Review of The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

Authors

Erin E. Kloosterman, Cedarville UniversityFollow

Publisher

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

City

New York, New York, United States of America

Date of Publication

2015

ISBN

9781442459502

Date of Review

2019

Disciplines

Library and Information Science | Modern Literature

Keywords

young adult literature, reviews

Review

After his mom dies, Matt just wants to move on and go back to normal. Shortly after her funeral, he attempts to get a job at a local fast food place, but instead, he gets a job at a local funeral home. Surprisingly, seeing the grieving family members at the funerals helps Matt process his feelings. He begins to heal, but his father does not, and after an accident sends his dad to the hospital, Matt is forced to fend for himself. At one of the funerals, he meets a teenaged girl named Lovey, and she helps Matt change his perspective on grief and life and love. This story is full of hope, and the characters are fully-fleshed out, seeming like real people one might encounter on the street. The situations both encounter are realistic and relatable, and the conversations that the teens have could encourage teenagers to have similar conversations and to think deeply about grief and love. Recommended. Erin Kloosterman, Centennial Library Intern, Cedarville University

Recommended Citation

Kloosterman, Erin E., "Review of The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds" (2019). Library Intern Book Reviews. 232.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/232

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