Review Detail

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Born in 1987 and raised in California, young Colin was more interested in football than in baseball, although he was an multi-sport athlete and his parents were more invested in his baseball career. He struggled with fitting in at school, but had some good friends. The struggles often revolved around issues of personal identity. As a biracial teen being raised by white parents, he often felt that the Black portion of identity was something he should hide. Inspired by a friend's hair, he goes to a lot of trouble to get cornrows braided, even though his hair wasn't long enough and the rubber bands used hurt so much that he had to take the style out. His parents thought that look wasn't "professional" enough. There are many microaggressions from all sides, and he wasn't sure how to deal with these. He finds a girl in whome he is interested, only to be encouraged to date a different girl. This is a fascinating look into how past experiences can cement the idea of activism in a young person's mind, and highlights why Kaepernick was so adamant about standing his groung when he took a knee during a professional football game, even though it eventually meant the loss of his pro ball career. Additional information, complete with color photos, explains what the former athlete is going now, including his Know Your Rights camps for athletes of color.

Caicedo's graphic novel style is more young adult than cartoonish, with long, lean characters, subtle coloring, and expressive, realistic faces. He does a great job of capturing movement on the page, and in conveying emotions. This is a slim volume, but really packs a punch.

Since I was not really very familiar with Kaepernick, other than his frequent appearances in the news in 2016, I could have used more information about his family life. The role of his parents was critical in the book, and I was not aware that he was adopted as an infant. Since today's readers would have been very young when he made headlines because of his social activism, a little more explanation would have been helpful.

Readers who love all things sports related and who have enjoyed graphic novels like Smith's Victory. Stand!, Wilson's Play Like a Girl and Tavares' Hoops will love seeing Kaepernick's games related in full color, and those who like biographies, like Wetzel's Epic Athletes series including Steph Curry and LeBron James, will find the details of Kaepernick's high school career inspiring.