Narrated by Guy Lockard

5 stars

Another excellently crafted book from Jacqueline Woodson.

Everyone has always admired ZJ’s dad, a pro football player. But to ZJ, he’s just his dad. When his father starts forgetting things and acting differently, daily life changes and ZJ must cope with the shifting dynamics, losing their shared past, and holding on to the before.

As with the rest of Woodson’s books I’ve read so far, I was hooked from the first page. She has such a way of capturing her reader’s attention and immersing them in a world like and unlike their own.

A fantastic fictional examination of long-term consequences of sports injuries, specifically for Black athletes and the toll it takes on their bodies and minds. Includes a short author’s note at the end that further discusses the real-life history of C.T.E. in football players.

I really loved the portrayal of ZJ’s support system. He has a fantastic relationship with his friends and is able to talk about various issues and open up to them.

I tend to prefer reading the physical book when it comes to novels-in-verse, but I ended up really enjoying this audiobook. Lockard puts so much emotion and personality into his narration. He really brought the characters to life. Definitely recommend listening to this one.

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