A Coming of Age Story: How do we become our greatest selves?

Allen Brooks lives in Bedford–Stuyvesant (aka "Bed-Stuy"), a tough and poor neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. Most people know him as "Ali," the nickname his sister Jazz gave him because of his boxing skills. Life has always been a struggle, given that his mother works 24/7 and his dad out of the picture. Things get better when Ali befriends the two teens who move into the bad apartment next door. Jazz calls them Needles and Noodles, and the boys became instant friends of Ali.

Needles has Tourette's Syndrome, so sometimes he says crazy things at inopportune times. Noodles is hard on his younger brother because of his embarrassing condition. But Noodles has some issues of his own. He is a bit of a troublemaker, and he relies on Ali to clean up his messes. Their friendship keeps them together, for now. But it looks like they might be ready to fall apart. As Ali goes through his story, he will find out that there was a time where he truly was the greatest. 

BTSYA / Teen Reader (16):
I enjoyed the characters despite them being a bit cliche. Ali is a relatable person, and I felt like I was with him during his whole story. The book has an important message about loyalty and caring for others. Being able to care for one another keeps everyone together, even if they are total strangers. Learning more about Tourette's Syndrome was interesting as well. I had never heard of the condition until I read this book. The disease interferes with Needles’ daily life, but he manages it in his own way. It doesn’t make him any less than someone else. I thought the story was a great way to bring awareness to the Tourette's.

Despite this, there are a few things I disliked. Ali’s narration fumbled a bit at times, not making much sense to me. It also progresses slowly, making (for me) an unsatisfactory ending. Reynolds had so much he could have done to make a meaningful impact on the reader, but it didn’t turn out as I wished it had.

All in all, a good book. It would make a great gift for fans of Muhammad Ali!

Lots of realism and exceptional writing immerse readers into Ali's Brooklyn neighborhood and set the stage for an exceptional story bound to prompt lots of emotional reaction, reflection, and (hopefully) conversation.

Do not rely on the reading level to select the audience. There is bullying, violence, bad language, alcohol, and sexual encounters in parts of the story. It is listed on Accelerated Reader as being for an "Upper Grade" audience.