What do you think?
Rate this book
Hard Times
An extraordinary crime novel from a rising star, that follows the ripple effects of a tragic shooting throughout a Chicago community from the view of the teachers, police officers, and students impacted.
Buddy Mack has been caught in the middle of two worlds at war.
As an English teacher at a South Side, Chicago, high school lauded for its football team, but at risk in every other way, he tries to instill a love of literature. While all of his students face challenges, he’s especially concerned with a trio of boys who test him to no end but are full of promise and heart: Zeke, the football star; Truth, the sweet-talking charmer; and Dontell, Buddy’s most promising student.
At home, his wife, Chrissy, a successful corporate lawyer, is ready to upgrade to a big house on the North Side and start a family, but Buddy’s torn over the implications. And the closest person he has in his life to talk to is Chrissy’s little brother, Curtis, a corrupt Chicago cop.
When the two worlds collide in a shocking moment that rocks the school, Buddy has to choose a side and fight for all he holds dear. Hard Times takes stock of what it means to be there for your people whether you want to or not and unflinchingly confronts the American Dream—a moving, engrossing, and necessary read.
Buddy Mack has been caught in the middle of two worlds at war.
As an English teacher at a South Side, Chicago, high school lauded for its football team, but at risk in every other way, he tries to instill a love of literature. While all of his students face challenges, he’s especially concerned with a trio of boys who test him to no end but are full of promise and heart: Zeke, the football star; Truth, the sweet-talking charmer; and Dontell, Buddy’s most promising student.
At home, his wife, Chrissy, a successful corporate lawyer, is ready to upgrade to a big house on the North Side and start a family, but Buddy’s torn over the implications. And the closest person he has in his life to talk to is Chrissy’s little brother, Curtis, a corrupt Chicago cop.
When the two worlds collide in a shocking moment that rocks the school, Buddy has to choose a side and fight for all he holds dear. Hard Times takes stock of what it means to be there for your people whether you want to or not and unflinchingly confronts the American Dream—a moving, engrossing, and necessary read.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 17, 2026
40 people are currently reading
7519 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Boyd
2 books44 followersJeff is the author of The Weight. He is a former Chicago public school teacher and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He lives in New York with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 12, 2026
A good book, well-written, which I greatly admired and liked, but didn't love, though I very much wanted to love it.
Boyd has written a multi-layered crime thriller that is also a story of living in America while Black. At the center of this story are Buddy, a Black teacher working in a public school on the South Side of Chicago, and Curtis, a dirty Chicago cop who is weak, a drunk, and not very smart. Buddy is married to Curtis' sister and has come to love her interracial family, including Curtis. Buddy is committed to being a support and a model to his students, and he makes some mistakes, but for the right reasons. When Curtis shoots one of Buddy's favorite students (who is working for his drug dealer "uncle") in order to further the nefarious goals of the dirty White cop who is paying him off, the axis tips, and everybody gets in a heap of trouble.
Boyd creates interesting and textured characters, but also a number who are not interesting and textured, and who are unnecessary to the story -- there are a lot of characters here, and it can get overwhelming, so cutting out some would have added a lot of punch. There would have been no adverse impact on the narrative if he had excised Carlos' partner, Esther, his Fox News loving White father, and his smart, decent Black mother whose chicken-frying skills were much talked of, and Buddy's student Malik. As it was, there were lots of things that led me away from the main story, and which made things feel turgid. A 3.5 for me, and I plan to check out Boyd's first book, The Weight.
I listened to the audio for this, and thought the reader, Susan Dalian, was good though the two old White cops, one being the dirty cop paying off Curtis and the other the IA guy trying to take him down, sounded exactly alike, and that was confusing.
Boyd has written a multi-layered crime thriller that is also a story of living in America while Black. At the center of this story are Buddy, a Black teacher working in a public school on the South Side of Chicago, and Curtis, a dirty Chicago cop who is weak, a drunk, and not very smart. Buddy is married to Curtis' sister and has come to love her interracial family, including Curtis. Buddy is committed to being a support and a model to his students, and he makes some mistakes, but for the right reasons. When Curtis shoots one of Buddy's favorite students (who is working for his drug dealer "uncle") in order to further the nefarious goals of the dirty White cop who is paying him off, the axis tips, and everybody gets in a heap of trouble.
Boyd creates interesting and textured characters, but also a number who are not interesting and textured, and who are unnecessary to the story -- there are a lot of characters here, and it can get overwhelming, so cutting out some would have added a lot of punch. There would have been no adverse impact on the narrative if he had excised Carlos' partner, Esther, his Fox News loving White father, and his smart, decent Black mother whose chicken-frying skills were much talked of, and Buddy's student Malik. As it was, there were lots of things that led me away from the main story, and which made things feel turgid. A 3.5 for me, and I plan to check out Boyd's first book, The Weight.
I listened to the audio for this, and thought the reader, Susan Dalian, was good though the two old White cops, one being the dirty cop paying off Curtis and the other the IA guy trying to take him down, sounded exactly alike, and that was confusing.
March 22, 2026
Boyd’s sophomore novel is a huge improvement over his disappointing debut…I’m glad I didn’t give up on him. This is, as described, a crime drama, yes—but Boyd does a great job with his characters and making his setting come alive. I enjoyed this immensely…and while the ending seemed a bit too neat, it was still deeply satisfying. I’m looking forward to whatever comes next for Mr. Boyd.
April 10, 2026
Look. Say what you will about vernacular. I think Hard Times threads the needle on sounding authentic without seeming outdated. At least now, several years into hearing, bet and cap... how long does it last long term? Not sure. That said, this book is great, engaging, and worth a read. Seriously. I haven't read something like this in a long time. There are similar books out there, by similar authors, but what set Boyd apart for me was the empathy that came through instead of anger. This novel is constructed of multiple viewpoints expertly woven and threaded together, which is why I give it five stars, because, as Jim Thomsen says, the book accomplished what it set out to do with solid craft.
April 28, 2026
Not only the characters, but I also had a hard time finishing it. I was skimming by the halfway point. Nothing pulled me in enough to actually slow down and pay attention. The premise sounded promising, but the execution just wasn't for me.
The swearing was constant and a lot. I can't just tolerate that kind of writing, especially when it comes from school-going kids. The pacing was slow, especially in the first half. A lot of the side characters came and went without adding much. It was definitely not for me.
The swearing was constant and a lot. I can't just tolerate that kind of writing, especially when it comes from school-going kids. The pacing was slow, especially in the first half. A lot of the side characters came and went without adding much. It was definitely not for me.
May 9, 2026
For me, the narrative was too familiar in a cliched way although I could see others enjoying it.
April 3, 2026
"Buddy Mack has been caught in the middle of two worlds at war.
As an English teacher at a South Side, Chicago, high school lauded for its football team, but at risk in every other way, he tries to instill a love of literature. While all of his students face challenges, he’s especially concerned with a trio of boys who test him to no end but are full of promise and heart: Zeke, the football star; Truth, the sweet-talking charmer; and Dontell, Buddy’s most promising student.
At home, his wife, Chrissy, a successful corporate lawyer, is ready to upgrade to a big house on the North Side and start a family, but Buddy’s torn over the implications. And the closest person he has in his life to talk to is Chrissy’s little brother, Curtis, a corrupt Chicago cop.
When the two worlds collide in a shocking moment that rocks the school, Buddy has to choose a side and fight for all he holds dear. Hard Times takes stock of what it means to be there for your people whether you want to or not and unflinchingly confronts the American Dream—a moving, engrossing, and necessary read."
Very good depiction of urban teens, but not terribly believable.
As an English teacher at a South Side, Chicago, high school lauded for its football team, but at risk in every other way, he tries to instill a love of literature. While all of his students face challenges, he’s especially concerned with a trio of boys who test him to no end but are full of promise and heart: Zeke, the football star; Truth, the sweet-talking charmer; and Dontell, Buddy’s most promising student.
At home, his wife, Chrissy, a successful corporate lawyer, is ready to upgrade to a big house on the North Side and start a family, but Buddy’s torn over the implications. And the closest person he has in his life to talk to is Chrissy’s little brother, Curtis, a corrupt Chicago cop.
When the two worlds collide in a shocking moment that rocks the school, Buddy has to choose a side and fight for all he holds dear. Hard Times takes stock of what it means to be there for your people whether you want to or not and unflinchingly confronts the American Dream—a moving, engrossing, and necessary read."
Very good depiction of urban teens, but not terribly believable.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
“All these lessons of predestination seemed like childish superstition now. Fate was an active thing. Fortune was something you took. Destinies changed all the time.”
Thank you to Flatiron Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book gave me vibes like I was back watching The Wire, but set in Chicago. Jeff Boyd takes readers on an emotional journey that deals with poverty, racism, drugs, police corruption, and family trauma.
The primarily follows Buddy, a high school English teacher at a school where his students face considerable challenges. He is the character who connects all of the perspectives we get in this book, form the students caught up in something bigger than them, to Buddy’s corporate lawyer wife, and his crooked cop brother-in-law. These worlds collide in a way that Buddy isn’t ready for.
Despite this having a bit of a slow start, I couldn’t put it down once the characters started to connect. Buddy is trying to do everything he can to help his students, but he sees the system is actively working against them. There’s so much nuance to this story in how it tackles difficult and heavy topics while making it feel so real. Each perspective is interesting and provides this additional layer. Reading it, you piece it together but don’t now what the effects will be. This is a really great story with such an emotional impact.
Thank you to Flatiron Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book gave me vibes like I was back watching The Wire, but set in Chicago. Jeff Boyd takes readers on an emotional journey that deals with poverty, racism, drugs, police corruption, and family trauma.
The primarily follows Buddy, a high school English teacher at a school where his students face considerable challenges. He is the character who connects all of the perspectives we get in this book, form the students caught up in something bigger than them, to Buddy’s corporate lawyer wife, and his crooked cop brother-in-law. These worlds collide in a way that Buddy isn’t ready for.
Despite this having a bit of a slow start, I couldn’t put it down once the characters started to connect. Buddy is trying to do everything he can to help his students, but he sees the system is actively working against them. There’s so much nuance to this story in how it tackles difficult and heavy topics while making it feel so real. Each perspective is interesting and provides this additional layer. Reading it, you piece it together but don’t now what the effects will be. This is a really great story with such an emotional impact.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Hard Times by Jeff Boyd. Thanks to @flatiron for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Buddy is a high school teacher at South Side, Chicago. When a traumatic event occurs, his emotions are caught between his most promising, but challenging, students and his family, including his police officer brother in law.
An emotional look at what it’s like for young men to grow up in the inner city, this was a great read but difficult on the heart at times. I liked how you got varying perspectives: the kids, a teacher, and even a police officer. It reads very fast, almost cinematically because it’s very entertaining and the pacing keeps up.
“It was hard to stay surprised when things went bad and just got worse. But that didn’t mean it didn’t break you.”
Read if you like:
-Urban fiction
-Chicago settings
-African American experience
-Coming of age in the inner city
Hard Times comes out 3/17.
Buddy is a high school teacher at South Side, Chicago. When a traumatic event occurs, his emotions are caught between his most promising, but challenging, students and his family, including his police officer brother in law.
An emotional look at what it’s like for young men to grow up in the inner city, this was a great read but difficult on the heart at times. I liked how you got varying perspectives: the kids, a teacher, and even a police officer. It reads very fast, almost cinematically because it’s very entertaining and the pacing keeps up.
“It was hard to stay surprised when things went bad and just got worse. But that didn’t mean it didn’t break you.”
Read if you like:
-Urban fiction
-Chicago settings
-African American experience
-Coming of age in the inner city
Hard Times comes out 3/17.
April 17, 2026
I can't imagine how hard it must be in an inner city urban environment to educate young people with little resources, disjointed families and rampant crime with no way out of the cycle of poverty. Oh, and underfunded and crooked cops. This story does lift up the hood just a bit and it is a tangled web. Buddy Mack is an English teacher in one of the tougher Southside Chicago high schools who can barely keep daily classes from erupting but still manages to make some headway. His wife is a big shot Chicago attorney on the verge of making partner and his brother in-law is a Chicago cop who means well but is caught up with the wrong "crew". It all comes to a head when one of Buddy's students is shot under very suspicious circumstances. What a mess. Well done. Enjoy.
February 21, 2026
I received this ARC from a Goodreads giveaway. I had a lot of trouble at the beginning of this book because there were so many characters to keep track of, in addition to remembering how each character was related to all the others. Another thing that was difficult was deciphering the vernacular of the black teenagers in the inner city of Chicago. After reading it for a while, I was able to catch on to their way of speech and ended up liking the story. It’s a very difficult subject matter, but very important to understand the impossible situation these young people are dealing with in this country. 3 1/2 stars.
April 30, 2026
I appreciated this story. Having a black male teacher is rare. This book has one as the protagonist. He is in a bind because a police officer family member is accused of shooting one of his students. He walks a tightrope trying to be loyal to the kids he loves and his cop relative.
The fact that the author taught in Chicago adds credibility to the characters and their lives. There were a lot of names to keep track of-- I got confused between Pretty Ricky and Ray Ray for example. The ending was suspenseful as there was a tense standoff between a crooked cop hiding a secret and the teacher who had some incriminating evidence.
The fact that the author taught in Chicago adds credibility to the characters and their lives. There were a lot of names to keep track of-- I got confused between Pretty Ricky and Ray Ray for example. The ending was suspenseful as there was a tense standoff between a crooked cop hiding a secret and the teacher who had some incriminating evidence.
March 20, 2026
Dangerous Minds meets The Wire in this story of dirty cops, drug dealers, high schools kids, and one teacher with a heart of gold set in and around a high school on the south side of Chicago.
Boyd is a former Chicago Public Schools teacher, so he knows of what he speaks here.
This is Boyd’s second novel after THE WEIGHT, which I really loved. HARD TIMES is more of a crime novel, and it’s got a few issues, but overall an enjoyable reading experience.
Boyd is a former Chicago Public Schools teacher, so he knows of what he speaks here.
This is Boyd’s second novel after THE WEIGHT, which I really loved. HARD TIMES is more of a crime novel, and it’s got a few issues, but overall an enjoyable reading experience.
January 11, 2026
This book was good, but a tough read. It was almost that no one ever had a chance to be good, to get out of the gang/drug activity around them, and just perpetuating the cycle. But there is hope, even just a tiny glimmer.
The characters were great and had depth.
(Thanks goodreads for the giveaway)
The characters were great and had depth.
(Thanks goodreads for the giveaway)
April 18, 2026
Wow!!! This book was a slow starter for me. It took time for the author to carefully develop the characters, and for the reader to really know and care for them. As it came together, the pace quickened and by the end I couldn’t put it down. Buddy, Truth, Zeke and Dontell will stay with me for a long time. It’s a great read. Just stick with it.
May 4, 2026
South Side Chicago teacher, Mr. Mack, gets caught up in so many different things: students being shot, students dealing drugs, a brother-in-law, a Chicago cop, who is on the take, a long ago disappearance that is connected to one of his students, unreliable drug-addicted parent, food insecurity, sports as a way to escape urban dysfunction, teen pregnancy. Lots going on in this one.
May 7, 2026
2/5 A gritty and uncomfortable read. I did not appreciate the preaching of religion and politics. Usually, I enjoy when the location becomes a character. In this novel, the regional name dropping was so distracting and superfluous. Nevertheless, it should make an interesting book discussion tonight at Harvey's Tales.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
a tough read, depicting hard realities of life in a big city. The characters are well-drawn and realistic, and the lives they live and the challenges and obstacles they face are difficult to read about, and sometimes heartbreaking
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Moving novel regarding an inner city teacher.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Well written heart wrenching perspectives.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
A book about the inner cities and reality of hard life. Very good reading!
March 31, 2026
4★ RTC
April 19, 2026
Exceptionally well written crime drama. It was a bit slow at times and not exactly fun to read, but it's definitely worth it.
Read
April 22, 2026Topic great, writing style not my cup of tea.
April 26, 2026
Good book
May 9, 2026
A story of the inner city which really brings to light how different people live in different parts of the world. Yet, for some reason I kept getting confused who everyone was and didn't really enjoy it.
May 9, 2026
I didn’t want to put this book down! It was a page turner to the very end.
May 4, 2026
I started March by DNF’ing a few mystery books and finished one with an ending so ridiculous that I wanted to punt it, so I went into Hard Times with not much hope. Which is all to say thank you, Jeff Boyd for getting me out of a crime book slump. There is a pocket of social crime novels that I love when the author is skilled in sinking me deep into character’s lives and a community. In this case a high school teacher in Chicago finds himself caught in the middle of protecting his kids, family, career, and beliefs when his brother-in-law, a police officer, endangers it all.
--from 📚On Reading In March 2026 (Best of)
--from 📚On Reading In March 2026 (Best of)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews