Review: Tight

Tight by Torrey Maldonado
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As I was reading this book, I was reminded of many students I've taught in the past. Those students really could have used a book like this in their lives. Many of them grew up in similar situations to the main character, Bryan: a home in the projects, a parent in and out of jail, and struggling to figure out where they belong. So often, I could see those students straggling an invisible line: they could be smart and well-behaved around certain classmates and teachers, but around peers from home, they had to be so hard. I think that many of those students probably worried about their friends and family thinking they were trying to be better than them by doing well in school and trying to have a different future. I hated seeing them have that internal struggle. I can only recall one student who was adamant that he was going to make a better life for himself, and I hope he did.

Bryan has a very similar internal struggle; he longs for peace and quiet in a very loud and unpredictable environment. His dad often lets his temper get the best of him, and it has put him in jail more than once. Bryan doesn't want to be like his dad, but at the same time, he doesn't want his dad to think he's soft. He pushes himself out of his comfort zone with his new friend Mike who encourages him to do things that aren't exactly legal. Bryan's parents think Mike is a good friend, but they don't see Mike's wild side. When Bryan befriends Big Will, he realizes that there are other kids like him who value peace and calmness. He has to make a difficult decision: stay friends with Mike because they've been so tight or bounce because Mike isn't who he thought he was.

View all my reviews