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The Hoopster #1
The Hoopster
Andre Anderson is an African American teenager with a bright future. He loves to play basketball. He loves to hang out with his friends. He loves to laugh. Andre has skills, brains, and heart. He also has a dream. Then he is viciously attacked. Now everything he ever believed about the world has been called into question. Even his deadly jump shot. How can a man get up when he has been unjustly beaten down? Andre is about to find out. Andre is The Hoopster.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
60 people are currently reading
925 people want to read
About the author
Alan Sitomer
28 books126 followersAlan Lawrence Sitomer is a California Teacher of the Year award winner and the founder of The Writer’s Success Academy. In addition to having been an inner-city high school English teacher and former professor in the Graduate School Of Education at Loyola Marymount University, Mr. Sitomer is a nationally renowned keynote speaker who specializes in engaging underperforming students. To date, Mr. Sitomer has authored 16 books with works ranging from hard-hitting YA novels like CAGED WARRIOR, HOMEBOYZ, THE HOOPSTER and HIP-HOP HIGH SCHOOL to humorous and warm children’s picture books such as DADDIES DO IT DIFFERENT and DADDY’S ZIGZAGGING BEDTIME STORY. Alan lives in Los Angeles where he just finished writing the movie script adaptation for his novel CAGED WARRIOR.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
December 7, 2023
i liked it
October 24, 2011
Sitomer, Alan Lawrence. The Hoopster. Hyperion, 2005. 12-14.
With a title like The Hoopster and cover art depicting an African-American male holding a basketball, readers might think this book is solely about life on the basketball court, but it is much more than that. Andre Anderson has got it all: a summer internship at Affairs magazine, a fiery Latina girlfriend and stellar basketball skills to boot. But when Andre is asked to write a personal essay on racism for the magazine, his perfect world gets disrupted by white racists who are not happy about the article. When first presented with the opportunity to write the piece, Andre wasn’t sure that he could do it. But after hearing his cousin’s stand-up routine that ousts African-Americans with stereotypes galore and his own father’s story that led to dropping out of college and becoming deaf because of racists, Andre is more prepared than ever to share his story. “Crafting words to express the combination of rage, frustration, and disappointment he felt, commingled with the ideas of hope, optimism, and possibility he wanted to infuse into his writing was proving to be a grueling task.” When Andre finally finishes his story, in which he calls himself a “racist and a bigot” he is met with a lot of praise, except for a group of older white males who attack Andre about what he has written. At the conclusion of the book, everything ties up nicely, despite the fact that Andre’s attackers have not been found.
Just as the book fights with stereotypes, the reader might also fight the urge to stereotype the main character. But Sitomer shows us that Andre is not the typical African-American urban character; he comes from a good family and has a lot going for him, in fact, he is almost more privileged than his white best friend Shawn. While the book gives the reader a lot to think about in regards to prejudice and race, it doesn’t provide much depth in its characters or plot. Despite mild violence, the themes of hope and perseverance make The Hoopster appropriate for readers at the younger end of the young adult spectrum.
With a title like The Hoopster and cover art depicting an African-American male holding a basketball, readers might think this book is solely about life on the basketball court, but it is much more than that. Andre Anderson has got it all: a summer internship at Affairs magazine, a fiery Latina girlfriend and stellar basketball skills to boot. But when Andre is asked to write a personal essay on racism for the magazine, his perfect world gets disrupted by white racists who are not happy about the article. When first presented with the opportunity to write the piece, Andre wasn’t sure that he could do it. But after hearing his cousin’s stand-up routine that ousts African-Americans with stereotypes galore and his own father’s story that led to dropping out of college and becoming deaf because of racists, Andre is more prepared than ever to share his story. “Crafting words to express the combination of rage, frustration, and disappointment he felt, commingled with the ideas of hope, optimism, and possibility he wanted to infuse into his writing was proving to be a grueling task.” When Andre finally finishes his story, in which he calls himself a “racist and a bigot” he is met with a lot of praise, except for a group of older white males who attack Andre about what he has written. At the conclusion of the book, everything ties up nicely, despite the fact that Andre’s attackers have not been found.
Just as the book fights with stereotypes, the reader might also fight the urge to stereotype the main character. But Sitomer shows us that Andre is not the typical African-American urban character; he comes from a good family and has a lot going for him, in fact, he is almost more privileged than his white best friend Shawn. While the book gives the reader a lot to think about in regards to prejudice and race, it doesn’t provide much depth in its characters or plot. Despite mild violence, the themes of hope and perseverance make The Hoopster appropriate for readers at the younger end of the young adult spectrum.
September 4, 2014
The book that I am reviewing is the Hoopster, by Alan Lawrence Sitomer. The book is about a group of boys that start off playing basketball, until it starts getting deeper into their lives. Like when they talked about where they worked and what they did at that job. They also explained about their personal lives like what they do in their free time. Or even what they like and dislike. But during the book my favourite part was the part when they first step on the court and it’s almost like your there watching the game (pg1).
A very interesting part of the book was when the boy started to do his comedy act he was really funny at the start. But then he kept going on and on about the same topic and it was very racist. To that extent there was one black guy in the whole crowd, the comic’s cousin. He was laughing at the beginning but the more his cousin talked the more racist he thought it was. This must not have made him too happy because after the show they got into a full out brawl throwing punches left and right. It took about six people to break them up.
I would recommend this book to sports lovers because it explains what's happening in the games. Also I think that it has a very interesting plot to the story. Also the scenes keep on changing and it gets very suspenseful to see what’s going to happen next. This is also a great book choice because it will appeal to just about every sports fan and even maybe non-sports fans. Also this book isn't all about basketball its more than that it’s giving a small glimpse into their lives outside and inside of basketball. This was a very good book and I think that you should read it. In my opinion I would give this book a 4 star rating because the book is always changing scenes. Also you want to know more and more about what will happen next.
A very interesting part of the book was when the boy started to do his comedy act he was really funny at the start. But then he kept going on and on about the same topic and it was very racist. To that extent there was one black guy in the whole crowd, the comic’s cousin. He was laughing at the beginning but the more his cousin talked the more racist he thought it was. This must not have made him too happy because after the show they got into a full out brawl throwing punches left and right. It took about six people to break them up.
I would recommend this book to sports lovers because it explains what's happening in the games. Also I think that it has a very interesting plot to the story. Also the scenes keep on changing and it gets very suspenseful to see what’s going to happen next. This is also a great book choice because it will appeal to just about every sports fan and even maybe non-sports fans. Also this book isn't all about basketball its more than that it’s giving a small glimpse into their lives outside and inside of basketball. This was a very good book and I think that you should read it. In my opinion I would give this book a 4 star rating because the book is always changing scenes. Also you want to know more and more about what will happen next.
November 1, 2011
"The Hoopster" by Alan Lawrence Sitomer is a very emotional book with one of the best characters that I have ever read about. This book is about an African-American basketball playing youngster, Andre, who enjoys writing. He works at a writing company, so when his boss gave him a front-page writing assignment, he worked at it for weeks. His final draft was about racism which turned out to be very popular the next day. He received a great amount of letters and attention. One night, when Andre was walking to his car at night, a group of people broke his right hand. They told him that if he kept writing about racism, the same thing would happen to his legs. Andre made a tough decision that I would not spoil. I loved the plot because it was very unexpected the way the story turned out. It had many places where I would stop and reflect on what I just read. I would recommend this book to all of the readers of my age. The reason for that is because it teaches a great lesson about when the time is right to back down from a situation and when it is time to step up.
August 9, 2009
3 1/2 stars, really. This is one of those books that kids would probably be more forgiving of than adults, and kids are the target audience, SO, from a YA perspective, a 4 and an attaboy for Call-Me-Al. What I like best is the humor and the banter between the friends Andre (young black protagonist) and Shawn (young black protagonist's young white friend). Cedric, Andre's cousin, is an interesting kid because he's the clown in the book and creates tension by using "black humor" at a night club comedy contest. Andre doesn't find it funny at all.
Where the book suffers is in its TV predictability. Andre is an intern who has never written anything for the magazine where he works as a gopher. The editor suddenly asks him to write a feature on racism (never happen). Andre not only does it, the final product wins an international award (veteran journalists are lucky to garner these). Violence results from the article and Andre gets the chance to overcome adversity (to the sound of violins swelling) and they live happily ever after -- but not until he gives a speech before 500 people (oh boy, only in Hollywood).
It's not strictly a jock book because the racial dynamic is as great or greater than the basketball one. Andre dates a Latina girl and gets to know his dad, who shares heretofore secret stories of racism from HIS past. Fast reading, and not bad at all for Sitomer's freshman effort. Some mature dialogue, for grades 8 or 9 and up (depending on your bravery, should you stock a classroom library like me).
Where the book suffers is in its TV predictability. Andre is an intern who has never written anything for the magazine where he works as a gopher. The editor suddenly asks him to write a feature on racism (never happen). Andre not only does it, the final product wins an international award (veteran journalists are lucky to garner these). Violence results from the article and Andre gets the chance to overcome adversity (to the sound of violins swelling) and they live happily ever after -- but not until he gives a speech before 500 people (oh boy, only in Hollywood).
It's not strictly a jock book because the racial dynamic is as great or greater than the basketball one. Andre dates a Latina girl and gets to know his dad, who shares heretofore secret stories of racism from HIS past. Fast reading, and not bad at all for Sitomer's freshman effort. Some mature dialogue, for grades 8 or 9 and up (depending on your bravery, should you stock a classroom library like me).
October 25, 2010
I chose this book beacuse to tell you the truth i seen a basketball on the front cover and though it was going to be about basketball.
The book started out in a neighborhood where lots of teens where out playing. All the kids out where playing a game of basketball. Also all the kids where also hanging on the court side litening to music.
Andre Anderson is the main characters name in the story. He plays basketball with his freinds most the time. Andre also has a job i would say making magazines at a place called " Affair`s Magazine".
The thing in the story is that Andre wants to really get a job as a magazine writter. He wants to become a writter because he has lots of ideas and a great though for new magazines.
Andre has a big problem in the story as he gose on writting his first magazine for his boss Mr. Jarvin. The problem that he has is that he wrote somethings on his frist paper that people had tooken in a wrong way. Then one day after he was getting of work Andre had gotten jumped and his had crushed inbetween a van sliding door.
Andre`s problem was never solved. The thing is though he really didn`t have a problem with it. You might be asking why he didn`t care, but the truth is that the people that had jumped them had boken his wrong arm.
My opinon was that Andre should have never been writting things about black folks in the first place so he wouldnt of got his butt jumped.
The book started out in a neighborhood where lots of teens where out playing. All the kids out where playing a game of basketball. Also all the kids where also hanging on the court side litening to music.
Andre Anderson is the main characters name in the story. He plays basketball with his freinds most the time. Andre also has a job i would say making magazines at a place called " Affair`s Magazine".
The thing in the story is that Andre wants to really get a job as a magazine writter. He wants to become a writter because he has lots of ideas and a great though for new magazines.
Andre has a big problem in the story as he gose on writting his first magazine for his boss Mr. Jarvin. The problem that he has is that he wrote somethings on his frist paper that people had tooken in a wrong way. Then one day after he was getting of work Andre had gotten jumped and his had crushed inbetween a van sliding door.
Andre`s problem was never solved. The thing is though he really didn`t have a problem with it. You might be asking why he didn`t care, but the truth is that the people that had jumped them had boken his wrong arm.
My opinon was that Andre should have never been writting things about black folks in the first place so he wouldnt of got his butt jumped.
January 5, 2017
This book is about a basketball player named Andre who is also writer for a magazine. When his boss gives him a chance at the front cover article he writes about racism. The next day two guys find him as he is walking to his car and beak his hand and they tell him to stop writing. Great book and I would recommend reading it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2009
this book was a kinda controversial, it involved a young african american male that is training to be a journalist and ends up getting beaten up by some racists. he ends up ok though. i enjoyed reading this book.
December 3, 2009
The narrator was too didactic, too "all-knowing," and a bit condescending.
May 11, 2022
The Hoopster by Alan Lawrence Sitomer deserves four out of five (4/5)stars because the characters are very funny and cool people. The settings of the book are very simple and very realistic. The topics I will be reviewing in my book (The Hoopster) will be the characters of the book and the settings of the book.
One of the characters I like the best and find interesting is Andre. I find Andre cool and I find his personality chill. I think Andre is a cool guy and has a chill personality because of how typically he acts and treats his friends and the people he meets who are not his friends. I said this because he treats his friends with respect all the time even though he could joke around with them and be funny sometimes. I also said this because for example in the book when Andre went to meet Shawn his friend at the school playground he met Shawn's friend in the process at the same place and at the same time. Shawn's friend's name is Gwen. when Andre met Gwen they introduced themselves to each other, they got along well and they had a good, smooth, and flirty conversation with each other. They got along well and became friends. Andre even asked her to go and watch a live show with him and she said yes. During their conversation, you could tell they liked each other and from that point on they got closer.
I also think Andre is a cool guy because he has goals for a career he wants to do more like a dream job he wants to get which is to become a news writer. a quote that supports that is when shawn´s mom was having a conversation with Andre and she said “are things going well for you down at the magazine, Andre?” “Oh sure, sure,” Andre replied. “Things are fine . I mean, I just had my third article rejected by the editor yesterday, but other than every dream I ever had in the world shattered, things are pretty good.”(24) this quote shows that Andre is working hard and doing things to reach his goals even tho he struggles and face rejection. Andre is working hard to get his dream job and he is on the right path pursuing and doing everything to reach his goals. While pursuing his goals he is also balancing his love life with work. Another reason why I think Andre is cool is that he plays basketball in his free time with his friends and I can relate to that because I also like playing basketball. “ Ten players, twenty sneakers, two rims, one basketball: that's all there was. That's all they needed.” “ Andre, a left-handed black player for the shirts, quickly brought the ball up the court the other way. Shawn quickly dashed out to defend him, but Andre pulled up before Shawn could get there and drilled a three-point shot of his own.”(1,2) this quote shows that Andre plays basketball and he also plays with his friends.
The settings of the book are very realistic. I said this because the places and the time the story took place are realistic. I said this because the story took place on an indoor basketball court and an outdoor neighborhood basketball court. The story also took place on a school playground(when Andre went to meet Shawn and also met Gwen in the process). Another place the story took place is at a theatre. For example, when Andre and Gwen went to the magic show together, the show took place in a theatre. The story took place at Andre's workplace, and also took place at Shawn's house when Shawn took Andre to his house. I like the settings because everything took place at a reasonable place and at a reasonable time. The settings of this book and the events in this book help me enjoy the book more because it's relatable and could happen in person. I also enjoy it because I've been in a couple of the situations in the book and places the story took place in the book which made me understand and enjoy the book even more because I could imagine things from the book's point of view.
One of the characters I like the best and find interesting is Andre. I find Andre cool and I find his personality chill. I think Andre is a cool guy and has a chill personality because of how typically he acts and treats his friends and the people he meets who are not his friends. I said this because he treats his friends with respect all the time even though he could joke around with them and be funny sometimes. I also said this because for example in the book when Andre went to meet Shawn his friend at the school playground he met Shawn's friend in the process at the same place and at the same time. Shawn's friend's name is Gwen. when Andre met Gwen they introduced themselves to each other, they got along well and they had a good, smooth, and flirty conversation with each other. They got along well and became friends. Andre even asked her to go and watch a live show with him and she said yes. During their conversation, you could tell they liked each other and from that point on they got closer.
I also think Andre is a cool guy because he has goals for a career he wants to do more like a dream job he wants to get which is to become a news writer. a quote that supports that is when shawn´s mom was having a conversation with Andre and she said “are things going well for you down at the magazine, Andre?” “Oh sure, sure,” Andre replied. “Things are fine . I mean, I just had my third article rejected by the editor yesterday, but other than every dream I ever had in the world shattered, things are pretty good.”(24) this quote shows that Andre is working hard and doing things to reach his goals even tho he struggles and face rejection. Andre is working hard to get his dream job and he is on the right path pursuing and doing everything to reach his goals. While pursuing his goals he is also balancing his love life with work. Another reason why I think Andre is cool is that he plays basketball in his free time with his friends and I can relate to that because I also like playing basketball. “ Ten players, twenty sneakers, two rims, one basketball: that's all there was. That's all they needed.” “ Andre, a left-handed black player for the shirts, quickly brought the ball up the court the other way. Shawn quickly dashed out to defend him, but Andre pulled up before Shawn could get there and drilled a three-point shot of his own.”(1,2) this quote shows that Andre plays basketball and he also plays with his friends.
The settings of the book are very realistic. I said this because the places and the time the story took place are realistic. I said this because the story took place on an indoor basketball court and an outdoor neighborhood basketball court. The story also took place on a school playground(when Andre went to meet Shawn and also met Gwen in the process). Another place the story took place is at a theatre. For example, when Andre and Gwen went to the magic show together, the show took place in a theatre. The story took place at Andre's workplace, and also took place at Shawn's house when Shawn took Andre to his house. I like the settings because everything took place at a reasonable place and at a reasonable time. The settings of this book and the events in this book help me enjoy the book more because it's relatable and could happen in person. I also enjoy it because I've been in a couple of the situations in the book and places the story took place in the book which made me understand and enjoy the book even more because I could imagine things from the book's point of view.
January 13, 2017
The Hoopster Book Review By: Angel Zapata
By: Alan Lawrence Sitomer
*Spoiler Alert*
During his “I Have A Dream” speech, Martin Luther King Jr. believed that one day, his children and other people in the future will not be judged by their race or the color of their skin, but by the actions and characteristics that define them. This book that I have read recently is an urban-fiction story called "The Hoopster" By Alan Lawrence Sitomer. This story is about an African-American teenager who is threatened and assaulted by a group of men after they read an article about racism that he has written. This story starts off positive, but then gets darker and tension rises as the story progresses.
In the expedition of this story, you are introduced to the protagonist, Andre Anderson, an African-American teenager who currently works at a magazine company, who is with his best friend, Shawn, his cousin, Cedric, and other people his age playing a game of basketball at a public basketball court in an urban area. The next day, while at work at a magazine publication called Affairs magazine, his boss, Mr. Jarvin, promotes Andre from an assistant to a professional writer by giving Andre his first writing assignment on racism. However, in his spare time, Andre is introduced to a teenage girl named Gwen by Shawn, and invites her to a magic show after being gifted with two free tickets from his boss. After the show, Gwen and Andre fall in love with each other, but then, Gwen leaves Andre after Andre becomes furious at his sister, who smokes while her parents are gone. A few days later, Andre finishes his writing assignment, which then gets approved by Mr Jarvin and his work is published in the most recent issue of the Affairs magazine. After Andre gets home, all his family members and coworkers surprise Andre with a party in order to celebrate the success of his first magazine article. The next day, Andre gets a call from Gwen at work who says she would like to talk privately with Andre at a coffee shop after Andre gets out of work. However, after work, when Andre enters the Affairs magazine parking lot, he suddenly gets attacked by a group of men from a van who threaten Andre to stop writing about racism and break his right arm. Andre stays in the hospital for days, unable to move or get up from a bed at the hospital. A few days later, although Andre got out of the hospital, he feels depressed. But after Andre leaves the house and visits a basketball court to think about his problems, Shawn meets up with Andre and gives him an artificial hand so that Andre can play basketball again. A few days later at a banquet hall, Andre expresses to a crowd of people that although he felt very angry and vengeful at the gang who injured him, he believed that peace is the way to handle things, with words and not with violence because he believed that violence would only make him feel worse. The story then ends a couple of days later, with Andre enjoying another game of basketball with his friends.
I believe that the theme of this story is to solve problems through peace and fight back with words instead of solving them with violence and fighting back with our fists because when Andre was injured in the hospital and Shawn and Cedric begin to think about starting a riot against the gangsters who broke Andre’s arm, Andre’s father explains that the point of Andre’s written article was to explain to people to solve things through peace instead of violence, which motivated Shawn and Cedric to cancel their riot plan. I also believe that the third-person omniscient point-of-view affects the story because this point-of-view helps the reader understand all of the characters personalities and their opinions on the other characters, like how Andre’s parents felt when Andre was injured. A major event that changed Andre was when he was physically attacked by a group of gangsters, who threatened him not to write about racism again because this caused Andre to think about why the gangsters decided to attack him instead of talking to him and how to stop them from hurting anyone else. This caused Andre to question himself on what he should do next. The author also builds suspense when Andre is attacked by the group of gangsters because this leaves the reader wondering what will happen next and wonder if Andre will survive after being constantly hurt by the group of gangsters?
I was very surprised when I read the part when Andre was physically attacked by a group of gangsters because before this event occurred, many positive things were happening to Andre, such as having his first article being published on the Affairs magazine and getting a girlfriend who really understands him, which made me think that nothing really bad might ever happen to Andre, until this event occurred. I also really liked how after Andre got injured, Andre’s father explained to Shawn and Cedric not to start a riot because he said that in the article that Andre wrote, he explained that people should solve problems through peace and kindness and not violence and vengeance. I was also very satisfied with the falling action of the story, when Andre makes a speech in a banquet hall, explaining that even though he felt very depressed and furious after he was attacked by gangsters, he believed that revenge doesn’t exist and seeking revenge against the gangsters who attacked him would never make him feel better and peace was the answer to the situation he has been through. I thought the ending of this book was very inspirational when Andre was having a game of basketball with his friends because this conclusion to the story shows that even after all the pain he’s been through when being attacked by the group of gangsters, that didn’t stop Andre from doing the one thing he loves most.
After reading this urban-fiction novel, I would highly recommend this book to anyone at the age of twelve or higher because this novel does have some lines of dialogue that contains language that might be inappropriate and offensive to anyone who is younger than twelve years-old. I would also give this book 4 out of 5 stars because although I really liked how the author set up his story and the way the story was told, I wish there was more tension and suspense at the expedition or rising action of this story in order to contribute to the scene where Andre is physically attacked. Overall, I thought this story was inspirational, satisfying, and leaves an important message to anyone else who reads this book.
By: Alan Lawrence Sitomer
*Spoiler Alert*
During his “I Have A Dream” speech, Martin Luther King Jr. believed that one day, his children and other people in the future will not be judged by their race or the color of their skin, but by the actions and characteristics that define them. This book that I have read recently is an urban-fiction story called "The Hoopster" By Alan Lawrence Sitomer. This story is about an African-American teenager who is threatened and assaulted by a group of men after they read an article about racism that he has written. This story starts off positive, but then gets darker and tension rises as the story progresses.
In the expedition of this story, you are introduced to the protagonist, Andre Anderson, an African-American teenager who currently works at a magazine company, who is with his best friend, Shawn, his cousin, Cedric, and other people his age playing a game of basketball at a public basketball court in an urban area. The next day, while at work at a magazine publication called Affairs magazine, his boss, Mr. Jarvin, promotes Andre from an assistant to a professional writer by giving Andre his first writing assignment on racism. However, in his spare time, Andre is introduced to a teenage girl named Gwen by Shawn, and invites her to a magic show after being gifted with two free tickets from his boss. After the show, Gwen and Andre fall in love with each other, but then, Gwen leaves Andre after Andre becomes furious at his sister, who smokes while her parents are gone. A few days later, Andre finishes his writing assignment, which then gets approved by Mr Jarvin and his work is published in the most recent issue of the Affairs magazine. After Andre gets home, all his family members and coworkers surprise Andre with a party in order to celebrate the success of his first magazine article. The next day, Andre gets a call from Gwen at work who says she would like to talk privately with Andre at a coffee shop after Andre gets out of work. However, after work, when Andre enters the Affairs magazine parking lot, he suddenly gets attacked by a group of men from a van who threaten Andre to stop writing about racism and break his right arm. Andre stays in the hospital for days, unable to move or get up from a bed at the hospital. A few days later, although Andre got out of the hospital, he feels depressed. But after Andre leaves the house and visits a basketball court to think about his problems, Shawn meets up with Andre and gives him an artificial hand so that Andre can play basketball again. A few days later at a banquet hall, Andre expresses to a crowd of people that although he felt very angry and vengeful at the gang who injured him, he believed that peace is the way to handle things, with words and not with violence because he believed that violence would only make him feel worse. The story then ends a couple of days later, with Andre enjoying another game of basketball with his friends.
I believe that the theme of this story is to solve problems through peace and fight back with words instead of solving them with violence and fighting back with our fists because when Andre was injured in the hospital and Shawn and Cedric begin to think about starting a riot against the gangsters who broke Andre’s arm, Andre’s father explains that the point of Andre’s written article was to explain to people to solve things through peace instead of violence, which motivated Shawn and Cedric to cancel their riot plan. I also believe that the third-person omniscient point-of-view affects the story because this point-of-view helps the reader understand all of the characters personalities and their opinions on the other characters, like how Andre’s parents felt when Andre was injured. A major event that changed Andre was when he was physically attacked by a group of gangsters, who threatened him not to write about racism again because this caused Andre to think about why the gangsters decided to attack him instead of talking to him and how to stop them from hurting anyone else. This caused Andre to question himself on what he should do next. The author also builds suspense when Andre is attacked by the group of gangsters because this leaves the reader wondering what will happen next and wonder if Andre will survive after being constantly hurt by the group of gangsters?
I was very surprised when I read the part when Andre was physically attacked by a group of gangsters because before this event occurred, many positive things were happening to Andre, such as having his first article being published on the Affairs magazine and getting a girlfriend who really understands him, which made me think that nothing really bad might ever happen to Andre, until this event occurred. I also really liked how after Andre got injured, Andre’s father explained to Shawn and Cedric not to start a riot because he said that in the article that Andre wrote, he explained that people should solve problems through peace and kindness and not violence and vengeance. I was also very satisfied with the falling action of the story, when Andre makes a speech in a banquet hall, explaining that even though he felt very depressed and furious after he was attacked by gangsters, he believed that revenge doesn’t exist and seeking revenge against the gangsters who attacked him would never make him feel better and peace was the answer to the situation he has been through. I thought the ending of this book was very inspirational when Andre was having a game of basketball with his friends because this conclusion to the story shows that even after all the pain he’s been through when being attacked by the group of gangsters, that didn’t stop Andre from doing the one thing he loves most.
After reading this urban-fiction novel, I would highly recommend this book to anyone at the age of twelve or higher because this novel does have some lines of dialogue that contains language that might be inappropriate and offensive to anyone who is younger than twelve years-old. I would also give this book 4 out of 5 stars because although I really liked how the author set up his story and the way the story was told, I wish there was more tension and suspense at the expedition or rising action of this story in order to contribute to the scene where Andre is physically attacked. Overall, I thought this story was inspirational, satisfying, and leaves an important message to anyone else who reads this book.
January 11, 2018
Alan Sitomer’s book “The Hoopster” is a realistic fiction book. It describes the life as an African American boy who has a background in the sport of basketball. Andre Anderson has a normal life as a teenager. He loves basketball and brings basketball into real life situations and a way of living. He has a pretty normal family that loves him very much and hopes for him to succeed in life.
Andre Anderson had a dream of becoming a journalist. He loves to hang out with his friends and loves to have fun and laugh. He's just a regular teenager with big dreams. In the meantime, he spent his time during the summer working at a magazine. Andre’s white friend named Shawn, said that he wanted to have Andre stop focusing on mostly work and focus a little bit more on his social life. So then Shawn introduces him to a latina girl named Gwen. Andre’s boss wanted him to write an article on racism and ever since he worked on the article, he was violently attacked by a gang of racists. After the incident, he was sent to the hospital.
The author has a history of writing books where it is manly about teenagers. There is a lot of african american culture involved in his history of books. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes sports and action because i feel like that this book has a lot of those two things. I think this book can relate to real life because these kind of things can happen to people. I personally really like this book because of the fact that i like basketball and this book was really interesting and intriguing.
Andre Anderson had a dream of becoming a journalist. He loves to hang out with his friends and loves to have fun and laugh. He's just a regular teenager with big dreams. In the meantime, he spent his time during the summer working at a magazine. Andre’s white friend named Shawn, said that he wanted to have Andre stop focusing on mostly work and focus a little bit more on his social life. So then Shawn introduces him to a latina girl named Gwen. Andre’s boss wanted him to write an article on racism and ever since he worked on the article, he was violently attacked by a gang of racists. After the incident, he was sent to the hospital.
The author has a history of writing books where it is manly about teenagers. There is a lot of african american culture involved in his history of books. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes sports and action because i feel like that this book has a lot of those two things. I think this book can relate to real life because these kind of things can happen to people. I personally really like this book because of the fact that i like basketball and this book was really interesting and intriguing.
March 22, 2018
I'm going to guess that this is the author's first try at writing a novel. This book feels like a generic attempt to tackle the subject of racism. Everything is a stereotype in the story, from the characters and their dialog, to the point that the book itself feels counter productive. The writing style is at an elementary school reading level, but the content is for young adults. Because of this there is no flow to the prose. The book is also loaded with cliches that made me groan while reading. The story could probably work with more depth and less sitcom feel or "Sunny D" like commercial moments. Just read the beginning of chapter 2 and you'll understand what I am talking about. It involves teenagers complaining about mom's meat loaf, mom getting upset about the teenagers drinking juice from the container, shoving a bunch of food in their mouth, cookies, dirty clothes, belching, more dinner talk, a dirty room, "nose picking, belly button licking, fart smeller", more meat loaf, babes, and "up-over-and-around high five." If it catches a reluctant reader, great! I just don't feel this is good writing.
October 6, 2017
The Hoopster is a very good story about how to cope with big problems in life. Andre Anderson is an amazing basketball player with a great girlfriend and a very good internship for writing articles. Everything is going right for him and his life couldn't get any better until he writes a controversial article on racism. Many hateful,racist, civilians take the essay the wrong way, causing many big problems for Andre. Andre is jumped and injured very badly. After this he refuses to have any social interaction with anybody and his family must save him from his depression. His family and friends worry about him and can't take him being like this, so they try to take action to the situation.
October 3, 2018
The book, The Hoopster has one a main person who has many friends that play basketball with him every morning and usually hang out after with each other. They sometimes go thier seperate ways and do the things they need to do. For example, one character has do to boy scout training, another has to do a comedy show to make money, and the other has to work for the newspaper but is now getting a promotion to right a big story of something happening. There are also characters that have seen in the story like a girl named Gwen who is also a girl scout leader but is also the rival of Shawns boy scout group and she is also to be future girlfriend of Andre. gf
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2020
This book was borderline ok. I felt the plot was pretty spotty, and there were many times throughout the book where I had no clue what was going on. To be honest, this book was not that good. Some other novels I have read have been way better. This book is about a boy named Andre Anderson who faces discrimination and racism repeatedly throughout the story. After writing an article about racism, Andre is brutally beaten outside of his house by a group of white supremacists. He continues to write about racism, and Andres bravery and courage bring him back on top.
September 28, 2022
This book was a very fast paced one and crammed a lot of info that you are able to take in easily. The book is very descriptive at moments and other moments where there are lacking components such as setting and the characters surroundings. This book is a fun and easy read with an interesting and mostly detailed text structure. The author's message that he was trying to send to the reader is pretty clear and a good one. I mainly liked the parts of the book where Andre was enjoying time with his friends and family. Though the story does feel like it happened it didn't that is something I like about this book, it takes real world situations and problems and lets the reader imagine them.
January 22, 2020
This book was a one that I would like to read more. It showed that anyone can overcome any obstacle. In the beginning its just learning about him and then he writes something in the newspaper. Something happens to him and he overcomes the situation and he never gave up.He showed confidence and power through the whole book besides a little part. It is about guys playibg basktball then it gets deeper and then we start to see their lives and what they are like.
February 28, 2019
This book moved me the most out of every book I have read this year. I thought that everything was put together in this book so perfectly I couldn't stop reading it. It was like watching a movie but i was reading the book, there were no boring parts in the book. And I ended finishing the book in a about a week or week and a half.
February 23, 2018
This is a good book for teens about prejudice and the ways people deal with violence. I am going to teach it in my classroom.
September 11, 2018
It is a great book full of emotion and teaches you about racism
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May 6, 2022The book was fantastic. It didn't get you bored and I felt good when I was reading it. The book has a lot of humor and brought a lot of joy to me.
May 2, 2024
Wow this book is POWERFUL! All should read and be open to the message. Very mature content.
February 18, 2014
**Spoiler Alert**
Have you ever had dream that you were passionate about but kept getting knocked down by either society or just people of your community because you were making sure or making people of your community aware of your dream or passion. Well young adult Andre did matter fact he got beat up just because he was saying in his writing the truth about racism. The theme of this book is realistic fiction.
The story starts by Andre playing basketball. He goes up against a guy named Shawn. First possession Shawn shoots a three SPLASH nothing but net. Then its Andre's turn he gets the ball SPLASH right back in Shawn's face. Later on in the game it gets down to next point wins and Andre goes in hard. They both collide but before they do Andre was able to get the ball off for the layup and the win he makes with the hard foul Andre's squad wins. But when both of them get up Andre realizes he's bleeding bad on his hand and him and Shawn get into a standoff.....Then the author reveals by both of them laughing that they are friends and later after this scene best friends. Then after the game (not an actual game more like a pick up game) he drives home and drops off Shawn at his home and visits his house for a while then drives home. Then later in the story Andre gets assigned a project (he's a writer) its about racism. Andre start t0 feel offended because he feels his boss is just assigning him this because he's African-American and immedeitly tells him how he feels. But he decides to just do the project. However as he writes a rights and observes like a good writer he begins to notice racism everywhere. And the article he writes as his project receives tremendous positive response for the understanding of racism going on around his community But the local haters the "PPA" (people for a pure America) decide to respond in a horrific way by Beating him up in a parking lot. But the thing i like about Andre is the ambition and the willing to do what he loves even while injured as he says in the book "I will type with my nose if I have to" In the end he says a speech in a banquet about his injury and what the PPA did to him. Also in the end he learns there is no revenge for the people who beat him up but he also knows even though the PPA beat him up they didn't take away what Andre believes in.
I liked the way the author described or made Andre seem in the story he makes him Ambitious,Corageous,and most importantly NOT A QUITTER even after everything the PPA did to him. If I were the author I would have made Andre more focused on basketball and have being an NBA basketball player as his main dream. Why did the author make Andre's goal in life a writer why couldn't it just have been basketball because he's obviously really good at it. My favorite part was when Shawn had one of his hands in his armpit and the other in his nose jumping on the bed and then his mom came in and saw that was HILARIOUS. I couldn't understand why the PPA had to attack Andre when all he did was state the truth.
I also thought in my opinion it was a pretty good book it got boring at times but when it wasn't it was cool,sad,and funny. This book reminds me of the assasination of Martin Luther King because like the Andre situation with the PPA somebody didnt like what he was preaching and saying in front of people so they just shot him while in memphis saying hi to some people. Now Andre didnt get killed but he came petty darn close he had a punctured kidney like 2 broken ribs and 23 broken bones in his hands and a punctured eye he basicly could've died.
In conclusion I would rate book a 7 out of 10 I thought it was ok. I would recommend this book for people who love basketball and love writing. So have a dream? How far would you go to pursue it?
Have you ever had dream that you were passionate about but kept getting knocked down by either society or just people of your community because you were making sure or making people of your community aware of your dream or passion. Well young adult Andre did matter fact he got beat up just because he was saying in his writing the truth about racism. The theme of this book is realistic fiction.
The story starts by Andre playing basketball. He goes up against a guy named Shawn. First possession Shawn shoots a three SPLASH nothing but net. Then its Andre's turn he gets the ball SPLASH right back in Shawn's face. Later on in the game it gets down to next point wins and Andre goes in hard. They both collide but before they do Andre was able to get the ball off for the layup and the win he makes with the hard foul Andre's squad wins. But when both of them get up Andre realizes he's bleeding bad on his hand and him and Shawn get into a standoff.....Then the author reveals by both of them laughing that they are friends and later after this scene best friends. Then after the game (not an actual game more like a pick up game) he drives home and drops off Shawn at his home and visits his house for a while then drives home. Then later in the story Andre gets assigned a project (he's a writer) its about racism. Andre start t0 feel offended because he feels his boss is just assigning him this because he's African-American and immedeitly tells him how he feels. But he decides to just do the project. However as he writes a rights and observes like a good writer he begins to notice racism everywhere. And the article he writes as his project receives tremendous positive response for the understanding of racism going on around his community But the local haters the "PPA" (people for a pure America) decide to respond in a horrific way by Beating him up in a parking lot. But the thing i like about Andre is the ambition and the willing to do what he loves even while injured as he says in the book "I will type with my nose if I have to" In the end he says a speech in a banquet about his injury and what the PPA did to him. Also in the end he learns there is no revenge for the people who beat him up but he also knows even though the PPA beat him up they didn't take away what Andre believes in.
I liked the way the author described or made Andre seem in the story he makes him Ambitious,Corageous,and most importantly NOT A QUITTER even after everything the PPA did to him. If I were the author I would have made Andre more focused on basketball and have being an NBA basketball player as his main dream. Why did the author make Andre's goal in life a writer why couldn't it just have been basketball because he's obviously really good at it. My favorite part was when Shawn had one of his hands in his armpit and the other in his nose jumping on the bed and then his mom came in and saw that was HILARIOUS. I couldn't understand why the PPA had to attack Andre when all he did was state the truth.
I also thought in my opinion it was a pretty good book it got boring at times but when it wasn't it was cool,sad,and funny. This book reminds me of the assasination of Martin Luther King because like the Andre situation with the PPA somebody didnt like what he was preaching and saying in front of people so they just shot him while in memphis saying hi to some people. Now Andre didnt get killed but he came petty darn close he had a punctured kidney like 2 broken ribs and 23 broken bones in his hands and a punctured eye he basicly could've died.
In conclusion I would rate book a 7 out of 10 I thought it was ok. I would recommend this book for people who love basketball and love writing. So have a dream? How far would you go to pursue it?
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March 10, 2017Its cool. You know got bad language in it which is funny but its sad kinda like All American Boys.
January 3, 2012
This book is about an ambitious young black boy named Andre, he lives in a time where some people were still racist it's hard for him because he's best friend is white. But that doesn't stop them from being friends his cousin Cedric is like the cocky one in the family, they all love to play ball but each have something they are good at. Like Andre is a writer, Shawn is a artist & Cedric is a comedian. Later on in the story they learn to slowly achieve those dreams.
The story starts to take place once Andre gets a job at the magazine company. His boss tells him to write a paper on racism, Andre isn't so sure if he wants a piece about that topic. But his boss isn't going to take no for an answer he feels this will help Andre with his future assignments because he sees potential in him. Andre finally agrees to do the paper, things were going good for him until the night Cedric's talent show. At the show Cedric decided to tell jokes about the black race, which made Andre really uncomfortable he confronted him about it but Cedric wasn't reasoning with him. Instead they got into a argument which left Andre upset & everything went downhill for them after that.
I think the author's audience is everyone, because anyone can relate to this story. whether they are facing racism or family problems, especially for the young audience because some of us might be going through this in school or home & it can effect our grades & daily life. So i think this is a good book for young readers & old to read, they can learn something that can help them later on in life. & they can past it on to future generations, this book is a good book that relates to a lot of people's lives.
The theme of the story is that no matter what color or race you are you can achieve whatever you want to if you put your mind to it & focus. You shouldn't let life's difficulties affect your goals or future. There are people in the world that actually want to help you accomplish those goals, Andre was living in a community where racism still existed but he didn't let them intimidate him. He wanted to be a write & he achieved it without any problems or anyone stopping him. That's a good lesson that every young person should learn. Whatever they want to be in the future they can be it, they just need to focus & not let any negativity get to them or discourage them.
The story starts to take place once Andre gets a job at the magazine company. His boss tells him to write a paper on racism, Andre isn't so sure if he wants a piece about that topic. But his boss isn't going to take no for an answer he feels this will help Andre with his future assignments because he sees potential in him. Andre finally agrees to do the paper, things were going good for him until the night Cedric's talent show. At the show Cedric decided to tell jokes about the black race, which made Andre really uncomfortable he confronted him about it but Cedric wasn't reasoning with him. Instead they got into a argument which left Andre upset & everything went downhill for them after that.
I think the author's audience is everyone, because anyone can relate to this story. whether they are facing racism or family problems, especially for the young audience because some of us might be going through this in school or home & it can effect our grades & daily life. So i think this is a good book for young readers & old to read, they can learn something that can help them later on in life. & they can past it on to future generations, this book is a good book that relates to a lot of people's lives.
The theme of the story is that no matter what color or race you are you can achieve whatever you want to if you put your mind to it & focus. You shouldn't let life's difficulties affect your goals or future. There are people in the world that actually want to help you accomplish those goals, Andre was living in a community where racism still existed but he didn't let them intimidate him. He wanted to be a write & he achieved it without any problems or anyone stopping him. That's a good lesson that every young person should learn. Whatever they want to be in the future they can be it, they just need to focus & not let any negativity get to them or discourage them.
October 9, 2012
Can you recover when your whole identity and world collapses around you? Many of us are defined by our personal skills and gifts. How would you feel if everything you worked so hard for was taken away in a split second? Would you be able to rebuild and persevere?
Well in The Hoopster by Alan Lawrence Sitomer a teenage African American boy named Andre has to do just that. He is on the right path to success on the court and off. He is a basketball player with a "deadly jumpshot" and a writer for a local magazine in Chicago. He goes out on a limb and calls out the injustices African Americans face in America today. Many people congratulate him for his insightfulness and creativity but not everyone is pleased with his article. Late one night while walking to his car after work Andre found himself in an unescapable situation. He is jumped by a group of six white men who were enraged at his article. They crushed his right hand in the car door and broke many bones. They beat him severely and threatened to do worse if he wrote another piece. Andre was hospitalized and was told by doctors that his crushed hand may never be functional again. He was so devastated he did not speak for a month.
Would he be able to rebuild his life and career? Ironically he was left handed so when he finally came around to accept what had happened to him he realized his dominant hand was still functional. He had to draw upon his inner strength and after his friends symbolic sculpture of a right hand he decided it was time to step up and stop sulking. He worked hard to get back on the road to recovery. With the support of his family and friends he worked his way back on to the court and into the world of journalism once again. He learned that if you stick with something you can get it done. He was later honored for his article and for his determination and perseverence after his tragic incident.
After reading the Hoopster I would recommend this book to teens and young adults who enjoy books with a good moral and a strong, likable main character. I found the book to be progressive, fast paced and easy to read. I do not typically choose fictional stories to read. However this book was engaging, entertaining and inspiring.
Well in The Hoopster by Alan Lawrence Sitomer a teenage African American boy named Andre has to do just that. He is on the right path to success on the court and off. He is a basketball player with a "deadly jumpshot" and a writer for a local magazine in Chicago. He goes out on a limb and calls out the injustices African Americans face in America today. Many people congratulate him for his insightfulness and creativity but not everyone is pleased with his article. Late one night while walking to his car after work Andre found himself in an unescapable situation. He is jumped by a group of six white men who were enraged at his article. They crushed his right hand in the car door and broke many bones. They beat him severely and threatened to do worse if he wrote another piece. Andre was hospitalized and was told by doctors that his crushed hand may never be functional again. He was so devastated he did not speak for a month.
Would he be able to rebuild his life and career? Ironically he was left handed so when he finally came around to accept what had happened to him he realized his dominant hand was still functional. He had to draw upon his inner strength and after his friends symbolic sculpture of a right hand he decided it was time to step up and stop sulking. He worked hard to get back on the road to recovery. With the support of his family and friends he worked his way back on to the court and into the world of journalism once again. He learned that if you stick with something you can get it done. He was later honored for his article and for his determination and perseverence after his tragic incident.
After reading the Hoopster I would recommend this book to teens and young adults who enjoy books with a good moral and a strong, likable main character. I found the book to be progressive, fast paced and easy to read. I do not typically choose fictional stories to read. However this book was engaging, entertaining and inspiring.
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November 14, 2014The Hoopster by Alan Sitomer is a fiction novel and it is about a black teenager named Andre Anderson and he loves to play basketball with his white bestfriend Shawn and his annoying cousin Cedric. Andre has a goal to become a journalist, so he is trying to make sure that his spot is safe and on lock down for magazine job in the summer. His friend Shawn thinks that Andre spends too much time working and not enough with his friends outside his free time, so he introduces Andre to a friend of his named Gwen and she was Latino. Then Andre's boss tells Andre to do and article on racism and everyone love the work he did on that article and his life was becoming more and more great for him. Then Andre life gets turned upside down when a gang of white men beat Andre up really bad it was a very violent beaten they did this did this because of what he wrote about racism. After that happen he was sent to the hospital for a couple weeks to recover from his brutal injury, his friends and family started to worry about him because he went into a deep depression and wasn't socializing with anyone. Then he broke out of that stage and gave a big speech to everyone about not giving up no matter what happens and that motviated him too keep going on in life to be successful.
There are several things I really about this book. The story and paste of this book was very suspenseful and very interesting to read when you are bored or you just want to read. This is very exciting because its about basketball and romance in some pages and the action that goes on in the book is very well thought. In a scene Andre and Cedric was fighting and that page was filled with action and I like pages that have that type of action because it cause suspense to the readers. I really didn't see anything wrong with the book in my eyes I thought it was well plotted and written out.
I would highly recommend The Hoopster to anyone. The cliffhangers in this book was very interesting I think anyone would love to read this type of book by the way it was written well thought of. If you read anyone books or see any movies or televison shows about basketball, life, and like trying to make it in life you should really read this book because it will change your whole point of view on things.
There are several things I really about this book. The story and paste of this book was very suspenseful and very interesting to read when you are bored or you just want to read. This is very exciting because its about basketball and romance in some pages and the action that goes on in the book is very well thought. In a scene Andre and Cedric was fighting and that page was filled with action and I like pages that have that type of action because it cause suspense to the readers. I really didn't see anything wrong with the book in my eyes I thought it was well plotted and written out.
I would highly recommend The Hoopster to anyone. The cliffhangers in this book was very interesting I think anyone would love to read this type of book by the way it was written well thought of. If you read anyone books or see any movies or televison shows about basketball, life, and like trying to make it in life you should really read this book because it will change your whole point of view on things.
August 1, 2012
Pretty good storyline. Some of it was a little too...dramatized but overall a really good book :)
I just thought about something, concerning the titles of this book (The Hoopster), Homeboyz, and Hip-Hop High School. All of the aforementioned titles are, well, to put it bluntly, are in some way stereotypical of African American culture.
Homeboyz ----> Gangsters
Hip Hop High School ---> Rappers
The Hoopster ----> Of course all Black people are good basketball players.
And the thing is, none of these stories really fit the titles at all. They're just vague, as if the author said: "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to make a story about a black boy and call it 'The Hoopster' (so clever) and see where we go from there."
And after the author finished, he still believed that the cliche, boring title still fit this actually decent story line. But it doesn't. And it can also be said for the other stories. I am not sure I appreciate that much. You might as well call a book about a Latina: "Illegal Immigrant" and see where you go from there. It took me about three years to figure out this title pattern. If it wasn't for the nice plot of the story, I'd consider being irritated with this author entirely. I am irritated at his mind set, but I suppose he had the best intentions. Still...I kind of have a sour taste in my mouth.
I just thought about something, concerning the titles of this book (The Hoopster), Homeboyz, and Hip-Hop High School. All of the aforementioned titles are, well, to put it bluntly, are in some way stereotypical of African American culture.
Homeboyz ----> Gangsters
Hip Hop High School ---> Rappers
The Hoopster ----> Of course all Black people are good basketball players.
And the thing is, none of these stories really fit the titles at all. They're just vague, as if the author said: "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to make a story about a black boy and call it 'The Hoopster' (so clever) and see where we go from there."
And after the author finished, he still believed that the cliche, boring title still fit this actually decent story line. But it doesn't. And it can also be said for the other stories. I am not sure I appreciate that much. You might as well call a book about a Latina: "Illegal Immigrant" and see where you go from there. It took me about three years to figure out this title pattern. If it wasn't for the nice plot of the story, I'd consider being irritated with this author entirely. I am irritated at his mind set, but I suppose he had the best intentions. Still...I kind of have a sour taste in my mouth.
May 21, 2014
Basketball is an interesting sport for most people. Some people like watching basketball games, but others like to play the sport. Andre in The Hoopster loves to play basketball with his friends. In the beginning of the story Alan Lawrence Sitomer writes, “A hard beat pumped from a radio by the fence. Ten players, twenty sneakers, two rims, one basket: that’s all there was. That’s all they needed” (1). He is able to hook the reader during the first page, which makes The Hoopster an interesting lead.
The story is about a teenager named Andre, and he likes to play basketball with his friends Shawn and Cedric. He also starts to date a girl named Gwen, and he works at a newspaper company. Throughout the story, the theme and the main characters are developed in an effective way. Andre is strongly affected by issues about racism and finds comfort through his loved ones. Shawn and Cedric always have Andre’s back because they will try to help him. Gwen is developed to be a person that likes to be herself and hang out with others, such as Andre. Andre’s father is the best developed because he also develops the theme of the novel. He states that revenge does not help a person, but it actually hinders him or her. Although I find this novel to be interesting, Andre’s other family members and friends are underdeveloped, which is flaw within the novel. Ultimately, the prominent theme and characters make The Hoopster an interesting novel, and I recommend it. ~ Student: Christopher R.
The story is about a teenager named Andre, and he likes to play basketball with his friends Shawn and Cedric. He also starts to date a girl named Gwen, and he works at a newspaper company. Throughout the story, the theme and the main characters are developed in an effective way. Andre is strongly affected by issues about racism and finds comfort through his loved ones. Shawn and Cedric always have Andre’s back because they will try to help him. Gwen is developed to be a person that likes to be herself and hang out with others, such as Andre. Andre’s father is the best developed because he also develops the theme of the novel. He states that revenge does not help a person, but it actually hinders him or her. Although I find this novel to be interesting, Andre’s other family members and friends are underdeveloped, which is flaw within the novel. Ultimately, the prominent theme and characters make The Hoopster an interesting novel, and I recommend it. ~ Student: Christopher R.
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