Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books/Heartdrum for the digital arc.
Read Rez Ball two years ago and due to circumstances beyond my control, I never posted my thoughts. This story is still with me and in my opinion, that is a sign of a great story. The characters, plot, descriptions of family, school and the “res” community brought to life a world to which I was totally ignorant. The universal theme of persistence and grief, and teen issues of peer pressure and love appear in many novels, but Rez Ball centers the story on the high school basket ball team, the Red Lake Warriors, located on the Red Lake reservation in Minnesota. "Rez Ball" won the 2024 Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens, and was the winner of Young Adult Book Award from the American Indian Youth Literature Awards. This can be recommended to both YA and adult audiences.
#RezBall #NetGalley.

I used this book in my course last semester! I just forgot to note this here! I also shared it the NCTE convention with participants!

This was a bit outside my wheelhouse, as far as topic, but I really enjoyed it. I think the author did a great job of creating a window to life as a Native American, including some harsh truths without watering down the subject matter. I think this is a great books for middle school and high school, which is a hard and broad age group to write something for.

Byron Graves' Rez Ball is a fantastic addition to the sports-YA genre. While the pace is a little slow for the first quarter, it picks up nicely as we follow Tre, a Minnesota Ojibwe teenager with dreams of basketball glory whose family is still grappling with the recent death of his older brother who was also a school basketball star.

While the strong language may make it a harder sell for certain teachers or parents, it gives the dialogue a natural feel that I think teenage readers will appreciate. One that I'll be recommending for secondary school libraries wanting to add additional sports stories (or specifically basketball stories) or family dramas, or wanting to add more titles with Ojibwe/Anishinaabe (or generally Indigenous) representation.

Tre Brun has hopes of getting a DI basketball scholarship and making it to the NBA one day, but first he has to make his school’s varsity basketball team. The Red Lake Warriors are expected to make a run for state and would be the first indigenous team to ever make it to the state playoffs, so there is a lot riding on this season. On top of that, Tre’s dad and brother, Jaxon, were both star players for the Warriors, and after Jaxon dies in a car accident, Tre feels immense pressure to live up to his brother’s legacy. With his friends Nate and Wes by his side, as well as upperclassmen teammates Dallas and Kevin, Tre learns to believe in himself and come into his own.

I really enjoyed this book. It takes place on the reservation and references unique Ojibwe culture and experiences, but there are a lot of elements that teens of any culture can relate to. Tre deals with love and loss, highs and lows, but it’s ultimately a sports book. There is a lot of detail put into describing the games that Tre plays and basketball-specific terminology that would be especially engaging to boys or anyone who enjoys sports/basketball. I felt the ending was anti-climactic, but overall this was a fun read. Thanks to NetGalley, Heartdrum, and Byron Graves for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A non-stop run of emotions from the moment Tre steps onto the basketball court. A story of a young Ojibwe man, who plays basketball for his parents, family, his tribe, the Rez and late brother Jaxon, who he is constantly compared to throughout the novel. Tre has to come to terms with who is he really playing for? Himself or those who expect him to step into his brother's very large shoes. The basketball game scenes had me rooting for Tre and the rest of the Warriors. Not only does Tre have to cope with the loss of his brother, but also peer pressure when it comes to drinking and the heartbreak of first love. This is definitely a book that any teen would devour!

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I love the title of this book and being Native American and growing up on the Rez this book hit so differently. Basketball is a very big deal and it is kind because the center of community during the season. Tre is doing his best to fill his brother's shoes and make the dreams he had come true for the community. That puts a lot of pressure on his shoulder. I like the character Khiana. She was just fun. I felt connected to this book and that is something reading should do.

The year after his big brother Jaxon’s death in a car accident, Tre Brun finally has the opportunity to both honor his brother’s legacy and step out of Jaxon’s shadow. Tre is the only sophomore on the Red Lake Reservation high school basketball team, and he is determined to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship – and take the first step towards his dream of playing in the NBA. But that goal puts Tre in the spotlight, and he begins to feel the weight of carrying the hopes of his community on his shoulders. Full of fast-paced, on-the-court action, Rez Ball is equal parts adrenaline-fueled sports novel, and coming-of-age-story-with-heart.

It was really refreshing reading a book that young men can actually pick up and enjoy. We need more books targeted for teen boys because I feel like so much is written for women. Great book about facing your demons and pursuing your dreams with your best friends at your side.

Honestly, I think I requested this book in a 3AM scroll through netgalley from anxiety induced sleeplessness. It sounded like a story that would make me cry. And it did. But it was also so much more.

Predictable? Yes
Underdog, coming of age, flawed characters, emotional storylines? Also yes.

Now, this is definitely YA. Lots of slang/“teen talk,” which I wasn’t a huge fan of, I could have done without the love triangle/crush drama, and I’m a bit said I can’t include it in my class library when it has several scenes of underage drinking and smoking. I also know nothing about basketball, so I was lost during half the games, but that’s totally on me for choosing a sports book! It fills a niche in YA, hits plenty of emotional sweet spots, has you rooting for Tre and the other Red Lake Warriors. As my family is currently going through a difficult time, certain exchanges between Tre and his parents were familiar and relatable to me. I also loved the focus on community, both how it it’s so important and encouraging to have, but also the unique position and pressure it puts on indigenous athletes like Tre to represent their communities and make change. There’s lots of discussion around legacy and heroism.

I also loved finding out in the author’s note that the Red Lake Warriors is a real team, that the author was a part of, and that he wove a lot of his experiences into the novel. Again, I’m not really a sports person, but now I have to look up videos of some of these games!

Disclaimer - I do not like basketball. The squeaking of the sneakers on the floor makes my skin crawl. So I'm not sure what made me want to read this book, but I'm glad I did.
As you can guess, I don't know anything about basketball. I didn't realize you set up plays, fouls, etc. So this was all new to me. But the author was able to grab my attention by the excitement while still explaining what was going on. Having the players live on a reservation opened my eyes up to life there. I really liked the feeling of community and family that was portrayed even when community members are deceased.
I kept thinking of the song Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen when I was reading this. And I wasn't far off!
Enjoy!

I loved the idea of this book, but I'll be honest, I ended up skimming it after a few chapters. I personally didn't enjoy the writing style but I skimmed the book because the plot was intriguing and I very much enjoyed what I skimmed. I will still recommend this book to my friends and fellow book lovers because the story was so great. Thank you for the ARC for my honest opinion!

I loved this book so much! A beautiful story of grief, perseverance and learning to live without fear of failing! Amazing book!

Byron Graves is just the right person to write this book. He himself is Ojibwe, played basketball, and was born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. And that's all of what this book is about. Graves does a great job of telling a story and suddenly you're smack in the middle of the rez with the characters. As you head towards the ending it is like being at a basketball game. Who's scoring the next point and who is going to win? I think we're all winners with this book and I look forward to reading more from Graves. Unforgettable characters who you'll end up loving and a kid whose family has suffered a tragedy but instead of letting it tear them apart, they end up being even stronger.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'm not a kid and I loved it. It's a winner!

This was a very heartfelt story. I really enjoyed it when normally I wouldn't think of reading a book like this. I'm so glad I got to read it.

Omg what an incredible ride. I was tearing up towards the end and my heart was racing. Loved the story about the team, family, and community, and how it’s based off the authors real experiences with the basketball team. Highly recommend

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

Yes, another delayed ARC review...and one that I sincerely considered DNFing because I couldn't get into it...and then it had me crying at the end of it. ANYWAYS, this is beautiful indigenous rep and I'm also always trying to read more of it and sports books so...this was a no brainer.

Tre is dealing with the legacy of his brother's death after he was the star basketball player and his dad was the star basketball player and now Tre has that expectation. Along with representing his brother. And everyone on the Rez. Not only is this a story of grief and expectations, but it's a story of Rez life and overcoming odds on and off the court.

It's definitely a "teen narrative" and I think that's why I struggled to get into it because it's first person from Tre's POV...and also I know nothing about basketball.

At the end though? I cried.

I thought this was a great read, that fills a clear niche in YA. Publishing needs to pick up a lot more books by Indigenous authors, as well as books for and about teenage boys. This is both, and I think teens would really love this. I thought it was well written with a well fleshed out main character you'll be rooting for, who has a lot to deal with and has to go on a journey to work things out for himself.

I got an ARC of this book.

Was this book for me? Not at all. I am not a young cishet jock. I do not understand their motivations or the ways they interact with each other. I don't enjoy these books. I ended up DNFing it, because it was just so much not for me.

Am I excited this book exists? Hell yeah. More books like this need to exist. More Indigenous voices. More male voices. More authentic young voices. More rez voices. This book is one I would buy for teens. It isn't for me, but not every book has to be to be amazing. I will talk up this book to the people I know who work with straight male teens for sure.zing.

I like a lot of things about this book. First, Tre and his family were super easy to root for. I liked the closeness between them and could really feel the gaping hole that is their grief over Tre’s brother Jaxon’s death. Tre’s friends also make up a tight-knit community whose interactions seemed really natural and believable.

I was a little bit confused by the subplot about Tre’s love life, though. The opening of the book is very basketball-focused and then there’s a long interlude where he seems very focused on a girl, and then he’s back to focusing on basketball for the rest of the book. It felt a little bit uneven, and because of that part with the focus on the possible relationship, I think I expected there to be more of a romance subplot through the rest of the book.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed the way Tre’s experience on the team changed him and impacted his whole community. I wish there had been a deeper dive into his grief and the way that playing basketball made him feel closer to his brother and possibly helped his family to heal from that loss. It’s there, but I would have liked to see that get more time in the spotlight of the story.

I found the book to be an easy read and an inspiring one. I think readers who enjoy books about sports or are looking for inclusive stories about overcoming adversity will find lots to love here.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.