From Publishers Weekly
A high school basketball star struggles with guilt and depression following the drunk-driving accident that killed his best friend. Short chapters and alternating viewpoints provide "raw energy and intense emotion," said PW. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up--In the second book of Sharon M. Draper's trilogy (Atheneum, 1994) about teens faced with grim and realistic situations in a contemporary urban high school, star basketball player Andy Jackson can't recover from the depression building in him after his drunk driving resulted in the death of his friend, Rob. About half a dozen actors share the reading of this emotionally taut narrative which unfolds in conversations, notes, reports, and other documents. Andy, his teammates, his girlfriend, his parents, and his little brother each present both their observations and their concerns as Andy moves from shock to depression and finally to suicide in the wake of his grief. The revelation of Andy's failed attempts to get help for himself is especially keen, and the relationships among these variously mature characters is insightfully genuine. While Draper's characters are distinct and well realized, the cast of readers alternate between assuming specific roles and reading full passages in a single voice without regard to its variety of characters, making it difficult for listeners to associate specific tones and rhythms with these characters. To further muddy listener perceptions, the audio publisher has released the three titles in the trilogy (Forged by Fire, Tears of a Tiger, and Darkness Before Dawn) in a different chronology and makes reference on the packaging that this title is the first. The trailer at the end of the recording suggests listeners might want to listen to Cry, the Beloved Country or Harriet Tubman next, odd alternatives in place of Darkness Before Dawn(Recorded Books, 2002) which begins where this novel ends. Strong reading and Draper's excellent storytelling, however, outweigh the inattention to detail, making this an audiobook important to all collections for teens.--Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
Gr. 7-10. When star basketball player Robert Washington and his three closest friends mix drinking and driving in a postgame victory celebration, Robert is killed in an auto accident. The driver, Andy Jackson, is unable to resolve his feelings of guilt and remorse. Neither Andy's parents nor his psychologist accurately perceive the depth of Andy's depression, with tragic results--Andy, at the end, commits suicide. The story emerges through newspaper articles, journal entries, homework assignments, letters, and conversations that give the book immediacy; the teenage conversational idiom is contemporary and well written. Andy's perceptions of the racism directed toward young black males--by teachers, guidance counselors, and clerks in shopping malls--will be recognized by African American YAs. Although some heavy-handed didacticism detracts from the novel's impact, the characters and their experiences will captivate teen readers. The novel is also suitable for use in curricular units dealing with alcohol abuse, suicide, and racism. Merri Monks


Card catalog description
The death of high school basketball star Rob Washington in an automobile accident affects the lives of his close friend Andy, who was driving the car, and many others in the school.

ANNOTATION

The death of high school basketball star Rob Washington in an automobile accident affects the lives of his close friend Andy, who was driving the car, and many others in the school.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

After a car accident kills Robert, Andy's best friend and teammate on the Hazelwood High Tigers, Andy doesn't know if he can go on. He's consumed with guilt for driving the night of the accident after a long evening of drinking and partying. With perceptiveness and compassion, Draper portrays an African-American teenager who feels driven to consider suicide in the wake of a devastating tragedy.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Draper's ambitious first novel tackles teenage drinking, suicidal depression and other front-page topics-and relates the action through dialogue or compositions ``by'' the characters. Exuberant after a high-school basketball victory, athletic stars Andy and Robert down a few beers with friends and then ride around in Andy's car. When Robert is killed in an expressway accident, Andy assumes what turns out to be an unbearable burden of guilt. Short chapters in the form of newspaper articles, diary entries and school writing assignments telegraph the community's reactions and Andy's own feelings; these latter are amplified through Andy's conversations with his coach, with his girlfriend and-poignantly-with the psychologist his concerned parents send him to. This quick-cutting, MTV-like approach allows insights into a number of different viewpoints, ranging from Andy's wrenching internal monologues to the ghastly perkiness of the school's ``grief counselor.'' Casting most of the protagonists as African American, Draper also makes some telling (though not terribly new) points about race and racism. Though the issue-oriented plot can get a bit preachy, the combination of raw energy and intense emotion should stimulate readers. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-A hard-hitting story of the unraveling of a young black man who was the drunk driver in an accident that killed his best friend. Andy cannot bear his guilt or reach out for help, and chapter by chapter his disintegration builds to inevitable suicide. Counselors, coaches, friends, and family all fail him. The story is artfully told through English class assignments, including poetry; dialogues; police and newspaper reports; and letters. From time to time, the author veers off into overt lessons on racial issues, but aside from this flaw the characters' voices are strong, vivid, and ring true. This moving novel will leave a deep impression.-Kathy Fritts, Jesuit High School, Portland, OR

BookList - Merri Monks