Thank you to netgalley and North Star Editions, Flux for allowing me to read Strong Like You by T. L. Simpson. This story was so good and definitely a story that needed to be told.

Simpson's story of one teen boy's struggle to find his missing father and survive poverty in the Ozarks left me hopeful, even after bringing me to tears. It is a poignant, and sometimes gut-wrenching, take on toxic masculinity and an incredibly engaging, entertaining mystery. Fifteen year-old Walker's struggles tore my soul open, and his huge heart--which he listens to, even without realizing it at times--brought hope to the center of this beautiful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flux for providing an e-ARC of this novel. This will be published 3/12/2024

“It is what you make it. You learn better than you were taught. Or you don’t. There is nothing else.”

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Walker Lauderdale has a big reputation in his small town in the Ozarks. He’s known as one of “those boys”—Hank Lauderdale’s son, poor as dirt, dumb as rocks, and as rotten as his father. But when Walker’s dad goes missing, his world is turned upside down. Though he still has football, he knows he needs to find his dad and bring him back to get everything back to the way it was. But as he starts looking into his father’s disappearance, he realizes it is going to take strength to face the truth.

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I am NOT a football person, but this is seriously a must-read, especially for high school boys. Simpson does an outstanding job exploring the idea of masculinity, and how powerful different mentors (parents, teachers, coaches, & counselors) can be for shaping identity. Throughout the entire novel, Walker struggles with who his father has told him he is, and if he can change. This has some pretty intense scenes & language, but is overall such a gripping story about family and strength. I definitely recommend this to high school librarians!!

Fun fact: I am trying to hit the gym more (like Walker’s mom in the story!) and I made it so I could only read this while at the gym—I went to the gym everyday this week so I could finish this story! It’s SOOO good!!

As someone who has never been to Arkanansaw and has lived a privileged life on the east coast, I really appreciated STRONG LIKE YOU by TL Simpson. It opened my eyes to what Walker's world was like. I enjoyed the way Simpson used the second person ("you" in reference to Walker's dad), and that he didn't shy away from realness when it came to Walker's life. I think readers of sports fiction and literary fiction will enjoy this one.

I was pleasantly surprised with the first work of fiction by Simpson. Honestly chose the book based on the title and was not aware it was a work of fiction. However, the story was compelling and the characters were believable in many ways. The plot needed a little more work and the characters could have used a bit more development but overall it was an enjoyable read.

I'll read anything that is tangentially related to sports, but this ended up being too Young Adult for middle school due to language and situations. Interesting choice for high school readers.

T.L Simpson's debut hooks in from the opening page. Filled with a ton of voice and the emotional journey of what it means to not just be a teen male, but one whose father is missing. I went in expecting a contemporary story revolving around high school football, and got so much more. It had the same vibes as Winter's Bone and cuts just as deep.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy.

Strong Like You is a YA novel about a boy named Walker whose father has recently gone missing. Some of the themes get pretty dark but the book is not too graphic so it is still appropriate for those on the younger end of the YA spectrum. It's primarily a mystery but there is a lot of football for the sports fans, too. I really liked Walker's character arc and how he grew and changed.

The ache and search for lost fathers drives this stirring addition to the contemporary literature of the Ozarks. Simpson offers an unflinching yet hopeful tale of hard-knock youth driven to the edge by their inherited and tragic lessons of what makes a man.

Walker's life has forever changed since his dad and his uncle went missing. Football used to be everything, but Walker and his cousin Sawyer can't stay focused until they find out what happened to their dads. When the outcome is worse than expected, the situation threatens to tear Walker and Sawyer apart.

This book incorporates football, poverty, anger, and mystery. I don't think it's necessarily the best writing, but I think the message is strong and it will appeal to reluctant readers.

The story can be related to many teenagers who will know what it’s like to have a parent, family member, friend and even just someone they know from places like school or a sports club go missing without warning and want to find them at whatever cost.

The storyline is good and the twist’s aren’t predictable. It’s well written

Strong Like You tells a story of a son who looks up to his father, and I thought that's the only thing I'd found in this book. Not that I'm complaining, in fact it's what I look for in a YA realistic fiction and the reason why I was intrigued after reading the blurb, but surprisingly it takes me to a rollercoaster ride of emotion as well as whodunnit mystery. This debut novel offers more than it appears to be.

I really enjoyed Walker's voice and how he addresses his father as 'you', like poems. The way he delivers his story is also page-turner. It deals with heavy themes such as toxic masculinity, crime, possession of guns, poverty, and death, but it's told from a fifteen-year-old's eyes that's realistic but not dumbed down. I'm glad Walker has people who helps him in many aspects so that he could grow up and face the problem as a boy he wants to be deep in his heart. The story started rather dark and angsty, but in the end it was heartwarming and hopeful. I think the dark blue and orange in the cover represent that vibe well.

I loved that the characters are rounded, even the 'villain' ones. As for villains... I legit did not expect there would be a PLOT TWIST. I'd be okay if it ends hanging since I thought it only focuses on Walker's responses to everything happened to him, but for me the mystery takes it to the next level. It gives the ending more satisfaction. Oh, the ending. Sometimes realistic fiction still gives HEA especially with the love interest, but this one stick to the 'realistic' part pretty well. Walker's relationship with his mom, Coach Widner, Mr. Raines, Sawyer, even Paton and Chloe Ennis taught him valuable lessons that we all can relate. It was also few of YA novels I've read that takes place in Arkansas so I learned something new.

If there are things that I wanted more, first of all is physical description of characters. Walker and his dad is pretty easy to imagine since they're on the cover, and sometimes names could tell which race and ethnicity they are. But I wanted confirmation so I didn't mistake them as another race or ethnicity even though it's only in my head. Or it's maybe because I'm used to specific description of skintone to depict each individual. Walker sure has amazing development, but few weeks are too fast especially for a teenager. His view on masculinity switches rather quick from always referring his dad to interpreting new meaning by himself. IMHO it'd be more convincing if the timeline takes longer than that.

We still need another important YA books and I'm glad I can read one of them again. Perfect for fans of realistic fiction with minimal romance and more family issue.

(Review is already published on Goodreads (09/22/2023))