African-American Lawrence is used to being at the mercy of others, and yet somehow everything always winds up being his fault. He didn’t ask his Pop to leave, or to move from Charlotte to his grandma’s small southern town, and he certainly didn’t ask to be stuck in mostly-white, Andrew Jackson middle school, where he is lucky to get in a couple of punches during all too regular beat-downs. So, when he is expelled for fighting, and staying home in his strict granny’s way is NOT an option, suddenly Lawrence has to figure out what to do with himself. Luckily he seeks out an elderly neighbor who gives him a job helping out at the Rec Center. A friendship, a crush and figuring out how to move past getting off on the wrong foot with the Rec director’s son, all push Lawrence towards an interest in chess and gaining a spot on the Rec. Centers’ team. As in her Take Back the Block (2021), Giles writes a winning and believable adolescent boy. Lawrence navigates every kids worst-case scenario – friendless, misunderstood, expelled and disappointing those you care about. Watching him come back from that low: forgiving and seeking forgiveness, standing ground and developing skill in considering his next move, is pure pleasure. Some two-dimensional, villainous, white, chess competitors make a brief appearance and detract from the otherwise satisfying ending. While there are plenty of chess play specifics, the heart of the story is about the kind of moves every kid has the chance to make, and the message of how to take charge of shaping your own story, applies to us all.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for and Advance Readers Copy.

My sense is that this book could have been a lot stronger. The characters fall just short of compelling, which is unfortunate given the need for black male protagonists in contemporary middle grade fiction. Twyla, in particular, could have been a more richly developed side character. I wish I had more positive remarks to offer, but the book falls flat.

This terrific story is about Lawerence, who has moved to a small town in NC after growing up in the big city of Charlotte.  Lawerence misses his friends, and his life in Charlotte, but most especially, he misses his dad, who is in jail.  He does have his mom (who works a lot at a job she hates) and his little sister, Nikko, and his granny (who seems kind of mad that they're there) but when he gets into one fight too many at his new school, he's expelled.  His granny says he can't just sit around the house all day so he ends up going to the rec center with one of the neighbors to help out.  Lawerence gets introduced to chess at the rec center and pretty soon he's also making friends.  There's one boy, Deuce, who is often unkind, but Lawerence finds that he's pretty good at chess and that chess can offer some amazing life lessons.  I thought this book was terrific.  I really liked Lawerence and how he tried to figure things out.  I think the kids are going to like this one too.

Following another school fight, Lawrence, 112, is suspended but finds refuge at a neighborhood recreation center where learning to play competitive chess gives him new hope.

Lawerence is not fitting in to the school his mom and grandmother want him to attend after moving from Charlotte.  After being expelled for fighting, he starts attending the local recreation center with his neighbor.  It’s there that he discovers kids with common interests and a new interest -  chess - and finds a way to belong.  This is a great middle grade read about resiliency, friendship, and taking chances.

I loved the opening chapters of this book. There were realistic and well-conveyed, and I was looking forward to how the main character was going to overcome his many challenges. I was not as enamored with the chess sections of the books, but understand that this is needed to add some narrative excitement. Will certainly be adding to the class library, and think this will be a popular book.

This story flew by, but was so packed with important character development, it felt like I had been in this world forever. I loved watching Lawrence navigate a tough situation and his growth. It also made me want to play chess.

Giles hits it out of the park again. Important and engaging book for young readers. Characters worth rooting for, and you end up kind of wanting to play chess. Would benefit any library or school collection.

Chrystal Giles knocks it out the park with her sophomore novel featuring a kid dealing with poverty, an incarcerated parent, and a blooming love of chess. This was heartwarming, realistic, and inspiring.

This is a story about Lawrence who moves from one town to another town with his grandmother, mother, and siblings.  He doesn’t like living in this country town.  He goes to a new school and gets into too many fights.  He ends up getting expelled and has to do his classes online.  He has to find something to do and he ends up at a rec center.
The characters in this story are realistic, likable, and relatable.  I thoroughly enjoyed this story.  The storyline was on point and realistic.  The themes in the story are forgiving, family dynamics, taking responsibility, and self-awareness.
I recommend this book to middle-grade students.  I give this book 5 stars.

ARC provided by Follett First Look

Lawrence lives with his mother, who works at Bob's Diner and his younger sister Nikko in their grandmother's house. The family left Charlotte to stay with Granny after some problems with Lawrence's father. He feels like he's had a target on his back ever since he started at the mostly white Andrew Jackson Middle School, and he's just been expelled for being involved in a fight that he didn't start. Instead, he'll be doing online schooling. Granny doesn't want him hanging around the house all day, so he approaches neighbor Mr. Dennis, and ends up working at the Carver Recreation Center during the day, setting up chairs, cleaning, and doing other chores after he finishes his schoolwork for the day. He's glad to be doing something; after all, Granny says that "a man who don't work don't eat"! There are some problems with the son of Junior, who runs the center. Deuce is angry, and tries to pick fighting with Lawrence. Lawrence knows that he can't be involved in another fight, and tries to understand why Deuce acts this way. A bright spot is Twyla, and Lawrence gets interested in chess after he finds out that she plays. He practices a lot and loses to Deuce, but picks it up quickly enough that he is approached about being the third person to attend a chess tournament in Charlotte. Deuce has struggled with his grades, so Junior has banned him from playing basketball, and suggests to Lawrence that the two of them can work on their chess moves together. At first, Deuce is reluctant and prickly, but Lawrence works hard to try to find a common ground, which ends up being music. They have other things in common, things that are hard to deal with and which neither boy wants to discuss. The tournament is an exciting opportunity, but when Deuce runs into problems with other competitors, will Lawrence be able to help? 
Strengths: There are not a lot of books where students have incarcerated parents, but it is more common than one might think. I liked that while his father's being "gone" affected Lawrence's life deeply, the book was not about his father being in jail, rather like Baptiste's The Swag if in the Socks, a huge favorite at my school. Lawrence does become more thoughtful in his actions, and learns not to react as much when people say things to him, which is a skill we could all use! His family is supportive, and I loved Granny's lessons about working and cooking. (Even though having meat sauce with spaghetti and hot dogs in the beans was pretty fancy, it's a good lesson in saving money. I'll have to pass on the canned salmon, though. The bones always freaked me out!) His crush on Twyla played out in a realistic way, and I liked that he was able to remain friends with her even after their conversation. There is a lot of chess detail that I didn't understand, since I have never played the game, but this will be a bit hit with readers who do play. Definitely purchasing this one!
Weaknesses: It's sad that the principal at Lawrence's school hasn't taken the time to understand what is going on in his student's life and to protect him from people who are bullying him. That said, students at my school would probably say that I put too much emphasis on "law and order", but I just want people to be safe. (I do try to be positive and constructive when telling students that they shouldn't pretend to hit each other, because it might escalate. This is a topic that weighs heavily on me.)
What I really think: Like this author's Take Back the Block, this is a good balance of personal problems, societal issues of racism, and family relationships. The inclusion of chess will appeal to readers who liked Ponti's Forbidden City (2022), Sorosiak's Always, Clementine (2002), Wishingrad's The Verdigris Pawn (2021), Adewume's My Name is Tani (2020), Gerber's Focused (2019), Klass' Grand Master (2014) Blackwood's Curiosity (2014), Myers' Checkmate (2011), Wallace's Perpetual Check (2009) and Neri's Chess Rumble (2007).

Author Chrystal Giles has penned a deeply personal novel about what it means to grow up in a family––and a society––that won't give you any breaks. It's bad enough that Lawrence's father is "away", that they have to move in with his strict, grouchy grandmother, and that his mother has to take a job working the night shift, which means he'll hardly see her. But when he's unfairly expelled from school, he also has to find something to do with his days. He ends up hanging out at the rec center with a neighbor, Mr. Dennis, and takes up chess in an effort to impress a girl. Over time, he builds his confidence and learns to make the right moves––on the board and in his own life. Middle grade readers will root for Lawrence while identifying with the perplexities of navigating a world that often feels unfair. A must-read!

NOT AN EASY WIN, Giles’ second novel, is an incredibly moving, truthful, and beautiful book.  Chrystal! The world is so visceral and drawn with such love and honesty. I loved that Lawrence’s wins were true to life- the seemingly “small” wins that are so much bigger and richer than winning the top prize at a tournament ever could be. This is a story that for some readers provides an opportunity to be seen, to bring light into the corners of their lives they might fight to keep hidden. For other readers it’s a moving reminder to always remember that we can never know what someone else is going through- 
With this novel Giles cements her place as a talented and wise storyteller for our times 
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an E-arc

Chrystal Giles's second novel NOT AN EASY WIN handles difficult issues with sensitivity, truth, humor, and grace. Lawrence is such a nuanced, layered, and tough-but-loveable main character, and the book's entire cast comes alive on the page. Lawrence's clear determination to learn chess and his well-drawn relationships with his family and friends bring a depth that increases with each chapter, and by the end of the book, it's hard to let these characters go. Giles has definitely written another winner!

Lawrence was the kind of kid who never should have been in trouble. But he was. Was it because he was black? Was it because he had a gaping wound because his dad was in jail? Was it because Lawrence let others get to him? It didn’t matter the reason. Lawrence was now expelled from school for the rest of seventh grade and destined to spend his near future with his grumpy grandmother. But that grumpy grandmother doesn’t stand for people who don’t work and Lawrence finds himself “working” without pay for a nearby rec center. It’s not an easy win indeed, but Giles weaves a wonderful coming of age and healing tale that will keep readers enthralled.

Chrystal D. Giles’ NOT AN EASY WIN had a hold of my heart from page one. When he’s kicked out of school for fighting, Lawrence ends up spending his days at the local rec center, where he learns to play chess. More importantly, he becomes part of a loving and supportive community – a village – that helps him understand the importance of considering the moves you make, and the moves you don’t make. Just as in her debut novel, TAKE BACK THE BLOCK, Chrystal D. Giles has painted a beautiful portrait of a relatable and inspiring kid and his tight-knit and fiercely loving multi-generational family. Lawrence’s granny, who wakes everybody up by singing hymns every morning, is the best sort of literary grandma. And Lawrence’s touching realization that in his life, just as in the game of chess, it’s the queens who get the work done, is priceless. Also, no spoilers, but there’s a will-you-go-out-with-me scene that I could just read over and over again. Brilliant job, Chrystal. Highly recommend.

Anyone who's familiar with Chrystal Giles's books knows she has a true gift for creating characters that are so real and relatable that you feel like you're catching up with an old friend when you read her stories. In Not an Easy Win, we're introduced to Lawrence at one of the lowest points in his life when he's kicked out of school for fighting and gets one last chance to redeem himself. But when his elderly neighbor Mr. Dennis introduces him to chess, Lawrence feels like he may have finally found his groove. With tons of heart, small-town North Carolina vibes, and a redeeming story arc filled with hope and forgiveness, this book is a must-read!

NOT AN EASY WIN is about family, making new friends, and growing into yourself. After being expelled from school, Lawrence is hurt no one believes he wasn’t to blame. He starts helping at the rec center and meets people that make him feel welcome. I cheered Lawrence on as he learned to play chess, navigated a crush, and made new friends. Readers’ opinions about some of the characters at the beginning might change by the end. This is an honest and heartfelt story that will reach kids going through similar experiences as Lawrence, while giving others plenty of opportunities to relate to him. I really enjoyed this book: the questions it makes the reader ask themselves and the hopeful, inspirational warmth it leaves you with. Highly recommended!

Reading this book felt like home - a true love letter to Southern culture. Lawrence's voice was pitch perfect and I loved getting to know him through his struggle to become the author of his own story. As he finds out, chess is a game for thinkers, and chess, like life, is usually not an easy win. 

So many things were done well in this book - the flashes of Pop, Ma's efforts to make things work, Granny’s hard love, friendships, crushes, authentic cultural notes. Most of all, coming to terms with the fact that the people we love most, through choice and circumstance, can break our hearts wide open. 

This well-paced story is an easy win.

Chrystal Giles’ second novel for middle grade readers is a win! Life isn’t easy for Lawrence. His father is in prison and he’s living at his grandmother’s with his mother and younger sister. He attends a school that is predominantly white, and is always taking blame for the fights he gets into. The book opens with the last straw; Lawrence has to finish out 7th grade through remote learning. But just when he hits rock bottom, he finds a way to turn his life around through learning chess and making new friends at the local rec center. 

I love how chess is woven into the story; the game becomes a metaphor for life, and could function as an entry point for readers who might be inspired to learn. I was rooting for Lawrence from page one. His earnest, heartwarming voice handles serious issues in a way that will make a memorable impact on readers of all ages.