Reviews

All the Dreams We've Dreamed: A Story of Hoops and Handguns on Chicago's West Side by Rus Bradburd

nqcliteracy's review against another edition

2.0

Imperative to disconnect the story and real lives from the narrative. The players are important, but the writing lacked cohesion. At times, it read like Kotlowitz and a trained journalist’s eye, but often the author’s opinions intruded. It was further weighted by basketball stats that lacked an editor’s touch. Still, the content is unwaveringly important: Chicago gun violence is intertwined with basketball. Players are murdered. Innocent people like Shawn Harrington lose limbs and dreams. We desperately need stricter gun laws and anti-violence education. And it was intense/ interesting to read details about violence happening in nearby neighborhoods; a whole text about the city’s west side.

jakelam2116's review against another edition

4.0

Personal, narrative-rich and sad story about kids struggling to find their way under near-impossible circumstances on the west side of Chicago. I gravitated to this book in part because of how close the neighborhoods described in its page are to where I go every Thanksgiving.