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jenmangler's review against another edition
4.0
Such a terrific book! Jerry Craft has written another tremendous graphic novel that deals with issues of race and class. I love his characters' honesty in wrestling with issues of identity. I highly recommend both New Kid and Class Act.
mdevlin923's review against another edition
2.0
A group of friends (Jordan, Drew, and Liam) meet up at their school after summer break. Throughout the year, they learn about social inequalities and have to come to terms with the fact that their lives are incredibly different...but they all learn that they have something the others wish they had.
The illustrations were distracting and I think detracted from the overall story. I wish that the focus of the story had been more on Drew...since this sequel/companion was supposed to be from his perspective. I don't think some of the conflicts that were introduced in the first few chapters were ever resolved.
The illustrations were distracting and I think detracted from the overall story. I wish that the focus of the story had been more on Drew...since this sequel/companion was supposed to be from his perspective. I don't think some of the conflicts that were introduced in the first few chapters were ever resolved.
heathssm's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
avkesner's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.25
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
2.0
In Class Act we follow Jordan's friend Drew who he met in New Kid when they both began attending Riverdale Academy Day School. A year later (in the universe of the book) the realities of being one of the only Black kids in his fancy, primarily white, school begin to weigh on him more than he expected.
The story itself is nothing new. I don't care about originality as much as some people do, still this had nothing outside of being a graphic novel to make it stand out. Drew is going through the same basic plot beats I expect from a Black kid with his specific demographic markers. We don't learn anything unique to him. He functions largely as a generic mouthpiece for conversations Jerry Craft wants to start. Mind you, I'm not against what Jerry Craft is saying. I'm against Drew being a vessel not a character.
As I said in my New Kid review I do not like the art style. It resembles an early 2000s adult webcomic and I continue to standby that. I recently read Black Boy Joy which featured a short comic by Jerry Craft at the end where I thought it looked fine, so really I think the issue with the graphic novel might just be the coloring? But, hard to say since that comic was simple in what it was trying to communicate vs the perspectives, dialogue and humor that is injected into Class Act.
In spite of my middling review, I do not feel deeply enough about the output to tell you not to read it. It has a certain charm, the message is good, and to its credit I actively laugh out loud every time they The Mean Streets of South Upton comes up. I won't recommend it per se, but I cannot deny that it has appeal.
The story itself is nothing new. I don't care about originality as much as some people do, still this had nothing outside of being a graphic novel to make it stand out. Drew is going through the same basic plot beats I expect from a Black kid with his specific demographic markers. We don't learn anything unique to him. He functions largely as a generic mouthpiece for conversations Jerry Craft wants to start. Mind you, I'm not against what Jerry Craft is saying. I'm against Drew being a vessel not a character.
As I said in my New Kid review I do not like the art style. It resembles an early 2000s adult webcomic and I continue to standby that. I recently read Black Boy Joy which featured a short comic by Jerry Craft at the end where I thought it looked fine, so really I think the issue with the graphic novel might just be the coloring? But, hard to say since that comic was simple in what it was trying to communicate vs the perspectives, dialogue and humor that is injected into Class Act.
In spite of my middling review, I do not feel deeply enough about the output to tell you not to read it. It has a certain charm, the message is good, and to its credit I actively laugh out loud every time they The Mean Streets of South Upton comes up. I won't recommend it per se, but I cannot deny that it has appeal.
bookph1le's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book so much. So much. I loved New Kid as well, and I'm hoping there's going to be a third installment.
It amazes me how much Jerry Craft is able to pack into his books, and how well he does it all. This is the kind of book you could reread over and over and still find new things that would surprise and astonish you. I wanted to examine every panel because there are some really fun and hilarious puns and jokes hidden in some of them, and I was afraid I was missing more.
As a white person, I very much appreciate the ways both this book and New Kid made me interrogate my own feelings about racism, as well as examining my own behavior when it comes to how I interact with BIPOC. The book doesn't shy away from the thorny issue of Drew's discomfort with his friend Liam's privilege, as well as Liam's discomfort. There's so much baked in there no just about racism, but also about economic privilege that I know I'll be thinking about that relationship for a long time. Plus, there's an extremely thought-provoking two-page comic about how much Drew hates when people want to touch his hair. I was already aware of this, and I'm definitely not on board with touching people without their consent, but this book made me look at the issue in ways I'd hadn't before. As someone who's been a pregnant person, I instantly related to the way the comic likens Drew's experience to that of a pregnant woman. Sadly, I was sometimes touched by complete strangers during my pregnancy, so I understood what a gross violation it is.
This book is also so, so funny. While I heartily endorse it for middle schoolers, it was a lot of fun for me as an adult. There's another comic written by Jordan's dad who contemplates how people would have reacted when he was a middle schooler had he shared the kinds of things kids share on social media. I had a lot of fun laughing about this with my own middle schooler.
And that's the crux of the matter for me. While I would have read and enjoyed this book just as much were I not a parent, the fact that I can share it with my kid makes it extra meaningful to me. As with New Kid, it provided me with a lot of great food for thought for discussions with my kid about racism, privilege, etc. I can't overstate how much I appreciate books like this because they do provide a more natural and often much more thought-provoking way of broaching complicated topics with my kids.
It amazes me how much Jerry Craft is able to pack into his books, and how well he does it all. This is the kind of book you could reread over and over and still find new things that would surprise and astonish you. I wanted to examine every panel because there are some really fun and hilarious puns and jokes hidden in some of them, and I was afraid I was missing more.
As a white person, I very much appreciate the ways both this book and New Kid made me interrogate my own feelings about racism, as well as examining my own behavior when it comes to how I interact with BIPOC. The book doesn't shy away from the thorny issue of Drew's discomfort with his friend Liam's privilege, as well as Liam's discomfort. There's so much baked in there no just about racism, but also about economic privilege that I know I'll be thinking about that relationship for a long time. Plus, there's an extremely thought-provoking two-page comic about how much Drew hates when people want to touch his hair. I was already aware of this, and I'm definitely not on board with touching people without their consent, but this book made me look at the issue in ways I'd hadn't before. As someone who's been a pregnant person, I instantly related to the way the comic likens Drew's experience to that of a pregnant woman. Sadly, I was sometimes touched by complete strangers during my pregnancy, so I understood what a gross violation it is.
This book is also so, so funny. While I heartily endorse it for middle schoolers, it was a lot of fun for me as an adult. There's another comic written by Jordan's dad who contemplates how people would have reacted when he was a middle schooler had he shared the kinds of things kids share on social media. I had a lot of fun laughing about this with my own middle schooler.
And that's the crux of the matter for me. While I would have read and enjoyed this book just as much were I not a parent, the fact that I can share it with my kid makes it extra meaningful to me. As with New Kid, it provided me with a lot of great food for thought for discussions with my kid about racism, privilege, etc. I can't overstate how much I appreciate books like this because they do provide a more natural and often much more thought-provoking way of broaching complicated topics with my kids.
rollinsad's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this companion novel to New Kid. Great look at the challenges within the walls of a private school, as well as racism, intentional and otherwise.
kikijuly1's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kvreadsandrecs's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. It felt pretty disjointed and scattered. Nowhere near the coolness of New Kid.