A sweet coming of age centering on the friendship between two sixth grade boys (one sporty, one STEM-y.)

What I liked:
– Likable Characters
– Tough topics (alcoholism & divorce) tactfully addressed
– Sweet friendship
– No romance (I usually love romance books, but I think this story worked better for its audience without it)
– Important themes of accepting who you are
– Dual POVs from very different kids
– Tightly paced

What I didn’t like:
– Marco’s basketball growth over a week seemed a little fantastical to me
– It felt like the narrative was a little skewed to Isaac supporting Marco, and I would’ve like to see a little more of Marco supporting Isaac through his tough stuff.

Recommended for anyone looking for a sporty and sweet Middle Grade with solid themes and tough topics.

⭐⭐⭐½

Had a big MG-phase in my 2024 reading year. I don’t really know how it happened, but I definitely didn’t hate it.

Thanks for reading!