REVIEW: November Blues by Sharon M. Draper

November Blues (Book #2 in Jericho Series) by Sharon M. Draper

ISBN: 978-1-4169-0699-5

Published: October 23rd, 2007

JERICHO     Josh Prescott's death in a freak hazing accident left his cousin Jericho consumed with guilt, unable to enjoy the things that gave him pleasure when Josh was alive, even playing his beloved trumpet. Jericho turns to football, where the pain is physical and numbing.

NOVEMBER     For Josh's girlfriend, November, the loss is even more devastating, especially when she learns that Josh left something behind that will change her life forever. How will she deal with the trauma and tragedy? How will she deal with the demands of Josh's parents as well as her own?
     November needs Jericho's support as she deals with her shattered dreams for the furture and faces the greatest challenge of her life. But Jericho faces his own challenges -- on the football field and in his own love life. Will his torment prevent him from being there for November when she needs him most?

-- Back Cover

Now, I'm going to start off with admitting that I have not read the first book, Jericho, in this series. Thus, some of what you may read below may be skewed by this fact.

In all honesty, I did not care for the book. I felt like it was too much of a quick read with little to no depth in the various storylines. That said, I did like the characters and felt that they had been developed and described very well.

I especially connected with Olivia, the overweight and under-appreciated girl that connects well with those that give her a chance. Though she is not a copy of me, there were aspects to her personality and her struggles that I have endured as well, and that made this book a bit more enjoyable for me.

My biggest issue with November Blues was, as I said above, it was a very quick read. The reason being for this was that the plots, and endings to those plots, were not discussed in great detail for the exception of November's sudden surprise and Jericho's big game. And those were well towards the end of the book.

I did, however, love the very end of the book. Not only was it simple and sweet, it was also closure-providing while making me excited for the next book, Just Another Hero, no matter how little I may have liked this one.

The winner of the Coretta Scott King Honor Award for promoting peace, non-violent social change, and brotherhood, November Blues is a book for young teens to read in that it does a good job of showing how certain situations should be handled rather than the ways they normally would be handled. It does still contain typical school bullying and prejudices, but I recommend it for that nonetheless.

Overall, I would rate it a 2.5 out of 5 stars.