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shelleebee's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of my tenth-grade students' favorite books. It tells the story of an African-American boy from the Bronx who is homeless with his mom and younger brother. They live, for now, in a government-sponsored hotel that is barely livable. Tyrell decides that it is up to him to get them out of there because his mother can barely take care of herself, and he has to help his younger brother. The book is written in first-person and is full of the language of urban teens. There is also no shortage of sex, drugs, and hip-hop in this modern Bildungsroman. A Cooper favorite!
missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
The writing style made it REALLY hard for me to get into the story.
cities's review against another edition
3.0
I think the content was too mature for me at the time because I read it when I was like...8
knitterjaimi's review
Slow read for me and it’s overdue at the library. I’ll finish eventually.
colleenaf's review against another edition
4.0
One of the most authentic voices I've read in a long time. This story never goes the predictable route. A brilliant start for Coe.
kwbat12's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this. It's a very good account of a young man struggling to overcome his circumstances.
rakishabpl's review against another edition
4.0
As a Young Adult librarian, I inwardly (barely) frown upon any teenager's craving for the so-called street/hip-hop/urban fiction that has become a force to be reckoned with in the literary world. These books glorify an opportunisitic, materialistic, sexist, violent, and sometimes criminal world that teens live or wish to live. Lest you think me some suburb-rised cultural elitest, let me set you straight. I'm straight up 'hood born and 'hood raised. I've seen some of these stories close up in real life and there's nothing good about them, so I'm baffled by the embrace of them.
Tyrell, Coe Booth's debut novel, is urban/street/ghetto fiction taken to a higher level. It exposes the ugly side of project-life, hustling, and using sex as a tool. The protagonist, 15-year-old Tyrell, is trying to keep his family and life together as he is trying to escape homelessness. But he is constantly angered and frustrated by a trifling mom, an incarcerated dad, a mistrustful girlfriend, and a needy female pal. Yet, by the end of the story, Tyrell finds light at the end of the tunnel.
The ending doesn't pretend that the rest of Tyrell's life (or his little brother's, mother's, father's or friends') won't be a hard struggle, but it does give hope that Tyrell won't succumb to the vices (emotional and physical) that traps everyone around him. Tyrell is both sad and uplifting without being preachy. It is the perfect realistic fiction for today's teens.
Tyrell, Coe Booth's debut novel, is urban/street/ghetto fiction taken to a higher level. It exposes the ugly side of project-life, hustling, and using sex as a tool. The protagonist, 15-year-old Tyrell, is trying to keep his family and life together as he is trying to escape homelessness. But he is constantly angered and frustrated by a trifling mom, an incarcerated dad, a mistrustful girlfriend, and a needy female pal. Yet, by the end of the story, Tyrell finds light at the end of the tunnel.
The ending doesn't pretend that the rest of Tyrell's life (or his little brother's, mother's, father's or friends') won't be a hard struggle, but it does give hope that Tyrell won't succumb to the vices (emotional and physical) that traps everyone around him. Tyrell is both sad and uplifting without being preachy. It is the perfect realistic fiction for today's teens.
nae1226's review against another edition
4.0
This is my next read. Shu recommended it. It's an award winner.
Tyrell would appeal to teen, male readers (and female). The contemporary, inner-city setting offers cultural diversity for us rural folks. I would warn potential readers of the langauge, sexual content, and violence. However, all is relvant to the story's plot. It is Tyrell's coming-of-age story, and Tyrell has led a life that is so different from the life I have led.
Tyrell would appeal to teen, male readers (and female). The contemporary, inner-city setting offers cultural diversity for us rural folks. I would warn potential readers of the langauge, sexual content, and violence. However, all is relvant to the story's plot. It is Tyrell's coming-of-age story, and Tyrell has led a life that is so different from the life I have led.
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.