high school book, yeesh! I really enjoyed reading it and feel there’s an important message to be learned for teenagers. I think that dangerous hazing is something that has become a rising problem, and it’s a great topic for discussion. I didn’t give it five stars because I really wanted to see a Jericho wrestle a little more with his decision between the Warriors of Distinction and his music. Overall I highly recommend, especially to high school and college-aged kids.
This was pretty heavy for a high school book, yeesh! I really enjoyed reading it and feel there’s an important message to be learned for teenagers. I think that dangerous hazing is something that has become a rising problem, and it’s a great topic for discussion. I didn’t give it five stars because I really wanted to see a Jericho wrestle a little more with his decision between the Warriors of Distinction and his music. Overall I highly recommend, especially to high school and college-aged kids.
liyah1234's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
kwbat12's review against another edition
4.0
Really excellent writing and context. I liked that there was a person in a wheelchair in the story, and that he played a major role. The ending was horrific and really put into perspective some of the finer points of the story. The female power was a very awesome thing to see, as well as a clear view of the power that males in power can have over females. I'd be interested to read the others in the series to see what happens to the characters, especially the group leaders and the main character, Jericho, and his trumpet playing. All in all, a very excellent novel.
sarahfett's review against another edition
1.0
I read this for the class Resources for Young Adults while working on my Masters of Library and Information Science.
ladyladyloveme's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
brianwork's review against another edition
2.0
The book has good pacing and some worthwhile themes, but the writing itself was a real turnoff for me. The dialogue is incredibly unnatural and doesn't even come close to reflecting the way human beings actually speak. The characters pick up and drop their dialects at random, and much of what they say sounds like it's lifted straight from a Lifetime original movie written by someone who's only heard human speech through other Lifetime original movies.
Jericho's motivations didn't make any sense, which added to him being one of the least proactive protagonists I've ever read. He just stands by and lets everything happen, even when there's plenty of proof in front of him that shady things are going on and he should make a stand and do something about it. But he doesn't; he remains passive and that makes him very hard to empathize with.
Also, the female empowerment subplot could have used a lot of work. Dana's whole character was like a hammer beating the reader over the head every time she was present, without any subtlety to it. I like the idea of a female character going against the male-dominated fraternity system to get into the club, but the way it was written just didn't work, and in many ways caused it to come off off counter to how it was intended.
Jericho's motivations didn't make any sense, which added to him being one of the least proactive protagonists I've ever read. He just stands by and lets everything happen, even when there's plenty of proof in front of him that shady things are going on and he should make a stand and do something about it. But he doesn't; he remains passive and that makes him very hard to empathize with.
Also, the female empowerment subplot could have used a lot of work. Dana's whole character was like a hammer beating the reader over the head every time she was present, without any subtlety to it. I like the idea of a female character going against the male-dominated fraternity system to get into the club, but the way it was written just didn't work, and in many ways caused it to come off off counter to how it was intended.
falconerreader's review against another edition
2.0
The writing felt clunky to me, the dialogue unnatural. I just read Mexican Whiteboy, which captured perfectly the speech patterns of teenagers. Battle of Jericho tries to do the same, but fails. This detracted a good deal from what could have been a dramatic book. The subtle twist with the foreshadowing of death was good, and frankly, it's nice to find a YA novel about African American kids that's not about their race. (Through that made the branding and other humiliation scenes extra creepy.) Of all the books in my department's bullying unit, this is one of the only ones I think we should pull. Kids may think differently--I'll see.