When I Was the Greatest

Ali is a kid growing up in Bed-Stuy with his strong Mom, Doris, and his younger sister, Jazz. His dad, a small time hustler sells stolen stuff out of his car (which he is living in), and the brownstone next door has disintegrated into a no-hope building for junkies and prostitutes after the long time owners have sold up and moved South (which happened a lot in Bed-Stuy in the mid 2000s when housing prices boomed, and owners who had gone through the hardest of times (Bed-Stuy = Murder City in the 80s) suddenly had golden tickets and moved away in their old age.) In his terrific Young Adult novel, Jason Reynolds captures the feel of Bed-Stuy, both the energy and the despair, all from the view of young guys whose futures may or may not have been been set in stone already. Ali is part of a loving, if complicated, family, whereas his best friend Noodles who lives next door in the junky house with his checked-out despairing mother and his brother Needles who suffers from Tourettes. Both Noodles and Needles futures look bleak, but Ali and his level headed, warm hearted take on life could perhaps be their saving grace. Following there day to day activities, in a real, non-judgmental way, Reynolds creates a vision of families surviving, and love thriving in the cracks. Ali is mentored by a local boxing coach, a Vietnam vet missing his legs, but is perhaps to kind to really fight, while Noodles is already spiraling into petty crime and an anti-social rut which can only end badly if he can’t turn around. Together with Needles they get invited to an underground party, and their preparation for it and what happens there will change all of their lives. So why are these guys called Ali, Noodles, and Needles? Well, I’m not giving that away, but I do want to give up that there is a whole, unexpected knitting subplot going on, and there is a scene where Noodles and Ali go to a knitting store over in Cobble Hill that had me rolling on the floor. Reynolds is interested in the race and class divisions that form the veins of NYC, and just as Ali is aware he is living in a world within other worlds, Reynolds shows us that, too, and in an entertaining, human way. It’s a wonderful book, and everyone should read it, regardless of age.

Life is sometimes hard to put into words. This author succeeded and brought the reality of each character into understandable words that reach down to a level that helps one to make sense of how other people feel and why they react to situations and people the way they do. Excellent.

If you're looking for #ownvoices material, pick up any Jason Reynolds book. When I Was the Greatest is just a real story about three boys from Brooklyn. Also, the cover makes so much sense once you get into the story. Not at all what I was expecting.

Teenage boys overcome adversity by finding strength in family, community and friendship. Great book for emerging readers and teenagers, it is a high interest book.

What can I say about this without it coming out as effusive praise. Beautiful, powerful, emotional, real, relatable. Important. All the words I think whenever I'm reading something by Reynolds. He is a master of writing works for all ages that matter. I will say that I don't know anyone with Turrets so I can't talk about the authenticity of the representation but I feel like the intent is there and understood. Read this now.

There are so many wonderful things I could say about this book, but I'm afraid this review would turn into a dissertation. So, I'll keep it as short as possible. "When I Was the Greatest" is a refreshing look at the life of a precocious kid from Brooklyn, Ali. The story details Ali's perspective on family and friendship. It is a colorful, edgy and insightful coming of age story. As a young adult novel, books like this are extremely necessary not only to minor communities but to our world as a whole. If storytelling is to communicate the complexities of the human experience then every human should have a voice, even young black men. Jason does an excellent job getting into the head of a teenage boy. Ali's wrestling and trying to grasp the depths of loyalty is something we can all relate to. Reading this book will make you laugh, cry and take a closer look into the hearts of our young people.

Jason Reynolds has written a diverse book all teens will want to read. I found this title on #weneeddiversebooks. This book is urban fiction (my students loved urban fiction!!!), involves a black teen with Tourette Syndrome, the toughness of neighborhood and family but also the closeness of community. Ali is a teen who becomes friends with brothers, Noodles & Needles when thyey move into his neighborhood. They hang out on the steps of their Bed-Stuy block but these 2 brothers lives are so much more gritty than Ali's. Ali has a tough, loving mother who works 2 jobs, an 11 year old sister wise beyond her years, and a father who seems to be absent. Ali has scruples and looks forward to his days with Noodles and Needles even calling them The Three Musketeers. But as time goes on, Ali begins to struggle with the way Noodles treats his brother, Needles. It all explodes one night, causing Ali to question if he can be friends with Noodles ever again. The writing is unflinching but also extols family, friendship, loyalty and honesty. I loved everything about this book and am definitely diving right into Jason Reynolds next book, The Boy in the Black Suit. Highly recommended.

From reading the synopsis I was a little on the fence about reading it. But as I kept reading it I started to love the writing style and the way Ali is telling the story more and more. I usually read high fantasy, but this was a really good realistic fiction novel.

I really loved reading this book because it taught me so much about people that are different and need special care, and how caring for others is very important.

Everything he writes punches me right in the chest. This book was really thoughtful and poignant. Great characters, real. Excellent read

Great book about kids in a rough neighbourhood in NYC. I bought this for a 15 yr old boy that doesn’t like to read... and it was pretty accessible - easy for him to get into and relate to...even if I was forcing him to read it! Jason Reynolds provides an insightful window onto young boys trying to navigate their world and relationships in difficult circumstances.