Back in May of 2021, I read Tight by Torrey Maldonado. It was selected as a whole class read for the eighth graders at my school. At the time, I didn't personally love it. However, I was hopeful that the kids would be able to relate to it. Now it's two years later and I can confirm, the kids really do enjoy it. They like the short length and the realistic plot. It's a manageable story about kids like themselves. It ended up being a good choice to use in the classroom. When I saw that Maldonado had published a new novel named Hands, I immediately wanted to give it a try to see if this would be another book that the students might get into.
The plot of this novel revolves around a 12-year-old named Trevor. As the story begins he is reflecting on a traumatic family event. Two years ago, his stepfather was arrested for hitting his mother during an argument. This act of violence violated his parole, sending him to prison for two years. In the time since then, Trevor has been grappling with a lot of complex feelings. He is determined not to let his mother or sisters be hurt again, and has taken up boxing so he will know how to fight back when his stepfather returns. However, he's not a fighter at heart; he's actually a talented artist and a very kind soul. He just doesn't want to feel helpless. With his stepfather's release drawing near, he finds himself caught between the tough persona he's tried to adopt and the person he truly is inside.
Hands was a quick read, but it actually packed a pretty strong emotional punch. I felt for Trevor throughout the novel and I was definitely rooting for him to make good choices. His problems with his stepfather were very heavy, but Maldonado did a nice job of keeping the text appropriate for his audience. This is the kind of story that middle grades readers will love because it deal with a mature topic and isn't too long. With most chapters being just two or three pages, it's very approachable and uses language that kids will understand. I really liked its ultimate messages of being yourself and reaching out for help when you need it too.
Ultimately, I think I enjoyed Hands a little bit more than Tight. I was able to connect more with the emotional topic and I liked Trevor as a character. I will definitely be recommending this one to students in the future. Torrey Maldonado has really found his niche writing these quick middle grades reads about boys with relatable problems, and I hope he keeps writing because it's tough to find books that boys at this age will stick with.
2023 Reading Challenges Tally:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 5/24
Clear the Shelves 2023: 2/24
