Draper, Sharon M. - The Battle of Jericho

[oyceter]

Jericho, his cousin Josh, and his friend Kofi have all been chosen as initiates to the super-secret, super-exclusive, super-cool Warriors of Distinction. But there's a bad taste left in their mouths as tough girl Dana demands to be included in the historically all-male club, and Jericho starts having second thoughts when the initiation week gets tougher and tougher.

This is a short, intense book that covers the month before initiation week and the week itself; I found myself holding my breath because I didn't want anything to happen to Dana. I like how the book addresses Jericho's unconscious sexism and ablism, even though he does try to be fair. I particularly liked his interactions with Eric, the Kid in a Wheelchair, and how it makes Jericho really look at some of his assumptions and the way guilt can be hampering. Also, yay, mostly black characters and it's not a big deal!

While I'm sure the book is a very accurate portrayal of hazing, and it was pretty visceral when I read it, I just never quite identified with the characters enough for anything to stick. Also, I really don't think I am the target audience for books about the dangers of hazing. And... I don't know. It was intense while I was reading, but just a few hours after, I've forgotten a lot of it.

The book also ended too soon -- we do get to see the consequences of hazing, but we only get about a chapter of aftermath, which felt like much too little. I wanted to know what happened to the club and the parents and everyone, not just see their reactions right after the event. I think there's also a very interesting book about the months after the ending in here; maybe that would have felt less didactic and more real somehow for me. (I know, it's totally unfair to judge the book on what it could have been, but... oh well.)

So, I'll be looking for more of Draper's books, particularly her Copper Sun, but I wasn't bowled over by this one.

Comments

[takumashii.livejournal.com]

I think that Draper can have a certain tendency towards didacticism in her contemporary books (Hazing Is Bad, Gangs Are Bad) but Copper Sun - to be honest, I didn't finish it, but the writing is a big jump above Romiette and Julio and it didn't seem nearly as didactic to me.

[oyceter]

Oh good -- her prose here wasn't bad, but it could be better. I was trying to read Dana Davidson as well, but totally fell out of Jason and Kyra because she keeps describing people's outfits every other page! I am going to pick up one of her later books and see if anything improves.

[penmage.livejournal.com]

There is a sequel, November Blue, I think it's called, about Josh' pregnant girlfriend November. Deals with some of the aftermath, but not as much as I wanted it to.

[oyceter]

Huh! I hadn't realized November was pregnant. I think I may avoid that, as it sounds very depressing. Er, even though I'm going to go and borrow the book about slavery. One depressing book at a time!

[sanguinity]

I'll be interested to hear your review of Copper Sun. I abandoned it after three or four chapters because I thought it was poorly written (at a technical level) and her handling of the mythic premise of Africa-as-Eden was getting up my nose.

Yet I'm well aware that the book gets overwhelmingly positive reviews. Given that your own reviews tend to echo some of the ways that I read books, I'm interested to see your review and get a bead on how much of my aversion to Copper Sun was just me.

[oyceter]

*nods* I was a little put off by the blurb, since I am sooooo tired of "white girl helps slave escape!" stories. So.. it'll be interesting to see how it goes.