Solo by Kwame Alexander
From award-winning and bestselling author Kwame Alexander comes Solo, the story of seventeen-year-old Blade Morrison, who is being crushed between the scathing tabloids exposing his former rock-star-fathers addictions and a protected secret that threatens his own identity. The answers to his past and future change everything he thought to be true.
Betrayed by those closest to him and stunned by a family secret, 17-year-old Blade Morrison flees his comfortable but chaotic life as the son of a drug-addicted rock starSeeking answers and closure, Blade travels to the Ghanaian village of Konko, where he gains new perspective on family and belonging. Writing in free verse, Alexander and Hess, who recently collaborated on Animal Ark, strongly communicate Blade’s frustration and disappointment (“I have taken for granted/ the palm trees of Cali... planted by Spanish missionaries/ in the 18th century.... They don’t belong here./ And neither do I”). Lyrics from Blade’s songs (and interspersed references to songs from Lenny Kravitz, Metallica, and others) emphasize the importance of music in his life, both as a link to his family and as a way to express himself. Blade’s interactions with his father, a Ghanaian young woman named Joy, and a child named Sia are especially poignant, so much so that these secondary characters can draw focus. But many readers will identify with Blade’s struggle to find his place in a family where he feels like an outsider. -- PW * Publishers Weekly *
'Hand to music lovers, reluctant readers, fans of spoken word poetry, those who appreciate Alexander's work, or anyone seeking a tale of self-discovery.' * School Library Journal *
'From the lyric verse to the driving beat of the storytelling, this book is music, and beautiful music.' * Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author of The You I’ve Never Known *
'A rhythmic, impassioned ode to family, identity, and the history of rock and roll.' * Booklist, starred review *
'A contemporary hero's journey, brilliantly told.' * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *
'A gorgeously lyrical and passionate meditation on family and identity. Solo is Kwame Alexander at his finest.' * Nicola Yoon, New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything *
'Hand to music lovers, reluctant readers, fans of spoken word poetry, those who appreciate Alexander's work, or anyone seeking a tale of self-discovery.' * School Library Journal *
'From the lyric verse to the driving beat of the storytelling, this book is music, and beautiful music.' * Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author of The You I’ve Never Known *
'A rhythmic, impassioned ode to family, identity, and the history of rock and roll.' * Booklist, starred review *
'A contemporary hero's journey, brilliantly told.' * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *
'A gorgeously lyrical and passionate meditation on family and identity. Solo is Kwame Alexander at his finest.' * Nicola Yoon, New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything *
Kwame Alexander is the New York Times Bestselling author of 32 books, including The Undefeated; How to Read a Book; Solo; Swing; Rebound, which was shortlisted for prestigious Carnegie Medal; and his Newbery medal-winning middle grade novel, The Crossover. He’s also the founding editor of Versify, an imprint that aims to Change the World One Word at a Time. Visit him at KwameAlexander.com Mary Rand Hess is a poet, mixed-media artist, screenwriter, and New York Times bestselling author of Solo and Animal Ark: Celebrating Our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures, both coauthored with Kwame Alexander.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780310761884 |
| ISBN 10 | 0310761883 |
| Title | Solo |
| Author | Kwame Alexander |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers Inc |
| Year published | 2019-10-31 |
| Number of pages | 464 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |