Book Review: Swing by Kwame Alexander

In "Swing" by Kwame Alexander, readers are taken on an enthralling journey through the trials and tribulations of friendship, love, and the complexities of societal challenges. Noah and Walt, two best friends with dreams beyond their reach, navigate the perils of junior year with a blend of determination and youthful optimism. Walt is determined to make this year their moment of triumph, despite their failed attempts to make the baseball team and Noah's perpetual placement in the friend zone by his longtime crush, Sam.

The story beautifully unravels as the protagonists grapple with their dreams and ambitions. While Walt focuses on a program to win over the girls of their dreams and become extraordinary athletes, Noah discovers a treasure trove of old love letters that ignite a spark within him. Using the heartfelt words in these letters, he secretly crafts artwork, pouring his emotions into the pieces that articulate his unspoken feelings for Sam. However, when his art goes public, Noah faces a life-altering decision: to remain in the shadows or take a courageous swing at love.

Kwame Alexander masterfully intertwines Noah's personal journey with a broader examination of societal issues. The discovery of American flags left around town sets off a chain of events, revealing the deeper divides and prejudices in their community. Noah, an eyewitness to these events, grapples with the weight of understanding the broader implications of the world around him.

The strength of "Swing" lies in its exploration of love, friendship, sacrifice, and the pursuit of justice. The characters are vividly portrayed, each grappling with their own desires and insecurities. Noah's internal conflict, beautifully depicted through his artwork and thoughts, showcases the struggle to find one's voice amidst the chaos of adolescence and societal turbulence.

Kwame Alexander's narrative prowess shines through, effortlessly capturing the essence of young adult struggles while delving into broader social issues. The prose is engaging, the dialogue authentic, and the emotions raw and palpable. "Swing" is a poignant, thought-provoking read that challenges the reader to reflect on what truly matters when love, friendship, and societal harmony are at stake.

In conclusion, "Swing" is a must-read for young adults and anyone who appreciates a compelling narrative that grapples with love, friendship, and the call for social change. Kwame Alexander's storytelling brilliance ensures that readers will be swept into the world of Noah and Walt, leaving them with a profound impact that lingers long after the final page.

I was on the book launch team for this amazing book. I read it in two sittings and was pulled into their amazing novel-written-through-poetry so completely that I was immersed into the story without even realizing it until I tried to pull out of it. The writing is remarkable and sure to grab the attention of reluctant (young adult) readers. This is art like I have never experienced before.

As a baseball and Kwame Alexander fan, we were just thrilled with this addition to his list of great books.

I love a good Kwame Alexander book and Swing was no exception. This novel in verse sucked me in from start to finish. Content-wise, it's too advanced for my elementary schoolers, but I will recommend it to my middle and high school media specialist friends!

Kwame Alexander books are my favorite to recommend.

I devoured Solo in an afternoon and Swing was no different. Get ready to be swept away in Kwame's amazing prose.

I could not wait to get my hands on this book! I was a true fan of The Crossover and fell in love with Alexander's lyrical writing and placement of text across the page. I was literally invited into the pages. As a baseball mom, I connected not only with the content, but the relationships portrayed across the pages. I'll be back to read every book Alexander writes.

While I loved Solo, I didn’t get hooked by Swing and did not finish. I do still recommend to students who are fans of Alexander’s other books.

As a teacher, Kwame Alexander is a must read. His books speak to middle grade and young adult readers in a way that is truly meaningful. Swing is no exception. Written in verse, this story follows the friendship of Noah and Walt and what it means to be a high school student today.

I love the fact that Noah is lamenting being "friend zoned" by his long standing crush. This is something that so many young people deal with, and Alexander does a great job exploring this right of passage. In addition, I love how Noah uses his art to express his feelings to Sam.

I love Walt--even thought he and Noah don't make the baseball team, he is so determined to get better. He is so lovable in the way that teenagers are--sometimes you want to hug them, sometimes you want to shake them.

Alexander's incorporation of the unrest in Walter and Noah's community is also very well done and important for young people to read about.

This is a unique and compelling story that young adult (and adult!) readers will enjoy. Alexander and Hess do another amazing job of creating believable characters who readers will fall in love with and root for.

This is a wonderful book. I feel young adults will relate to it in many ways. I have purchased it to keep it my classroom. Highly recommend!

Kwame Alexander is changing the world of YA literature, one book at a time. For so many of my former students, his books were the gateway into reading a book for pleasure for the first time. Since Alexander likes to combine a sport with a genre of music, this book gives us background notes of baseball and jazz. While my favorite Alexander book will always and forever be The Crossover, Swing is another homerun.

Swing is an excellent book for middle grade readers. Kwame's books appeal to readers by allowing readers to see themselves in his characters. This come of age book does not disappoint and has a music focus.

Kwame Alexander simply has a way with words, and Swing is no exception.. Fans of The Crossover and Booked will love this novel in verse. The story highlights the bond between friends. Walt and Noah are typical teens, navigating life trying to look cool while impressing a love interest. More deeply, the story touches on prejudices and the decision to confront them. Perfect for those who struggle to find their voice, this story of love and friendship will touch your heart.

Alexander has done it again! This book is full of the uplifting hope of real friendship and the young adult's fun and rocky love of self and others. While baseball makes is appearance, this is not a sports book, and it won't leave the non-baseball crowd out.

Full of youth, laughter, and hope, heartbreak hides in the wings.

A must-read for anyone youthful or by whom youth are loved.

Kwame Alexander continues to spin incredible free verse poetry into pulse-pounding arrows sent straight to the heart of teen readers. My eighth grade students devoir Alexander's books. No matter how many copies I buy for the classroom library, his books are hard to keep on the shelf. Swing brings the reader into the friendship of three teens, but the story twists and turns and digs deep into the soul of the reader. Free verse is the perfect medium. While the book is thick, students stay engaged, often reading the book in one or two sittings. A wonderful read!

All I can say is that Kwame and Mary make an amazing writing team. I would love to be a fly on the wall during their writing process. I was given the opportunity to be a part of the launch team, and therefore had the chance to read the book on Net Galley. I didn’t love the format as when I opened it on my kindle app, it did odd things, making it hard to know when a new chapter started and the verse layout wasn’t completely clear. I will enjoy seeing a print version when it publishes.

The story of Walt and Noah is a fabulously heartbreaking look at the ups and downs of high school students as they navigate friends, love, unrequited love, making the team, and all the pressures that come during these years. It’s a beautiful book that is relevant, important, and will be loved by Kwame fans everywhere. Recommend for a YA audience.

I was on the prereleadse team for this book and helped its launch through social media. My reviews were active at that time. However I'm not sure why they weren't linked here on Netgalley. Kwame Alexander is a genius and I particularly love selling his books to librarians and teachers. Reading aloud any random page is truly all it takes to get nearly anyone interested in this book.

Kwame Alexander does it again. This book does a great job of creating character that don't fit into a stereotype and are full of depth. I enjoyed the story and it has enough surprises in it that I believe readers will want to keep reading.

In another amazing collaboration from Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess, we follow Noah and best friend, Walt through the ups and downs of high school life. Noah and Walt are NOT on the school baseball team, but Walt hits the batting cages with fierce commitment and passion, channeling his love of jazz to help him find his SWING. Noah is a faithful friend and follower, while working on his own passions, especially his love for Sam, a beautiful BFF he’s known since”forever” ago. Sam has a boyfriend, though—none other than the buff baseball star of the team, Cruz.

When Noah finds a birthday gift for his mom at a local thrift store, he also finds his courage in the box — the words of old love letters that were left inside. Noah copies the words for his love, longing to live the life that Cruz now has. When Walt delivers one of the letters to Sam, however, the three friends’ relationships start to change.

Meanwhile, the neighborhood is dealing with bigger issues — there’s life and love, and then there’s allegiance and angst. Patriotic duty vs. empathetic obligation towards our fellow man. Kwame and Mary SWING the readers thinking around, fluctuating with hard-hitting emotion that leaves one breathless, wondering about our own lives in the midst of all that is good and evil. Our own little lives — up against the global society.

What I loved about Swing: I loved ALL the characters in Swing, right down to the grandma who is supposed to be keeping an eye on Noah while his parents are away, and Floyd, Walt’s “love doctor” cousin. Swing will remind adults of their high school days, and help current students find ways to deal with their feelings, all while helping us think about our place on this earth.

Why you should read Swing: You will laugh with, and long for, the characters. You’ll reminisce, and maybe even renew your friendships from high school. You’ll cry. You’ll think. You’ll want to be a better person after reading Swing.

I really enjoyed Kwame Alexander's Solo a few summers ago, so I was excited to be able to review Swing. Although I enjoyed most of the story, it fell flat in the end. The friendship between the two young men in the story seemed to be the focus of the book. The ending ( I won't give it away for anyone who may read this) seemed totally out of place and somewhat gratuitous. It didn't fit the rest of the story.

I am a big fan of Kwame Alexander and so are my students. Kwame cowrote Swing with Mary Rand Hess and I loved Swing as much as I did their last project Solo.

While I loved Booked and Crossover I am not a huge sports person so large parts of the book was lost on me since I was unfamiliar with sports vocabulary. The sport in Swing is baseball so I was worried I would be in unfamiliar territory again. I wasn't.

Swing is about two high school boys who want to be on the baseball team; Walt who wants to be called Swing and Noah. They are in high school and Noah has feelings for a girl who has been his friend since 3rd grade. The story is filled with so much emotion I couldn't put it down. This will definitely be another huge hit with my students.