What do you think?
Rate this book
The 9: From the South Side to Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
Ayanna Phelps is proud to be one of The Nine, the tight knit group of smart and determined teens from the South Side of Chicago who meet each morning on the number nine Ashland bus as they make their way to Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. What begins as a shared commute quickly becomes a lifeline as they navigate school pressure, neighborhood challenges, family expectations and the unspoken realities of growing up Black and brilliant in a world that does not always understand them. Now in their senior year, Ayanna faces the most difficult moments of her life. Friendships shift. Home becomes uncertain. Dreams feel fragile. What was once the easiest part of her day, staying connected with The Nine, now feels harder than ever. The Nine is a moving and powerful coming of age story that captures the beauty, struggle and resilience of growing up on the South Side. It is perfect for readers who appreciate emotional, character driven narratives rooted in real life experiences.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 3, 2026
If you're from the south side of Chicago, you'll love The 9 by Tyra L. Nelson!
I picked up my signed copy of The 9 by Tyra L. Nelson last September in Minneapolis and planned to read it through. My flight was 4 hours, and I was thoroughly entertained the entire time.
Currently, I live in California, but I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, just like the author, so from page one, it felt personal… like Kanye's song, Family Business, it felt like all of the intricate details of Ayanna, the main character, were aired for the world to know.
On my four-hour flight home, I read most of the book — and laughed loud enough to earn a few side-eyes from strangers who were curious about the outbursts. The humor hits different when you recognize the rhythm, the attitude, the unspoken rules, and those very obvious Chicago nuggets that Tyra drops. If you know, you know.
But don’t get it twisted — The 9 isn’t just funny. It’s honest, heartfelt, and sharp in that South Side way where truth comes wrapped in humor and love. Tyra writes with confidence, cultural memory, and a voice that feels familiar even if you’ve never set foot on the number 9 Ashland bus.
Also, trying to keep up with 9 characters was tough; a shorter intro at the beginning, helping readers identify the significant relationship to Ayanna, would have been helpful, like Yusef. Introducing him during the 11th-grade section seemed like an afterthought.
I enjoyed the epilogue updates on where the 9 are now, but something felt rushed. I wanted to know what happened to Meme, Ayanna's grandmother, and if the relationship between Ayanna and her mom has improved.
By the time we landed, I was mad the flight wasn’t longer — and grateful I had a signed copy, because this one deserves a permanent spot on the shelf. Best book of the year, and I promised myself to get the review in before 2026.
If you’re from Chicago, you’ll feel seen.
If you’re not, you’ll laugh anyway — and probably learn something.
Way to go Tyra L. Nelson, is there a sequel?
I picked up my signed copy of The 9 by Tyra L. Nelson last September in Minneapolis and planned to read it through. My flight was 4 hours, and I was thoroughly entertained the entire time.
Currently, I live in California, but I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, just like the author, so from page one, it felt personal… like Kanye's song, Family Business, it felt like all of the intricate details of Ayanna, the main character, were aired for the world to know.
On my four-hour flight home, I read most of the book — and laughed loud enough to earn a few side-eyes from strangers who were curious about the outbursts. The humor hits different when you recognize the rhythm, the attitude, the unspoken rules, and those very obvious Chicago nuggets that Tyra drops. If you know, you know.
But don’t get it twisted — The 9 isn’t just funny. It’s honest, heartfelt, and sharp in that South Side way where truth comes wrapped in humor and love. Tyra writes with confidence, cultural memory, and a voice that feels familiar even if you’ve never set foot on the number 9 Ashland bus.
Also, trying to keep up with 9 characters was tough; a shorter intro at the beginning, helping readers identify the significant relationship to Ayanna, would have been helpful, like Yusef. Introducing him during the 11th-grade section seemed like an afterthought.
I enjoyed the epilogue updates on where the 9 are now, but something felt rushed. I wanted to know what happened to Meme, Ayanna's grandmother, and if the relationship between Ayanna and her mom has improved.
By the time we landed, I was mad the flight wasn’t longer — and grateful I had a signed copy, because this one deserves a permanent spot on the shelf. Best book of the year, and I promised myself to get the review in before 2026.
If you’re from Chicago, you’ll feel seen.
If you’re not, you’ll laugh anyway — and probably learn something.
Way to go Tyra L. Nelson, is there a sequel?
January 4, 2026
I am lucky enough to have a signed copy of the book after attending a book launch party this fall. My original plan was to send it to my sister when I had finished reading it, but I do not want to give up this book, especially one signed by Tyra L. Nelson. This won’t be the last we hear from her. I will send my sister her own copy and I suggest everyone do the same. Keep this book alive!
Tyra expertly describes the difference between remembering and reminiscing. Be prepared to do a lot of your own reminiscing of your early years as you follow these characters navigate their lives at home and school. The story telling will have you thinking about your early relationships with your friends and family, and it is not always easy, but it will be refreshing to go back and reflect on your own time as you travel along with the 9 on their journey.
You will laugh and cry in the way that only a well-written story can make you do. Ayanna’s story may describe times where the characters are vulnerable, but they are never victims. They move through high school learning to navigate life, not succumb to it. You will be left wanting more. A sequel? A Netflix series?
This book should be required reading for young people to understand the importance of putting down their phones and making personal connections.
Thank you for sharing, Tyra!
Tyra expertly describes the difference between remembering and reminiscing. Be prepared to do a lot of your own reminiscing of your early years as you follow these characters navigate their lives at home and school. The story telling will have you thinking about your early relationships with your friends and family, and it is not always easy, but it will be refreshing to go back and reflect on your own time as you travel along with the 9 on their journey.
You will laugh and cry in the way that only a well-written story can make you do. Ayanna’s story may describe times where the characters are vulnerable, but they are never victims. They move through high school learning to navigate life, not succumb to it. You will be left wanting more. A sequel? A Netflix series?
This book should be required reading for young people to understand the importance of putting down their phones and making personal connections.
Thank you for sharing, Tyra!
January 9, 2026
This is a confirmed review from having read the book.
I hadn't been aware that there was such a thing as auto-fiction which intrigued me as to what exactly that meant, as I kept reading I found it engaging to be exposed to each individual "characters" set of circumstances and thoughts as they experienced them with the authors own revisionist version of the people they knew and called friend and family and what those people meant to the author.
I like stories that tell scenarios from many different and sometimes overlapping perspectives to see how those perspectives diverge, and in some cases are in direct opposition to one another over a mutually shared experience still come back together to form a cohesive whole in not just the authors story, but their story and how they tangle and intertwine at telling the grander story of life and what it all means to everyone with their own story influencing each other's in how they all see each other in that story even amongst a small group of 9 to and from school during their bus route.
I'd recommend it for anyone who likes multiple accounts of an intermingled cast and how they all fit together ultimately in their collective greater than just the sum of their individual parts and accounts of the day-to-day moments we don't often realize the deeper impact it has on those around us.
I hadn't been aware that there was such a thing as auto-fiction which intrigued me as to what exactly that meant, as I kept reading I found it engaging to be exposed to each individual "characters" set of circumstances and thoughts as they experienced them with the authors own revisionist version of the people they knew and called friend and family and what those people meant to the author.
I like stories that tell scenarios from many different and sometimes overlapping perspectives to see how those perspectives diverge, and in some cases are in direct opposition to one another over a mutually shared experience still come back together to form a cohesive whole in not just the authors story, but their story and how they tangle and intertwine at telling the grander story of life and what it all means to everyone with their own story influencing each other's in how they all see each other in that story even amongst a small group of 9 to and from school during their bus route.
I'd recommend it for anyone who likes multiple accounts of an intermingled cast and how they all fit together ultimately in their collective greater than just the sum of their individual parts and accounts of the day-to-day moments we don't often realize the deeper impact it has on those around us.
December 5, 2025
I’m a sucker for slow, character-driven stories, and this book fed that part of my soul. What struck me first is that the author didn’t try to force a dramatic plot twist or sensational event to “hook” the reader. Instead, the hook is Ayanna herself, how she thinks, how she feels, how she navigates her daily life as a bright kid from the South Side suddenly thrown into a magnet school world that feels bigger, faster, and more unforgiving than what she’s used to.
The book’s greatest strength is its attention to emotional detail. Ayanna’s anxiety isn’t written as a dramatic breakdown, but as a constant, whispering presence. The way she overthinks texts from friends, stresses over grades, and keeps mental score of whether she’s letting people down felt painfully real. I wish more YA stories understood that anxiety often shows up quietly.
And the friendships! They’re messy, chaotic, warm, and imperfect, exactly like real teenage friendships. The scenes on the #9 bus were my absolute favorite. There’s something magical about the way a cramped, early-morning bus ride becomes a sanctuary for these kids.
If you like character development over plot-heavy stories, this one will stay with you.
The book’s greatest strength is its attention to emotional detail. Ayanna’s anxiety isn’t written as a dramatic breakdown, but as a constant, whispering presence. The way she overthinks texts from friends, stresses over grades, and keeps mental score of whether she’s letting people down felt painfully real. I wish more YA stories understood that anxiety often shows up quietly.
And the friendships! They’re messy, chaotic, warm, and imperfect, exactly like real teenage friendships. The scenes on the #9 bus were my absolute favorite. There’s something magical about the way a cramped, early-morning bus ride becomes a sanctuary for these kids.
If you like character development over plot-heavy stories, this one will stay with you.
December 5, 2025
I grew up taking the #9 Ashland to school, so the minute I saw the title I knew I had to read this. What I didn’t expect was to be hit with such a wave of familiarity, the crowded morning rides, the weird mix of quiet kids, loud debates, fashion shows, sleepy heads, and deep conversations that only happen before 8 a.m.
Ayanna felt like someone I went to school with. She’s warm, funny, self-critical, and constantly balancing the desire to excel with the fear of failing. Her voice is honest without being preachy. The friendships, especially the way The 9 lean on each other, felt beautifully natural. So many YA books struggle to make group friendships believable, but this one nails it.
The emotional payoff in the last quarter had me slow-reading because I didn’t want it to end. I hope there’s a sequel. These kids still have more to say.
Ayanna felt like someone I went to school with. She’s warm, funny, self-critical, and constantly balancing the desire to excel with the fear of failing. Her voice is honest without being preachy. The friendships, especially the way The 9 lean on each other, felt beautifully natural. So many YA books struggle to make group friendships believable, but this one nails it.
The emotional payoff in the last quarter had me slow-reading because I didn’t want it to end. I hope there’s a sequel. These kids still have more to say.
December 5, 2025
I get so frustrated with YA books that make teenagers sound like sitcom characters or mini-adults with perfectly witty one-liners. This book does the opposite, the teens feel like actual teens. They interrupt each other, they joke weirdly, they misread situations, they get tired, they get overwhelmed. It’s refreshing.
Ayanna’s growth is subtle but powerful. She starts the book holding everything inside, her fears, her pressure, her exhaustion, and little by little she learns that asking for help isn’t weakness. That vulnerability is a form of strength. It’s done so quietly that you barely notice the shift until you suddenly realize she’s learned how to breathe again.
The dialogue feels authentic, the friendships feel earned, and the emotional beats feel earned rather than dramatic for the sake of drama.
Ayanna’s growth is subtle but powerful. She starts the book holding everything inside, her fears, her pressure, her exhaustion, and little by little she learns that asking for help isn’t weakness. That vulnerability is a form of strength. It’s done so quietly that you barely notice the shift until you suddenly realize she’s learned how to breathe again.
The dialogue feels authentic, the friendships feel earned, and the emotional beats feel earned rather than dramatic for the sake of drama.
December 5, 2025
This is a thoughtful, character-driven YA story set against a Chicago backdrop that feels lived-in rather than described. Ayanna’s struggles with grades, expectations, and a shifting friend group made her incredibly relatable.
I appreciated how the story didn’t turn into trauma-porn. Instead, it focused on the kind of everyday pressure smart kids face when they’re constantly told they’re “the one who will make it.”
My only critique: I wanted more scenes with the rest of The 9. Some moments hinted at rich backstories we didn’t fully get. But overall, this book is heartfelt and meaningful.
I appreciated how the story didn’t turn into trauma-porn. Instead, it focused on the kind of everyday pressure smart kids face when they’re constantly told they’re “the one who will make it.”
My only critique: I wanted more scenes with the rest of The 9. Some moments hinted at rich backstories we didn’t fully get. But overall, this book is heartfelt and meaningful.
December 5, 2025
It’s rare for a YA novel to make me cry in a quiet way, not sobbing, but that “my heart hurts because I understand this” kind of way. Ayanna’s internal monologue during the moments she feels she’s disappointing everyone really got me.
The friendships are chaotic and wholesome at the same time. The 9 tease each other nonstop, but also protect each other fiercely. I adored the scenes on the bus, it genuinely felt like its own universe. The writing is warm, observant, and sincere.
The friendships are chaotic and wholesome at the same time. The 9 tease each other nonstop, but also protect each other fiercely. I adored the scenes on the bus, it genuinely felt like its own universe. The writing is warm, observant, and sincere.
December 1, 2025
I absolutely loved this book! If you are someone who loves a good coming of story, please read this book. I was able to get into the characters, and pictures what they are like in the present. This book made me remember all the good times I’ve had in my childhood, and reach out to former classmates to catch up. Can’t wait for the Netflix series!
-A poet who reads
-A poet who reads
November 23, 2025
Exactly the book i needed when feeling nostalgic about high school and the gold old days with my friend group. A fun, easy read with great characters.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews