BreakoutWritten by Kevin EmersonIt isn’t easy being a middle schooler; Eighth grader, Anthony Castillo can attest to that fact. His rock band, The Rusty Soles, is the only thing getting him through the school year.
Maybe because I had a per-published copy of the book or maybe this is a new style in YA novels, but I didn't find any chapters at all. Instead you have headings and sometimes those headings will be mid-way down a page.
Anthony 8th grade year is not going as well as he had hoped, but the saving grace for him is his rock band. The band has some trouble then too, and Anthony writes an angry song that becomes a big hit with the kids at school, but not with the administration.
This was a really fun book that I think kids could really get into.
Breakout is an uncommonly good YA/Middle grades book with a male protagonist. The author does a great job bringing Anthony’s voice to life and relating to the frustrating and awkward gap that is 8th grade.
Kevin Emerson does a fantastic job of immersing you into the world of Anthony Castillo. "I wish I could change everything that sucks".
Anthony is having growing pains, massive eighth grade pains, not quite a teen but definitely out of childhood. He has experienced his first kiss and breakup and feels no one understands him.
Breakout is the first novel I have read by Kevin Emerson. I hadn't heard much buzz about the book either, so I definitely went in blind.
It grows on you.Although there is talk of the f-word in the book, it doesn't actually have it written anywhere, nor were there other curse words in the book.
My 12 year old son says... Probably one of the best books I've read in a while.
Emerson captures the 8th grade voice in a way that is realistic, funny and endearing. Anthony feels like he's living in a prison of rules, expectations and mediocrity.
What a relief! This book is like a crisp peach sherbet on a summer day.
Good story, though a little cheesy and overdone at times. The main character learns how to stand up for himself, as he and his band head towards a competition that might (or might not) change their lives.
************* Potential semi-spoiler, stop reading here if not buying for someone else *******I was hoping that angry teen Anthony would find a better way to solve his issue than he did. It is not uncommon for young people to hit their teen years not knowing how to handle the surge of emotions that comes with it, and if the mere threat of saying a bad word at school is that bad of an offense, our schools are much better off than I imagined.
Breakout is a smooth, easy read sure to appeal to middle schoolers. Having taught 8th grade for fifteen years I found his portrayal of Anthony and the issues that the book centers around to be realistic.
