Knucklehead is well written and emotional. I am not generally a poetry reader, but I found these moving.

In dieser Gedichtsammlung steht der Rassismus gegen schwarze Menschen in der USA im Mittelpunkt. Man spürt den spoken word/poetry slam - Hintergrund des Autors beim Lesen, da es sich hier meist um lange, wohlklingende Texte handelt, in denen der Rhythmus und die Struktur innerhalb des Textes wechselt. Zwischen den Gedichten finden sich schwarz-weiß Zeichnungen, die sich ebenfalls auf das Thema beziehen lassen.

Der Autor geht auf negative Erlebnisse im Schulsystem ein, wie schwarzen Jungen oft nicht zugetraut wird, zu lernen und eine höhere Bildung zu erlangen, und er thematisiert Homophobie. Dabei ist er auch selbstkritisch und erzählt davon, wie er zurück geschlagen hat, um sich aus der Situation zu befreien. Er betont die Macht der Sprache, wie er eine Stütze für alle sein möchte, die Unterstützung benötigen, und motiviert dazu nicht aufzugeben, sondern weiterhin für Gleichberechtigung zu kämpfen. Zum Ende des Buches hin finden sich noch einige Texte bzgl. seiner Beziehung zu seinem Partner und den Herausforderungen, denen sie sich stellen müssen.

Mir hat dieses Buch sehr gefallen. Die wohlklingenden, teilweise sich reimenden Texte ließen sich flüssig lesen und zugleich habe ich immer wieder inne gehalten, wenn mir eine Beschreibung besonders gut gefallen hat oder mich eine Erfahrung besonders tief berührt hat. Die Zeichnungen dazwischen waren eine schöne Ergänzung. Ich mochte die vielfältigen Aspekte, auf die hier eingegangen wurde und wie auch die Gedichte sehr abwechslungsreich strukturiert waren. Ohne mir anmaßen zu wollen, die Empfindungen des Autors nachvollziehen zu können, hatte ich durch das Lesen der Gedichte dennoch das Gefühl, ihm emotional nahe zu sein.

Ich kann dieses Buch sehr empfehlen.


In English:

This collection of poems focuses on racism against Black people in the United States. The author's spoken word/poetry slam background is evident while reading, as these are mostly long, melodious texts with shifting rhythms and structures. Interspersed between the poems are black-and-white drawings that also relate to the topic.

The author addresses negative experiences in the school system, such as how Black boys are often not trusted to learn and pursue higher education, and he also addresses homophobia. He is also self-critical, recounting how he fought back to free himself from the situation. He emphasizes the power of language, how he wants to be a support to all who need it, and motivates others not to give up but to continue fighting for equality. Towards the end of the book, there are several texts about his relationship with his partner and the challenges they face.

I really enjoyed this book. The melodious, partially rhyming texts read smoothly, and at the same time, I paused every time I particularly liked a description or was touched by an experience that touched me deeply. The drawings interspersed the poems were a lovely addition. I liked the diverse aspects addressed and the varied structure of the poems. Without claiming to be able to understand the author's feelings, I still felt emotionally connected to him while reading the poems.

I highly recommend this book.

Knucklehead was an excellent read. The writing was propulsive and the character development was rich. I would read more from this author.

The best word I can think of to describe this book is "visceral." This book has a uniquely strong sense of rhythm and voice that is captivating and really grips the reader by the jaw and won't let it look away. By the end there is a beautiful tenderness that rounds out the who experience.

Knucklehead is a book of young adult poetry for young Black male readers. The poems are powerful and empowering. Although many were difficult to read, this is such an important book. I would love to see it in my children's school and classroom libraries. I will definitely get a copy for my son.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books, and NetGalley for a review copy of Knucklehead.

This is one of the best collections of poetry I've had the privilege of reading. Tony Keith Jr, one of my favorite authors, does it again. With beautiful prose & full of powerful messages, Knucklehead is a must-read for teens & beyond. Knucklehead is a collection that I will continue to come back to. Each poem leading into another, telling a story beyond, a story that's bigger than "keep going, Knucklehead." It's about hope, resilience, of knowledge, of knowing that you may have your back against the wall but you survive anyway. I'll be purchasing a copy for myself, for my children's literacy nonprofit, to gift to family & friends, & to hand out to our youth at PRIDE. Thank you for giving Tony a space to gift us this collection. We need it in this world.

Amazing! The voice, pace, and storyline is engaging, powerful, and moving. I read and re-read and read again to inhale the magic of this text. A must-read for young adults and adults.

This book has some powerful poetry and heavy themes. Would recommend for a high school audience and I could see it being used as a resource to encourage students, especially young men, to write about things that are influencing their lives.

Tony Keith’s use of words to tell a story of such humanness speaks to the talent he has and his art of crafting the right set of phrases to extend humor in the midst. In verse like style, this text lacks the cadence of his first text but shines a light in his ability to tell a story from a humorous vantage point. Immersed in the weave of his words are the raw emotions of a human experience readers can and will gravitate to

I really enjoyed this book of poetry. There were a lot of poems I could directly relate to and that expressed my own thoughts and feelings. Definitely would recommend this to others.

In this book which feels sometimes like a poetry slam, the author talks about gay relationships, the workforce , police brutality, and poverty. When you’re told you’re nothing, he says use the language of your people. He says I’ll fight for you when they try to take our freedoms. Once the author decided to write some “saving words” he knew poetry would help because he writes for everybody and “for you.” The author was afraid to publish until he realized he could speak on stage. This book inspires hope, and he wants people to hear those who are misunderstood.

The writing is meant to bring awareness to life for an African American gay boy in different verses. Chapters include police brutality, the workforce, poverty, gay relationships and more.
I felt like this book moved between a listening to a poetry slam and a rap song. There didn't seem to be any story line with a beginning, middle, and end that contained the usual literacy components. Maybe reading it electronically affected this or maybe I just missed it somehow.