Swing is a charming and delightful tale. The ending touches on issues that are very much in the forefront of today's world. This would be a good book for teen book discussion groups. The topics are timely and would generate a lot of conversation.

When I first opened the pages of this wonderful book, I wasn't sure what I was looking at.  The words on the page weren't arranged or aligned like a normal novel.  No, something special was done with them.  Swing is put together like an epic poem, but reads like a novel.  And it is fantastic.  I felt like I was reading an important piece of music, as Noah and his friend Walt, also known as Swing, try to live the lives of normal teenagers: getting the girl, making the baseball team, and dealing with challenges most of us face growing into adulthood.

I will be recommending this book to my readers and anyone else looking for a new read.  This novel is definitely want to purchase.

Wonderful! This is a complex story of three high school juniors who are the best of friends. They are trying to find cool and love. I laughed and cried. The characters were well developed. There were multiple plot lines, which made the book interesting and complex. I loved this book.

Have you ever been best friends with someone but you really want to move past the friend zone into something more? Noah, Walt, and Sam have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Noah has feelings for Sam that go way past the best friend zone, but Sam only has eyes for the star baseball player (even though he treats her bad). To help move Noah and Sam's relationship on, Walt takes Noah to see the guru of love, his cousin Floyd who works at the Dairy Queen. Floyd helps produce a podcast called "WhooHoo Woman", a podcast in which two women give advice on how to treat a lady. What really turns all of their lives around is when Noah and Walt go  to the local thrift store to buy a present for his mom's birthday. The girl behind the counter, Divya, helps Noah pick out a vintage purse and Walt falls instantly in love with her. What comes as a total surprise is when Noah finds a bunch of love letters from a man named Corinthian to the love of his life, Annemarie written back in the 1960s. While Noah is pouring over these letters, Walt is trying to get back on the baseball team in which he has given himself the nickname, Swing. These letters give Noah the courage to come out in the open to Sam about his feelings. Everything comes to a head one night at a party at Noah's house. Will Sam be able to cross that friend zone into something more with Noah? Will Noah's confession of love ruin a lifelong friendship? Will Walt ever make it back onto the baseball team before he graduates? This is a must read book of love, loss, friendship, and music. Do not miss this one!!

Kwame and Mary are an incredible writing duo. Kwame's books are written in verse form and the rhythm just flows throughout the whole book. This book will have you laughing and crying and cheering on each character as they go through different situations in their life. I was only a few pages into this book and I wanted to be friends with these characters so bad. You are just drawn into their world and when the story is over these characters still have your heart. Do not miss one of Kwame's best books yet (I have to say "one of" because all of his books are the bomb!!).

I'm having a very hard time deciding what to say about this book. I loved Kwame Alexander's middle-grade books, and his is the author that finally got me to read books in verse. I felt the writing in this one was a bit too disjointed and I often had trouble knowing which character was speaking, which made it confusing and frustrating.

It almost seemed like someone took the beginning and middle of one book, and put it together with the ending. Most of the book is about Noah being in love with his best friend Samantha for years, and never being able to tell her. Then that story is just abruptly ended, in a very unsatifying and unrealistic way, and out of nowhere Noah's friend Walt's brother Mo shows up with PTSD, which leads to tragedy. In my opinion. these should've been 2 separate books. It just seems like two ideas were crammed together, which made for a very frustrating and disappointing finish.

Also, I know it's an important issue, but does every book about African-American teens have to involve a main character being killed in a police shooting? I feel like I've read the same story over and over the last few years, and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon because it's a hot topic and guaranteed to sell. There have to be other stories to tell, and it presents a distorted reality to keep telling the same one over and over, and make the book too predictable. After reading so many with the same message and so many similarities, it gets harder and harder to appreciate them and not feel numb and emotionally fatigued.

Swing focuses on two best friends on the search for cool during their junior year of high school. Written in verse, one is on a quest to find the courage to confess his love to his friend. You think you're being taken on a journey of the average teenage experience (first love, parties, sports, etc.) but then after prom - seemingly out of left field, everything changes. 

I wish there had been a little more of the ending. It was too abrupt for me.

You’ll want to read this book!  Well written book with several themes:  Perseverance, Love, Friendship, BFFs, #HugLife

I've been reading a lot of novels in verse lately, but Kwame Alexander might be the current master of that form. Swing is powerful. I love how Alexander captures the oddball spirit of the main characters, looking at their normal lives, and not using their quirks as their story, but instead, building characters that you love.

If I might slip into SPOILER territory, the fact that a very definite statement about police violence against young African American men happens very abruptly, and without an obvious buildup is powerful. In fact, it would be my primary reason, as a teacher, to put this book in kids' hands. To have a character be the victim of this very real world problem is powerful. I know what my reaction was, and can easily imagine what the I cut will be on a young reader.

And now,  the wait for the next book from Kwame Alexander begins.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Swing Launch Team for providing me with this ARC. I have been a fan of Kwame Alexander since I read Crossover a few years ago. My sixth graders love reading his books, for many different reasons. Kwame and Mary Rand Hess worked together on Solo, which was a beautiful story, and you can see how well they work together through this book as well. Together, they create a language, voice, and characters grip you from the start and Swing definitely lived up to this expectation. This book held my attention and made me root for the characters. I highly recommend this book to all readers of all ages. It is a timely story, but also timeless in its message.

Still haven't read a Kwame Alexander book I haven't enjoyed!  This title had a little bit of something for everyone - sports, romance, family, friendship, grief, happiness...the list goes on and on.  Novels in verse always appeal to me because they are so accessible for all types of readers, and that goes a long way in our library. Excited to share this once it's released!

Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess have nailed it again in Swing.  The story includes important messages and concepts that society, parents, students, and schools need to discuss, as well as some traditional jazz references that are smoothly distributed throughout the text.  The characters are all absolute treasures and readers will be left feeling like they've gained new friends.  As with all of their works, the story flows with its free verse rap-like momentum that compels you to keep reading.

I love all of Kwame Alexander's books.  I have read Crossover three times and it is a hot commodity in my classroom.  I sobbed while reading both Crossover and Rebound.  I didn't while reading this book.  Maybe it was because the other books were about the relationship between a father and son.  Maybe it was because I knew Swing was going to die from the close to the beginning, and I knew how.  I don't think my students will figure it out though, and that is who the book is written for.  I feel like the characters are not as well developed in this book.  Swing is a great character, and I like Noah, but I feel are not as well-rounded as Filthy and Chuck from his other books.  All-in-all, I still loved the book, and I know it will be another of my most stolen books.

Another touching story by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess that expands your viewpoint and swings your emotions across the spectrum.
A great novel to open discussions about the power of determination,, justice, relationships and the reason saying “Yes” to life is imperative.

Four stars for this book. Strong characters that you really care for is the strong point followed by a story complete with a mystery that really addresses issues facing teens today and is relatable.  Told in beautiful verse.  Hess and Rand created a winner.

Noah and Walt are best friends navigating high school and all the trials and tribulations that come with it.  Walt is strong, independent, self confident and Noah's confidant, cheerleader and sometimes a little bit of an instigator.   Noah is not quite that confident it sure of himself especially when it comes to matters of the heart.  Following their story is nothing short of a pleasure, by the end you've grown to love and care these two characters.  

This would be a great book to read aloud with your teens to open up conversations about issues they face.

Alexander and Hess bring all the feelings in a verse novel that packs an emotional punch. Humor, first love, and grief are perfectly balanced, creating rich characters I deeply cared about. And yes, you will need tissues as the end of the book approaches. Highly recommended for high school students. I plan to use it in teen programming at the public library where I work.

I give this book 5 stars for reader friendliness, for connecting with teens on many levels, for painting a true picture of the plight of young people in America today. It is full of love and truth.

Thanks to Netgalley and the SWING
LAUNCH TEAM, I had the honor 
of reading the ARC of this book.
All the stars for this book! Baseball,
Jazz, friendship, and love all in one
fabulous novel in verse. Funny, sweet,
heartbreaking, beautiful Kwame and
Mary hit another one out of the park.
#huglife

I just finished Swing!  Wow!  I do not want to ruin the book for anyone, but Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess have touched on so many themes of friendship, love, and a need for societal changes.     I empathized and connected with the characters! My eyes may have leaked a bit at times. #swingbook 
Look for the release in October!

Posted on my Facebook page: Jennifer Carrier Hottinger
And on Twitter:  @ignitingwriters

Alexander and Hess, once again, capture the voice of youth and all of its turmoil while making a statement about the state of our country.  Walt and Nate are entering their junior year of high school and have failed to make the baseball team, again.  Walt refuses to give up, so between batting cage sessions he decides they should seek “cool” during their senior year. Nate is too preoccupied with finding the nerve to let his true love, Sam (she thinks they’re just friends) know how he feels.  All the while, someone has been making a political statement by leaving American flags all over town and the police won’t rest until they find the culprit.  The authors intertwine plenty of beauty in the form of jazz, art, love, poetry,and friendship but also make a powerful statement about the state of America today.

The latest from Kwame Alexander is full of emotion. Real-life problems are culminated in the lives of high schoolers just trying to “find cool” and “hug life.” The plot contains elements of a typical high school love story, but weaves it with cultural issues and modern style. The jazz focus, eccentric cousin, and blackout poetry make this book yet another unique masterpiece.