Reviews

Full review on Nerds & Beyond: https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2022/11/04/terrys-crew-review-an-engaging-story-about-following-your-dreams-by-terry-crews-and-cory-thomas/

I am always wary of books written by celebrities. As cynical as it may seem, my first assumption is that there is a ghost writer involved. It's entirely possible that a celebrity can be multi-talented enough to write a book alone, but it's rare that I read something by a celebrity that feels authentic enough that I could buy it was only them working on it. That's not a knock against having a ghost writer. Having a good idea does not always equal being able to singlehandedly execute it. One of my favorite books of all time is Geese Are Never Swans by Kobe Bryant. My issue is when a celebrity attempts to sell the book as wholly their venture - which, of course, the majority do.

These days even prolific writers have ghostwriters (I'm looking at you, unsubstantiated claims that Rick Riordan is no longer actively working on Percy Jackson) and it's an easy cash grab to boost notoriety while taking advantage of a built in fanbase so it makes sense that many celebrities are quick to pump out a book. The celebrity memoir is the new Michael Jackson endorsing Pepsi or Jamie Lee Curtis as the face of Activia yogurt.

The ubiquity of the celebrity 'novel' doesn't mean I have to like it. Still, it's not like I can stop it so my meager fight against the celebrity machine is writing reviews about how mid they are. It ain't much, but it's honest work.

A lot of the charm of Terry's Crew is actually in the illustration which I found rough and tumble in the best way possible. It put the graphic in /graphic/ novel, not in substance, but visually it was very fun and brusque. The characters were easy to delineate, the lines weren't always perfectly straight which added an interesting stylistic flair, and I loved the subtle usage of color to dictate tone.

The story itself was average. It's your typical Black kid with not a lot is an underdog at a ritzy new school where he learns how to combat racism and bullies kind of beat. I eat it up every time because I love seeing Black kids win, however, I will not pretend that in t

his case it's particularly special, different, or especially well written. There are ways to make this set-up unique. Terry’s Crew is content to rely on the fact that this is Terry Crews’ story as the most important differentiating factor. The result is standard, cookie cutter fare.

I will say that I like that Bully!Rick was not redeemed. I don't mind that there is potential for it in the future. I just hate the new wave of bully kids that the main character feels bad for because of their sad backstory so they end up forgiving them even though they don't deserve it and now the bully is their friend after only 2 pages of being decent. I swear, half the middle grade I read this year - and this was stuff released this year - featured this trope. I thought we were moving past harmful turn the other cheek narratives, yet here we are.

I miss one note villains. It's more cathartic when they're beaten in the end, and it's far more realistic that the person doesn’t change after one moment of kindness.

My minor critique is that Rick is supposed to be a minority, but that was not made clear enough to me visually. He's meant to be a parallel to Terry and it would have been better if it was made more obvious that he wasn't a white kid with a tan. I thought it was another textbook case of racism rather than the internalized self hate. The self hate was a better plot point.

Also, this isn't a critique more a commentary - it's really messed up that Terry's mother was willing to withhold her affection for her 12(?) year old because he made a single decision she didn't approve of. It's good that she apologized but boy did it sour me on Terry's mother.

Anywho, I say read it. I had a good time. I always enjoy Black kids getting to be their unabashed best selves without the weight of police brutality or activism or the war on drugs or any of those other super serious topics that lately publishers seem to refuse to let Black people write a book without including. It's an easy, breezy recommendation.

theirresponsiblereader's review

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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What’s Terry’s Crew About?

Our protagonist, Terry, is a bright, energetic (very energetic) kid with big dreams. Huge dreams. He even has a name for them, and when he speaks, you can hear the capitalization—Big Dream Plan.* He is basically the living embodiment of joie de vivre. We meet him the day before he starts a new Middle School on the other side of town—he’s qualified for a scholarship and his parents are hoping this is his ticket to a better life.

* Yes, this is a graphic novel, so you can literally see the capitals, but those around him hear the capitals.

Not that there’s anything wrong with the life he has—demanding, strict, but caring and supportive parents. An older brother who always has his back (although he’s human and stumbles), who has the same hopes for Terry that he does. He even has a small-time criminal from the neighborhood looking out for him. It’s a good life, but his parents still hope that his talents and ambitions can give him a better (read: financially secure and in a better neighborhood).

Okay, that’s more space than I thought the introduction was going to take, let’s get moving. His new school is dazzling—there’s clearly money being spent on all levels here. And most of the students come from it, too. It seems to take Terry a while to figure that out, and when he does, it doesn’t seem to phase him.

Terry has a hard time making friends at first but is given a chance to get in with the “in crowd” (I’m sure no one says that anymore, but I’m not going to try to pretend I know what people say), by bullying a kid. It goes well enough, but he feels horrible about it and tries to make things right the next day. This leads to Terry landing a small group of potential friends (including the kid he bullied) and puts him firmly in the “out-crowd.”

An extra-curricular group activity proves the perfect outlet for Terry’s creativity (which needs a large outlet, the kid cannot stop creating), but it seems to be damaging his grades. His mother puts an end to that—which causes some family tension and forces Terry to be even more creative in his approach to the extra-curricular activity.

Things go on from there—basically, this is about Terry getting his feet wet in a new world of opportunity, learning how to navigate it, making some real friends, and learning to appreciate the support and direction of his parents.

The Tone of the Book

Terry’s pretty naïve—or at least he comes across that way. He’s so caught up in his dreams and the possibilities of the future that he really doesn’t seem to notice or understand the harsher realities around him. His big brother does a good job of helping him navigate through this without opening his eyes.

This gives the whole book a similarly hopeful and almost starry-eyed tone and feel. But the art is thoughtfully used to make sure the reader sees the reality—the looks on the faces of characters around him, the changes in the economic status of his environments, the run-down nature of his neighborhood’s buildings, and so on. Terry’s eyes are on the bright future, but he’s living in a very real now, and the art serves well to show that both of these things are true.

It feels like I’ve already transitioned out of this section into the next, let’s make it official:

A Word About the Art

Cory Thomas is a huge part of what makes this graphic novel work. From his capturing the dual worlds that Terry lives into his character designs and the sense of energy conveyed on the page, Thomas really brought this to life.

As usual, I struggle to describe the artwork, so forgive me if any of the positive things I’m trying to say here don’t sound positive.

Thomas’s artwork isn’t polished and full of fine detail—these aren’t beautiful panels like you’d get from George Pérez or someone in his school. The penciling and inking are rough, the lines are jagged—they convey an energy, a youth, and a vitality more like Bill Watterson (and the more I think of it, the more I like my floundering here landed on Watterson as a comparison).

The expressions on the character’s faces alone make me want to commend his artwork here, from Terry’s almost ever-present smile (in various wattages) to the doubt or cynicism depicted on others, these characters pop off the page.

So, what did I think about Terry’s Crew?

In interviews (and in many of his performances), Terry Crews comes across as someone with an indefatigable optimism, an infectious enthusiasm, and a near-unrelenting positivity. I get the impression that this is a fully intentional outlook on his part and I can’t help but admire it. This book encapsulates that outlook and brings it to life in this fictional Terry.

Yes, I wondered if the book ends up being a little Pollyanna-ish in the end, but I think that was the goal—and who doesn’t need a little sunshine? I had a lot of fun reading this—I think it’s difficult not to. Terry, his friends, family, and others (including the nefarious neighborhood supporter) show that with support, encouragement, and teamwork, small dreams can come true—with the assurance that comes from that. If you can make enough of those small dreams come true, even a Big Dream Plan is possible.

This worked for me, someone decades past the target audience, I’d like to think—and I hope—that this will bring some encouragement into the lives of the Middle-Grade audience, too. I recommend picking this up and putting it in the hands of the Middle Grade (maybe even younger) reader in your life.

morgan_amer's review

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funny informative fast-paced

4.0

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