Solo by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess (2017, Blink; 464 pages) Seventeen year-old Blade Morrison is used to reading about his father's life on scathing tabloid covers. They serve as a constant reminder of his dad's struggles with addiction to almost every type of drug and alcohol. Written in poetic verse by award-winning author Kwame Alexander, this premise works very well, and Solo soars, becoming a perfect read for those who love poetry, music and stories with strong beginnings and somehow happy endings. This verse novel is truly a love letter to rock and roll and from the first page the reader will be holding up a guitar, the only thing “that matters” for Solo, besides his love for Chapel. Solo is haunted by memories of his mother, and lost on his father's mistakes. His only hope is music, and the forbidden love of his girlfriend. The reader will learn about those topics in the first part of the novel that ends with a climax when a family secret is revealed. The secret threatens Solo's world, his relationship with his family and even his own identity and because of that, he begins a journey, both physical and symbolic that will be the center of the second part of the book. The setting of this second part is West Africa, and it is my favorite part of the book. Solo is narrated through the voice of the protagonist and the author takes special help in delivering an intimate, intricate and poetic voice. Alexander wrote the book in the company of author and poet Mary Rand Hess. Kwame Alexander himself is a poet, speaker, educator, and New York Times bestselling author of 24 books, including The Crossover, a 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American Literature for Children. Although the book is marketed for older teens, mature tweens may also enjoy the story. Recommended to those who enjoy strong poetic voices, and stories that work on self searching, and on looking for answers about identity, family, and love. The heart is a small and lonesome place she is a country her eyes hold the river I used to swim her skin, the morning fruit I touched and tasted the heart is a small and lonesome place she is a country I no longer live in. Solo This title will be released in August, 2017 Recommended by: Maite
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