Narrated by Jesse Nobess. A bit too much basketball action for me but overall, a solid representation of a Native American teen who plays on his high school varsity team. Beyond the game itself, the story is well-rounded with depictions of life on the rez, the hopes of a Native community, and Tye proving himself in the shadow of his big brother's death. Throughout there's a pleasing thread of support by extended family, friends, team and community. Nobess performs with a certain monotone which meant the basketball scenes lacked tension. ( )

High school sophomore Tre practiced and worked out all summer in hopes of making the varsity basketball team and following in his father's and older brother Jaxon's footsteps. At first Coach Whitefeather puts him on JV, but he's soon moved up when varsity players are suspended for drinking. Now Tre is playing with his heroes, Jaxon's former teammates, and they share a dream of winning regionals and then state. Tre has even more dreams, though: he wants to play ball in college and be in the NBA. One of his best friends, Wes, believes in him so much he's making a documentary about him, but Tre's parents seem sunk in memories of Jaxon, who died in a car crash. Tre navigates relationships with his varsity teammates, his best friends Wes and Nate, and new friend Khiana. All of the res kids, especially the darker-skinned ones, face microaggressions and racism when off the res, from being followed in the mall to being pulled over and searched by cops, and when they do beat white basketball teams, the victory is even more meaningful.

See also: Hoops by Matt Tavares, Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang, Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Quotes

I feel both motivated to match what he did and a heavy burden on my shoulders. (45)

But it doesn't matter. Sometimes I feel like I'm the ghost here. (45)

"Pride can be a good thing. Pride in our culture, in our tribe, in our heritage. That's the kind of pride that keeps who we are as a people alive. But personal pride, that ego pride can get in the way of growing, learning, and admitting when we are wrong." (Mom to Tre, 259) ( )

The basketball scenes in this book are full of action. Tre is a sophmore and hoping for a spot on the Varsity basketball team. His family is still reeling from the death of his older brother, basketball star Jaxon. After initially not making the team, he is brought up after a couple members of the team are suspended.
Tre is a character to cheer for. He has close friends, he loses his way a bit and makes some bad decisions, but he finds his way back to his values, purpose, and goals. There is some strong language peppered throughout, but it is in context. His best friend is an aspiring film maker and is making a documentary of Tre as a project which leads to some cool opportunities for introspection and exploring ways in which we chart paths to our future selves.
The family and community are present and supportive within this book that also explores racial dynamics, racism, and privilege within the context of the storytelling of this boy and this team's journey to try ti win the state basketball championship. ( )

Not as engaging as some other indigenous writer/main character books. The current audio book addition is an AI rendered reading. The story was ok but I just couldn't get into it. ( )