Tight explores the choices Bryan makes as he decides what kind of a person he wants to be while growing up in Brooklyn, New York. He tries out new friendships and new experiences – some good, some not so good. The reader is aware of Bryan’s struggle with what he wants to do, what others want him to do, and what he is doing as he describes each experience, as well as the consequences of those choices. There is also a split dynamic at home which adds to his complicated situation.
This book is targeted to a middle school boy reader who is trying to figure out how to pick good friends and to listen to one’s gut feelings. The language is completely in slang lingo, but is easy enough to follow based on context of the story. Super heroes and comics are used throughout to compare actions characters make to real life events. The ending leaves the reader with a tense situation unresolved, but the promise that Bryan will use his head to take care of it.
Review of an Advanced Uncorrected Galley
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Nancy Paulsen Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: Reference to people being killed – body is the word used in the text; threat of fist; imagines grabbing and shoving someone to fall on their face; comic characters stops car by stepping in front of it; want to pinch lips of another person shut; adult hits adult to the ground; adult threatens more violence; UFC Mixed Martial Arts TV fight – man hits man down, straddles him and pounds on him until ref tackles him off; kick wall with food; report of adults fighting; swing, punch, kick the air; discussion of which superhero would beat which; like character dodging bullets; minor hits minor hard on neck; threat to bite someone’s ankle or something; fear of falling 7 floors and dying; minor throws pebble at a car; minor wants to punch and kick another minor; adult beating another adult; adult pulls out knife; comic bullet smoke off chest, shoulder, and arm; minor hit hard on the neck; threat of breaking somebody; minor wants to push minor on train platform; minor wishes he could throw another minor a beating; minor afraid of falling and dying while surfing on the back of a subway train; thought of touching 600+ volts and frying; TV character came to jump another character; comic character body another; threat of killing another person; wanting to punch in face; threat to catch a beat down; threat of being hit by adult; thought of being dead or kidnapped; look like adult could backhand minor out of chair and crash through a window; threat to leave minor alone with violent parent as punishment; memory of being hit by parent; comic character destroys property; a few threats of a fight between minors; extended scene of minors fighting including: slapping, body slamming, punches, knee to groin, pinned, threat of future beat down.
Sex/Nudity: Reference to being caught in the bathroom with pants down.
Mature Subject Matter:
Parent arrested and sent to jail; project life – protecting each other by fighting others, poverty, etc.; delinquent behavior – jumping subway turnstiles, train surfing, skipping school, lying to parents, etc.; peer pressure; bullying.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
The use of the acronym OD (overdosed) is used several times to mean hyped, extreme, etc.; reference to adults drinking; parents ask minor if he had been smoking or drinking – which he hadn’t been.
