From the Publisher
In this follow-up to SO DONE, Paula Chase explores the unraveling friendship of two middle school boys, Rollie and Simp. This unsparing but tender novel takes the reader down some dangerous streets even as it reveals a hopeful world beyond. Chase’s writing pops off the page. I loved DOUGH BOYS!” — -Barbara Dee, Author of Everything I Know About You
“Chase displays her signature flair for conveying black youths’ language of intimacy. . .A thoughtful exploration of the soul-fulfilling heaviness of life in black urban communities.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This companion novel to So Done features best friends Rollie Matthews and Simp Wright, whose middle-school basketball coach has begun grooming them to become drug lookout boys. . . . Fans . . . will love the various cameos of familiar characters, but there’s universal appeal . . . in this bittersweet look at friendship in the hood.” — Booklist
“[Chase] imbues her writing with style and phraseology that paint a vivid picture of this distinct world and the young Black teens who feel the weight of it upon their shoulders. Relatively hopeful endings for both boys . . . wrap up a smart and stirring take on growing up and apart.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“The definitions of bravery and commitment are put to the test for the middle-school duo, as the boys determine where their true loyalties lie. The alternating third-person narratives pull no punches linguistically. . . . Fans of Jason Reynolds and Angie Thomas will enjoy this rough and relatable read, whose conclusion provides no easy answers.” — Horn Book Magazine
Horn Book Magazine
The definitions of bravery and commitment are put to the test for the middle-school duo, as the boys determine where their true loyalties lie. The alternating third-person narratives pull no punches linguistically. . . . Fans of Jason Reynolds and Angie Thomas will enjoy this rough and relatable read, whose conclusion provides no easy answers.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
[Chase] imbues her writing with style and phraseology that paint a vivid picture of this distinct world and the young Black teens who feel the weight of it upon their shoulders. Relatively hopeful endings for both boys . . . wrap up a smart and stirring take on growing up and apart.
Booklist
This companion novel to So Done features best friends Rollie Matthews and Simp Wright, whose middle-school basketball coach has begun grooming them to become drug lookout boys. . . . Fans . . . will love the various cameos of familiar characters, but there’s universal appeal . . . in this bittersweet look at friendship in the hood.
Barbara Dee
In this follow-up to SO DONE, Paula Chase explores the unraveling friendship of two middle school boys, Rollie and Simp. This unsparing but tender novel takes the reader down some dangerous streets even as it reveals a hopeful world beyond. Chase’s writing pops off the page. I loved DOUGH BOYS!
Booklist
This companion novel to So Done features best friends Rollie Matthews and Simp Wright, whose middle-school basketball coach has begun grooming them to become drug lookout boys. . . . Fans . . . will love the various cameos of familiar characters, but there’s universal appeal . . . in this bittersweet look at friendship in the hood.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
[Chase] imbues her writing with style and phraseology that paint a vivid picture of this distinct world and the young Black teens who feel the weight of it upon their shoulders. Relatively hopeful endings for both boys . . . wrap up a smart and stirring take on growing up and apart.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
[Chase] imbues her writing with style and phraseology that paint a vivid picture of this distinct world and the young Black teens who feel the weight of it upon their shoulders. Relatively hopeful endings for both boys . . . wrap up a smart and stirring take on growing up and apart.
Kirkus Reviews
2019-04-28
The companion to So Done (2018) focuses its lens on the complicated friendship between Simp and Rollie as they strive to make their mark despite the threatening pressures of their surroundings.
Deontae "Simp" Wright and Roland "Rollie" Matthews came up together between the rec center and the basketball courts of their Pirates Cove neighborhood. It's always been a breeze, kickin' it and preparing to rep the Cove on its legendary basketball team, the Marauders. Except now, they realize how complicated it is playing for the 'Rauders, as Coach Tez also expects them to take up other responsibilities, like playing lookout for Tez's investments in the local drug game. For Simp, this come-up represents where he needs to be, because he's 13 and has to help take care of his brothers while his mother constantly works to stay afloat. On the other hand, Rollie feels torn between being there for his homeboy Simp and stepping away from the burdens of being a 'Rauder in favor of his growing obsession for playing the drums. What will he do when music teacher Mr. B presents him with an opportunity of a lifetime? As in her previous book, Chase displays her signature flair for conveying black youths' language of intimacy even as she refuses the inaccurate yet popular theory that complex ethical entanglements cannot be engaged in middle-grade fiction.
A thoughtful exploration of the soul-fulfilling heaviness of life in black urban communities. (Fiction. 8-13)
