I read enough of this to know my feelings on it, but I ultimately skipped parts and did not finish. The YA edition of This Quantum Life is fine, but had a few distinct aspects that were just not to my reading taste. First off, this is a very chronological-events memoir- meaning it closely describes the authors life, and not much else, at least not to the degree that I like in memoirs. I was hoping for a lot more discussion on the broader topics of quantum physics, or black people in the science professions. Second, I found the writing fairly direct and dry. This may have been influenced by this being adapted for younger readers from an adult version, but the author even talks about how he compared his writing styles to other classmates in school and found their prose so much more embellished.

I read this book in one sitting. It was so riveting and I was completely engrossed in Dr. Oluseyi’s life and all that he had to overcome. From his early childhood and constant moving to his teenage years where he learned to survive on the streets, through his tumultuous college years, and finally his time at Stanford where he got his masters and his PhD. I was riveted.

For Hakeem Oluseyi to accomplish and persevere despite the system being against him is incredible. From the day he was born to a young mother and raised in poverty, to becoming introduced to drugs and facing addiction, to seeing his father and sister and even himself follow an endless cycle of teenage pregnancy, poverty, drugs, crime, and so much more. I simply can’t believe it.

I’m glad that there are so many young reader editions for nonfiction books now, making these books accessible to teens.

Highly recommend for ages 12+ and for high school classrooms.

This was a book I wouldn't normally pick up but I'm glad I did. This book was definitely informative.

A great young adult biography about overcoming difficult circumstances that may inspire teens thinking about science careers. I will be recommending this title to educators and librarians.

3.75 stars
This book was a book like something I've never read before. The concept was spectacular. I was very interested in the fact that James Plummer was so smart at a young age but ended up declining mentally do to his surrondings. I really loved that this book had lots of knowledge but also lots of story telling as well.
The concepts I liked about this book, was that it was something different, kind of non-fiction as well, describing the authors life and how he overcame certain things.
I think since science isn't really my thing, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would've liked to.
However, James and friends and family really made the story an overall better thing to read.

Extremely fun and interesting read and I would love to see what these others have in store. The story was inviting, and I flew through this book. I was excited to get back to it every time I put it down.

4.75/5 stars! So I'm normally not the best audience for stories about astrophysicists, as I am firmly a novice with science and applied mathematics. However, this memoir is SO significant and important to an entire generation of BIPOC youth as they face the trajectories of their lives and the capacity to find hope. Even as someone who doesn't understand the intricacies of his job, I found this story captivating and interesting. A great read.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.