[Review] Knockout Games by G. Neri

Title: Knockout Games
Author: G. Neri [ Facebook | Twitter | Website]

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

Release Date: August 1, 2014

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

For Kalvin Barnes, the only thing that comes close to the rush of playing the knockout game is watching videos of the knockout game. Kalvin's crew always takes videos of their KOs, but Kalvin wants more something better. He thinks if someone could really see the game for what it was, could appreciate it, could capture the essence of it that would be a video for all time. The world would have to notice. That's where Erica comes in. She's new in town. Awkward. Shy. White. But she's got a good camera and a filmmaker's eye. She could learn. Kalvin could open her eyes to the power he sees in the knockout game; he could make her see things his way. But first she'll have to close her eyes to everything else. For a while, Kalvin's knockouts are strangers. For a while, Erica can ignore their suffering in the rush of creativity and Kalvin's attention. Then comes the KO that forces her eyes open, that makes her see what's really happening. No one wins the knockout game. Coretta Scott King Award honoree G. Neri captures the notorious and terrifying knockout game and its players in an unflinching novel that's hard to read and impossible to put down. - via Goodreads

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G. Neri presents a gritty tale of a group of schoolkids in middle and high school who have been playing the "knockout game" to pass the time. Lining up a diverse cast the story is told, mostly, by Erica who experiences a bumpy road to moral fortitude. Erica's relationship with Kalvin, is intense, wrapped in emotional insecurities and a longing for a solid place in the world. The racial dynamics come off as cliched at times but take the opportunity to highlight the evolution of how youth perceive race without playing "the card".    

As Erica's world spirals out of control and every decision attached to real consequences, Neri's writing unveils the realities surrounding social and criminal justice, and the dangers of groupthink. Writing with authenticity you're hard pressed to find a more authentic voice for urban youth today.

Disguising a plethora of timeless morals, this is 300 pages of real talk.

Why I'll be sharing this book with my students...

Knockout Games was inspired by a true phenomenon that was occurring around the U.S. (it may still be happening... not really sure). Neri in turn wrote the novel which focuses on many issues in society today including race related issues, adolescent violent crime, group/mob thing, bullying and abuse. I also really appreciated the viewpoint of how the justice system works and the complications that can arise. I will be sharing this with the collegiate students I work with who enjoy gritty, African-American reads and hope to donate a copy to our campus library. 

In the wake of several social justice issues occurring in America right now, Neri's prose is not only relevant but a crystal ball for a number of youth I work with everyday. Once I got started, I couldn't put it down to where I even loaded it on my phone and kept reading when I had a moment to spare. 

4 Stars