Hi everyone, this last week I have a teen review post for all you lovers of the paranormal and otherwise. With both a Coretta Scott King Honor and the American Book Award under her belt, Rhodes has given another masterpiece of a read in this story. Oh, and it also has some ghosts in it!! You know the drill, I’ll see you below…
Title: Ghost Boys
Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Genre: Fiction – contemporary/paranormal
Publication details: Orion Children’s Books; London, 2018
ISBN: 9781510104396 (Paperback)
What this book is about: Twelve-year-old Jerome doesn’t get into much trouble as he does his homework after school and even takes care of his little sister. Then Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he watches his family try to cope with his death, and the community deal with the devastation of his unjust and brutal killing. Soon, Jerome notices other ghost boys. He meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome piece together what really happened, on a journey towards recognising how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jewell Parker Rhodes weaves a gripping and poignant story on how children and families face the harshness of today’s world.
My review: This book visibly shook me. Rhodes’ unique narrative here takes us from court proceedings after Jerome’s death to the days before. Although we flip between the two, the story of Jerome’s struggle to come to terms with his death flows really well. My heart ached for his family and tears did flow. Mind you, I think I was holding my breath when the ghost of Emmett Till told of his death!! The attention to detail, historical facts, and portrayal of life for those lower-class African-American and Latin American people in Chicago is expertly woven into this tale. This is a better read for older teens as they cover some powerful and gripping themes of death and dying, racial profiling, personal and systematic racism, along with the family bonds and friendship and loyalty.
My rating: 4 ⭐
Additional notes: This title has won the Walter Dean Myers Award for Younger Readers in 2019 and nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award in 2020 along with many others.
“….Only the living can make the world better. Live and make it better….” ~ Jerome’s last words
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