Loved the story and the music element! Story will appeal to those who love music and family ties!

Solo is an interesting novel in verse that almost felt like it would benefit from having a soundtrack to go with it. Some of the music references definitely went over my head. Blade's story as the adopted son of an alcoholic rock star is very engaging, but just wasn't right for me.

The first thing that has to be pointed out is how Kwame Alexander told this story – through poetry, through lyrics, through reflection on the words of other great rock ‘n’ roll songs. It’s wonderfully unique and makes for a fantastic read – not to mention, it fits the story and adds to it in the most fantastic way.

Blade works through his emotions with music and so it makes sense that a story of his journey, from his point of view, would use poetry to tell the events. Alexander’s work is beautifully written and is so easy to sink in to, to get lost in.

I thought The Crossover was fantastic and was excited to read this book by Kwame Alexander.  I did enjoy this one, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations.  I loved the musical aspects and appreciated the writing style that used a mix of content in verse to provide the details of the story, from narration, to text messages, to song lyrics, to dreams.  However, this story was just a little too all over the place for me.  There were so many things creating conflict and leading in different directions so that the pieces did not come together to feel complete at the end of the book.  I would recommend this book for teenage readers with an interest in novels in verse and music.

I got hooked pretty quickly and it was a whirlwind of emotions. There's a lot embedded in this story about love and loss, grief and hope, longing and wonder.

Solo, Kwame Alexander's latest novel-in-verse, introduces 17-year-old Blade, whose drug addicted rock star father has provided a glamorous lifestyle that is filled with turmoil since Blade's mother died.  When Dad derails Blade's commencement speech, he decides to hit the road with his girlfriend Chapel, whose parents disapprove of him.  However, before Blade can convince her to leave with him, he catches Chapel with another guy and his sister hits him with a bombshell.  Blade is adopted.  He revises his plans and determines to find his birth mother, which leads him to Konko, Ghana, where his mother does charity work.  There he finds not only his roots, but also a new perspective on family.  Blades' original rock ballads are scattered throughout the novel, giving it a lyrical quality readers will enjoy.

Solo is a novel written in poetic verse. I don't know if that's genius or completely cheating. This was my first experience with Kwame Alexander and I understand that's this whole thing. Taking on a novel written in such a way allows the reader access to some thoughts of the main character that can be lost when written in a traditional style, but I think we lose out on a lot too. The story was really good and tugged at the heartstrings. I can definitely see the easy reading style being popular with the intended audience (it's a YA book) and it makes for a relatively quick read.  I give a solid 3.5 stars. Could be better but was still done incredibly well.

About Solo
Solo, a YA novel in poetic verse, tells the story of seventeen-year-old Blade Morrison, whose life is bombarded with scathing tabloids and a father struggling with just about every addiction under the sun—including a desperate desire to make a comeback. Haunted by memories of his mother and his family’s ruin, Blade’s only hope is in the forbidden love of his girlfriend. But when he discovers a deeply protected family secret, Blade sets out on a journey across the globe that will change everything he thought to be true.

My Review
Even though it’s told in verse, the details and imagery are so rich, I kept forgetting I was reading poetry. Alexander has this way of pulling you into each scene, really making you feel everything as the story unfolds. I felt Blade’s sweet hopes for his relationship with his girlfriend and his bitter disappointment and anger with his dad for every broken promise, every ruined moment.

I loved the way Blade’s music appeared in the story—both as lyrics he’d written, and his own emotional experience playing the guitar. His international journey wasn’t what I expected, but I liked the way the story pursued Blade’s process of grief over his mom’s death and his father’s failures and the journey toward forgiveness and peace.

The story’s a bit grittier than others I’ve read in this line, but the writing is absolutely superb.

This book was all over the place, just like my feelings towards it. 

I loved The Crossover, but this book seemed to be overly dramatic with the plot. I didn't connect with these characters much at all because they felt much more like caricatures instead of genuine people. 

Positives & Negatives - 
+ I love the way real songs are scattered throughout the book. I pulled them up and listened to them while reading and it made for a really interesting experience.
+ The idea that this is a music family fits perfectly with the verse format since it’s so lyrical. 
+ I absolutely loved the little music trivia bits dropped into the story. If the story was more that and less angsty drama, I would have been happy.


- The characters are really really cartoony and stereotypical. Some of the events just seem over the top. 
- The PK is literally named Chapel… and Blade & Chapel's romance is very toxic. 
- Is he really going to have cell phone reception in a village so remote he had to walk 3 miles to get there and without changing his SD card to an international card?
- The plot was all over the place and didn’t flow well…. Hard to explain more than that without spoiling it, but the “conflict” changed about five different times without any real resolution.

A stunning tale of finding one’s self and realizing the most important things in life.  Told in poetic verse, Solo is a tale that is touching and real down to the heart. 

Solo is the story of Blade Morrison, a seventeen-year-old of a rock star that has fallen from grace.  Blade is tired of living the life of glitz and glamour and wants to find more in life.  His mother died when he was nine leaving him and his sister to deal with the aftermath of their father’s addictions.  When Blade discovers a deep held secret within the family, it threatens to throw everything into a tailspin and threaten his relationship with everyone around him.  This sets him on a journey across the country to discover the truth about who he is and how that will shape the rest of his life.

Solo is one of the clearest examples of not judging a book by its cover I have ever read.  The premise sounded very interesting, but when I opened and realized it was told in poetic verse I was initially turned off.  Poetry is usually not my kind of thing.  I have a hard time getting into poetry and the flow of the story told that way.  I decided to give Solo a chance and as the story progressed with each poem, I found myself entranced and pulled into the story.  There was such an intimacy to the characters and the way they interacted with one another.  I read this in one day and enjoyed the flow much more than I imagined I would.  This is the type of story that is for poetry readers, but also for those that enjoy a good story with heart and will leave readers thinking of their family and friends in a different way.  So, if you are like me and open the pages of this book and think it isn’t going to be your cup of tea, give it a few pages and enjoy the story for what it is.  You won’t be disappointed!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.  The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMilf...

I received an eARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blade Morrison is the son of music royalty. He had a good childhood living in the limelight but after his mother's death his rockstar father down spiraled into drugs and alcohol. After a showdown with his father Blade learns a family secret that will start him on a journey of self discovery.

This book has all the heart that you expect from a book by Kwame Alexander. The characters and story are incredible well rafted for a boo in verse and left me wanting to read more.

OMG - what an amazing book!! This is my first exposure to Kwame Alexander, and I will definitely be going back to read prior works by this author and look forward to reading future efforts.

The style of writing is absolutely refreshing, and promotes a high feeling of intimacy with the main character, Blade. I felt as if I were in his skin, going through everything with him. It takes real talent to pull that off!

Blade is the 17-year-old son of a famous, addicted, constantly falling-off-the-wagon rock star dad. There's plenty of money, but little happiness. His mother died years ago, and her death left a wide hole in the family. Blade is tired of being embarrassed by his father, whose antics are always fully covered by the ever-present paparazzi. His older sister thinks she can be a rock star too, releasing an album even though she can't carry a tune in a bucket. Considering his family a total embarrassment and a laughing stock, he places all his hope in his love for Chapel, whose parents don't want her to see him due to the constant negative press. 

Finally, Blade has had enough of his family and decides to leave asking Chapel to meet him and go with him. When she doesn't show, he goes to her house, insert drama and teenage angst here as I don't want to spoil it for you. Temporarily back at home, a whole-family argument occurs in which words are said that cannot be taken back, nor forgotten. Blade makes a momentous decision that will change not only his life, but that of others as well.

This YA novel is a page-turner whatever the age of the reader. A super read! Do yourself a favor and don't miss this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blink Publishing for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Solo by Kwame Alexander, a book in verse, grabs your attention from the very start.  Who would not want to be part of a famous rock and roller family?  As this is a book in verse, the sparsity of words lends itself to concentrating on the emotions of the characters rather the "scene" and is a very quick read.

I absolutely adored Kwame Alexander's and Mary Rand Hess's lyrical poetry novel, Solo. The characters were flawed and lovable, and the themes were relatable. 

As the son of rock and roll musician, Rutherford Morrison, Blade has grown up in excess. He has everything he could possibly want except maybe privacy, a sober father and his mother to be alive again. Blade cannot wait for the end of his summer so he can leave his chaotic life in Hollywood and have a chance of normalcy in college. But after a family fight Blade finds himself flying to Ghana for answers about him and his family. 

I loved how the authors had their wealthy main character interacting with characters that were homeless in California and living in poverty in Ghana. At times he was a little naive and insensitive, but he always meant well and wanted to know more about the people he was with.  I felt that was the perfect approach, making Blade likable and a role model for those who are from affluent lifestyles in understanding others around them. I also enjoyed that no one told Blade that because he was wealthy, he should not have any problems. At times various characters would gently remind him he might be being insensitive, but no one ever denied his feelings.  The opposite often seems to happen in our culture or even because someone goes away and 'help' others they feel better automatical without ever address why they need to 'help" so badly in the first place. 

Solo is an incredible read and the perfect addition to any library.

I had the opportunity to read a digital arc of this novel-in-verse from NetGalley. I'm really glad that I read it, because I'm sure it'll be hugely successful among YA/middle grade readers. Kwame Alexander’s other novels (The Crossover and Booked) have been very popular with the fourth and fifth grade students in my classroom, and while this book is more appropriate for older students, I know it will hold the attention of the most reluctant of readers. 

Written in fast-paced, easily digestible verses, this novel shares the turmoil of a young man who has grown up in the savage glare of the media spotlight focused on his aging rockstar father. Blade, who has just graduated from high school and is about to turn eighteen, has spent a great deal of time mourning the loss of his mother, being embarrassed by the media attention toward his dad’s constant battle with addiction, and dealing with the emotional turmoil of being a teenager in love. As Blade discovers painful truths about his family, his girlfriend, and his own past, he sets off on a journey to Africa. There, he learns so much more than he dreamed he would.

I really like that this book gives young readers an opportunity to look inside the lives of the rich and famous to see that all of the money and material possessions don't amount to much, if you're spiritually and emotionally lost. Money and fame can't shield Blade and his sister, Storm, from the pain of losing one parent and seeing the other parent caught up in the devastating spiral of drug addiction. I also like that the book shows that everyone deserves a second chance and no one is beyond redemption.

Blade Morrison is made of music. His father is an old rock star, his sister is trying to become a rock star. Blade writes loves songs and hopes his dad won't find a new way to embarrass him today. After an embarrassing situation during graduation, Blade learns a secret about himself and begins a journey not only to find himself, but a new love and appreciation for his family.

When I began reading Solo, I thought that the format was a poem. I quickly found out that it's written as a song. The music of Blade's life. This format made the book easy to read and appreciate the beauty behind each song and chapter. It was a very interesting way to present Blade's story and I really enjoyed the rhythm and pace carried by it.

The plot of the book builds up quickly and coasts to the end. I mean this in the best way possible as once I hit 50% I had finished the book long before I was ready for it to end. The characters of the book are flawed but genuine and they come alive through the lyrical way the story is presented.

While maybe we were supposed to dislike Blade in the beginning (he's described by his family as selfish), I think that while he may not have seemed like it, he wasn't so much selfish as trying to make his family better.

When traveling Blade learns a new appreciation for his family and all the blessings in his life. The change not only in Blade, but also in Rutherford (his father) was subtle and loving. While I wasn't expecting the end, rather than disappointed, I was happy for Blade.

Overall I gave the book four moose tracks because I felt that some of the characters, like Storm, were flat, while Sunny, and our short glimpses of her, made her more dynamic. I feel like Uncle Steve could have been left out completely because he added nothing to the story overall.

Blade can’t get away from the paparazzi or his family.  The final straw was when his father crashed his commencement speech and embarrassed him in front of the entire school and then being told about a family secret.  Blade cannot stop thinking about his dead mother and his crazy rock ‘n roll family, so he goes on his own quest to determine what is actually true.

Solo is a novel in verse with song lyrics dispersed throughout.  Alexander has taken Blade on a trek of self-discovery and readers will find themselves questioning their own lives alongside Blade.  Since it is a novel in verse, it is a quick read and will probably be completed by most readers in one sitting.  A great read, even if you don’t know the songs along the way.