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abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
in total new york ghetto vernacular, this book is raw and deeply touching from the first page. the life troubles just keep hitting this young man (barely past being a kid himself) all the way to the end.
combined with human faults, his almost childlike nobility makes him a very impressive protagonist, one that i could identify with in the sense that i could see how he could make mistakes the same way that the rest of us do. and, occasionally, make the right choice against the odds.
combined with human faults, his almost childlike nobility makes him a very impressive protagonist, one that i could identify with in the sense that i could see how he could make mistakes the same way that the rest of us do. and, occasionally, make the right choice against the odds.
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
4.0
Tyrell lives in a homeless shelter with his kid brother and no-good mother. His father is in jail and his girlfriend wants him to go back to school. His mother expects him to do whatever it takes, even if it's illegal, to take care of the family since his father is in jail. He is a brother in a jam.
rmm018's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mellabella's review against another edition
4.0
I finished this book feeling sad. But wishing there was a sequel. 15 year old Tyrell is living in a dirty, unsafe, roach infested motel (soon to maybe be placed in a shelter-if his mothers welfare fraud case doesn't get in the way) with his mother and younger brother. His father in incarcerated for the 3rd time. His mother is immature and totally dependent on a man. She's not on drugs. But might as well be, the way she cares for his brother. I am surprised by how much I liked this book. I passed by it countless times.
sarahannkateri's review against another edition
4.0
Tyrell’s a fifteen year old from the Bronx who is living in a roach-infested homeless shelter with his mom & little brother. His dad’s in jail, his mom wants him to sell drugs so he can make money, and he has to watch out for his little brother because no one else will.
As if that’s not enough, although he loves his good-girl girlfriend, he’s met an exciting new girl and isn’t sure what to do. Tyrell knows that if he doesn’t find some answers and make some money soon, he’s going to be stuck forever, but will he be able to find a way out of his situation?
As if that’s not enough, although he loves his good-girl girlfriend, he’s met an exciting new girl and isn’t sure what to do. Tyrell knows that if he doesn’t find some answers and make some money soon, he’s going to be stuck forever, but will he be able to find a way out of his situation?
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very well written book that kept tromping on my heart. Tyrell doesn't always make the choices that I wish for him, but I understood why he was doing what he was doing. Booth lets the reader know him so well through his thoughts and actions. He is a kid trying to be a man he can respect without a lot of help.
This is a book that I found difficult to read in that it just ripped up my heart watching things go from bad to worse. It's hard to wear Tyrell's shoes. The choices he has to make and the situations he faces are just so far beyond what we want teenagers to go through.
I am ready to see what he will make of himself in Bronxwood. I am glad there is another book.
This is a book that I found difficult to read in that it just ripped up my heart watching things go from bad to worse. It's hard to wear Tyrell's shoes. The choices he has to make and the situations he faces are just so far beyond what we want teenagers to go through.
I am ready to see what he will make of himself in Bronxwood. I am glad there is another book.
dees_books's review against another edition
4.0
Tyrell can’t catch a break. He stopped going to high school a few months ago when he decided it was more important to find work and support his mom and little brother Troy while his dad’s in jail. He and his mom and brother are unhoused and living in a shelter that’s in poor condition, and Tyrell is frequently consumed with caregiving responsibilities for his younger brother as his mom deals with the trauma of being separated from her partner, struggling to find steady work/income to support her kids, and parenting while unhoused in a system that isn’t trauma-informed in the slightest. Tyrell’s North Star is girlfriend Novisha, who he’s been dating for over a year. Novisha’s family struggles, too, but they have food on the table every night and Novisha’s on track to graduate and has the luxury of planning for dreams she wants to accomplish far out in the future. While everything else around him is changing constantly, Novisha’s care and love feels constant and reliable. It’s one of the few things keeping Ty going, until it gets complicated. Ty meets Jasmine, another girl his age living in the shelter, who he not only thinks is super hot but also is surprised by how easy it is to talk to her and to relate to her. Jasmine understands the trauma Ty is holding in ways Novisha can’t.
Tyrell by Coe Booth is a hard and beautiful read about an unhoused teen taking life day by day. In many ways, Tyrell is about navigating love and feeling deserving of love amidst great trauma. As a narrator, Ty is incredibly honest and open, letting the reader into the pain and tenderness that go into all of his decisions — how he cares for his brother and mom, makes money, supports and tries to protect the women he loves, etc. Ty is also resilient and finds community support and love where social services fail time and time again. Booth's experience working with teens and families in crisis in the Bronx comes through strong throughout the course of the book as she writes about Ty and his family’s experiences in a way that’s raw yet also holds the trauma they’re experiencing with great care and tenderness. A content warning: this book includes descriptions of intimate-partner violence, mature sex content, and carceral conditions of homeless shelters, so please take care while reading.
Tyrell by Coe Booth is a hard and beautiful read about an unhoused teen taking life day by day. In many ways, Tyrell is about navigating love and feeling deserving of love amidst great trauma. As a narrator, Ty is incredibly honest and open, letting the reader into the pain and tenderness that go into all of his decisions — how he cares for his brother and mom, makes money, supports and tries to protect the women he loves, etc. Ty is also resilient and finds community support and love where social services fail time and time again. Booth's experience working with teens and families in crisis in the Bronx comes through strong throughout the course of the book as she writes about Ty and his family’s experiences in a way that’s raw yet also holds the trauma they’re experiencing with great care and tenderness. A content warning: this book includes descriptions of intimate-partner violence, mature sex content, and carceral conditions of homeless shelters, so please take care while reading.
afro8921's review against another edition
4.0
Tyrell is a 15 year old homeless boy struggling to keep his family together after his father is incarcerated. He stays in a roach infested hotel with his mother and brother while they wait for housing. Tyrell's living situation is made even more tenuous by his mother's previous housing scams. His mother's refusal to accept any responsibility for his younger brother, or the current state of their family, drives Tyrell to try and find a way out of their current crisis. Ms. Coe pens a good read depicting the different voices many young men must sift through in order to make a path to a brighter future. This novel doesn't end in an exactly healthy place. The reader is left waiting to see how the rest of Tyrell's story ends. This would be a great read for teens or tweens who enjoy realistic fiction.
chadstep's review against another edition
5.0
Riveting--start to finish, this first person story grips you by the shoulders and shakes you awake into the complexities of teen life and teen homelessness in the Bronx.