Gr 8 Up—Yang's memoir-cum-sports odyssey follows twin narratives: The author, mired in writer's block, returns for
his 17th year as a math teacher at Bishop O'Dowd High School while its basketball squad pursues its first state
championship. This backboard-shattering slam dunk examines art, sports, politics, identity, storytelling ethics, and
more with sharp, animated artwork sure to draw cheering readers out of their seats.

Yang did it, he made me actually appreciate sports. I even cried over sports because of this damn book. ( )

When I first saw the title, I wondered if Gene Luen Yang was going to cover the Hong Wah Kues or similar (much like Laurence Yep's [b:Dragon Road|2971010|Dragon Road (Golden Mountain Chronicles, #6)|Laurence Yep|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348312612l/2971010._SY75_.jpg|3001248]). Instead, this is a biographical journey following the varsity basketball team at the high school he works at, their stories, and Yang's thoughts along the way.

I know some readers are turned off by authors putting themselves in the narrative as they research and interview subjects, but I do think it makes for an interesting frame (see [b:The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks|6493208|The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks|Rebecca Skloot|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327878144l/6493208._SX50_.jpg|6684634], [b:The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick|40165912|The Lady from the Black Lagoon Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick|Mallory O'Meara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539883807l/40165912._SY75_.jpg|56266883], [b:The Library Book|39507318|The Library Book|Susan Orlean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524238338l/39507318._SX50_.jpg|61126110]... i guess the genre is technically metafiction?). It'd be hard in Yang's case not to, as this is his school and the team intersects in his life in several ways (including the previous basketball coach). He takes the time to go through individual players' stories and also discuss basketball history. Definitely worth picking up if you're a fan of Yang's other work, like a good sports story, or feeling nostalgic for high school sports in general. ( )

I ended up disappointed because I started off really enjoying this book, but as it went on I was confused when the topic strayed from the basketball team into the author's career choices. I wanted to dig deeper into the basketball stories and not get sidetracked. ( )

Swish!

This book had me from the first page. Ultimately it’s all about taking steps. Having the courage to step forward and move forward, that it’s ok to take that step. ( )