A review by myeshatiara
Playing the Cards You're Dealt by Varian Johnson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Favorite Quote: “You’ve got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them.”~Kenny Rogers
Right away we are throwing into the world of spades, which is an African American tradition and I love it! I’ve never read a book that focuses on spades at all and to read a YA novel that does that is intriguing.
The book is told from a third party perspective and I’m not sure I like it.
Ant is moving onto a new chapter in his life as he is in his last year of Elementary school. Becoming a young man. However I can tell there is an issue between his parents that some younger readers may not catchy on the first read.
I do enjoy the deep dive into Ant’s best friend, Jamal and his family life and that they have them deal with real issues like addiction.
Right away we are throwing into the world of spades, which is an African American tradition and I love it! I’ve never read a book that focuses on spades at all and to read a YA novel that does that is intriguing.
The book is told from a third party perspective and I’m not sure I like it.
Ant is moving onto a new chapter in his life as he is in his last year of Elementary school. Becoming a young man. However I can tell there is an issue between his parents that some younger readers may not catchy on the first read.
I do enjoy the deep dive into Ant’s best friend, Jamal and his family life and that they have them deal with real issues like addiction.