How the Boogeyman Became a Poet

by Tony Keith Jr.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, Audiobook, African American, Novel In Verse

352 pages, Paperback

Published February 4, 2025

Reviews

[Rita_book · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of Tony Keith until I saw him speak at National Book Festival in August. He was a charming speaker and I was quite curious about his book. I am so glad I read this—it was funny, sad, thought provoking and ultimately uplifting. I read this by listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by Tony himself. It was great—just like hanging out with him and hearing his take on school, family and relationships. His eye for details, his vivid descriptions and his gift for rhythm are the strengths of this engaging memoir-in-verse. An added bonus for me is the very local setting. Highly recommended!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can absolutely see why How the Boogeyman Became a Poet won the Odyssey award. It was such a top notch production. There isn't music, or a full cast, and it's read by the author. But the subtle touches, like the slight echo/feedback of a mic when Tony is participating in an open mic, really added to the realism of this late teen/new adult memoir told in verse.

This memoir follows author Tony's coming of age, from expressing himself through spoken word poetry to exploring his sexuality, to thinking about going to college and how to pay for it. It was a funny, moving, and interesting listen.

4.5*
2025 Odyssey Award winner
Ages 14 and up

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow. I LOVED this book. Picking it up felt like picking up the sibling to one of my own diaries (except obviously much better written!). It was poignant and comforting, and the struggles were so matter-of-fact that I could connect to all of them, even the ones I didn't personally struggle with growing up. I empathized so much with Tony's whole family, everything from the money struggles to the absence of some members and how that defined how they all interacted with each other. I especially felt Tony's struggles about how to go about applying to or even thinking about college with the fear of tuition and SAT scores hanging over his head. The whole book is written in verse, but something I really loved was the scanned copies of the hand-written poems from his childhood interspersed throughout the book. And somehow, despite being written in verse with negative space on each page, there was room for the other characters to be so well defined and beautiful in their own ways. One of my favorites parts throughout was identifying who/what the boogeyman was each time it was mentioned and seeing how it ebbed and flowed with Tony's growth and experiences.

(Even as I'm writing this review, I'm thinking "Ugh, I can't even find the words to describe how great it is.")

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up

I really enjoy and appreciate this book as a memoir and hate giving it such a low rating. I found myself highlighting sections of the book that spoke out to me. I also applaude Tony Keith Jr. for the rawness and bravery in this book.

My reason for rating it down is that I had a really hard time getting into the flow of the poetry. A lot of the time it felt jumbled or confusing because I couldn't get the tempo or cadence right. I've heard this book is absolutely incredible on audiobooks, and I believe that 100%. I think this is an important memoir to be shared with the world, and even though I rated it so low, I still recommend this book to my audience.

[Melissa Gilbreth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic YA book written in verse! The rhymes were amazing, especially in the audiobook performed by the author! It was super creative and I really enjoyed listening to it. It highlights the struggles at the intersection of military family, faith, African American culture in HBCUs, and identifying as LGBTQ. I was bummed when it was over and really want to know what happened next. Well done!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 4 and 4.5 for me. I’m a big fan of his poetry and the audiobook was a great way to experience it, being read by the author.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The audiobook was greatly narrated by the author/poet himself. A story of a young black man growing up gay and closeted at the turn of the millennium.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compelling and well-written/narrated poetic account of coming of age and coming out as a poor Black man.

[Joy Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book for poetry month. Not my typical poet or poetry but lively and a necessary coming out story