Hello! Thank you to TBR and Beyond Book Tours and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book for the blog tour.

About the book

Genre: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel
Publishing date: November 8, 2022

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Synopsis:

Actor-author-athlete Terry Crews digs into his childhood in Flint, Michigan, to tell a story of fitting in and finding your place in his showstopping debut middle-grade graphic novel, the start of a series.

“Terry’s Crew is a true delight from beginning to end. It’s sure to provide a much-needed mirror and sliding glass door for countless kids.” —Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give

“A delightful, powerful, readable retelling of Terry Crews’s adolescence. Readers young and old will be captivated.”
—Sharon M. Draper, author of Out of My Mind

“A must-read for all those kids who allow themselves to dream in a variety of big ways. Bravo!” —Pablo Cartaya, author of The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

Young Terry Crews has a Big Dream Plan: He wants to become a MULTIHYPHENATE. That means he wants to be an artist. And a football player. And a musician. And maybe a NASA scientist, too! OK, maybe it’s ambitious, but his parents worked hard so he could go to a new school—Rock City Academy, a prestigious institution (read: rich kids go there) where he’s sure he can make his mark at the talent show. He plans an elaborate performance with his new friends, Rani, a passionate engineer, and Xander, a shy kid with a head like an encyclopedia.

Along the way, Terry’s plan is threatened by his grades, which slip below Mom-and-Dad-approved levels, as well as the schemes of the school’s football star, Rick, who won’t stop until Terry quits the talent show altogether. No matter what challenges he faces, though, Terry knows that he always has his crew to back him up. 

Terry’s Crew by Terry Crews review

Rating: 3 stars

Characters

Even in a Graphic Novel, I still need compelling characters to enjoy a book. Terry’s Crew featured Terry and his friends, and all of them were amazing. I loved how well fleshed out each character was, even though they were people that Terry grew up with and went to school with. One of my favorite things about the book was how Terry, Rani, and Xander came together for the talent show. Each character in this book went on a journey, even Rick, and I was so excited to see how much they grew at the end of the novel. 

Plot

One of my favorite parts of this novel was the story. The primary focus is Terry starting a new school, the times he has there, and how it can help him when he grows older. As someone who used to do talent shows in school as well, I related to the talent show section the most, and this was my favorite story element. My other favorite element was Terry finding out who his loyal friends were at his new school. 

Writing  and Art

Terry’s crew is told with heart, and you can tell how much passion Terry has for the story being told. Sure, it’s mostly inspired by his life, and what happened in his childhood, but it’s told in an interesting way from other books in the genre. Art is very important to a graphic novel, and the art in this book is fantastic. I love how the art worked with the story and enhanced the story. Art Style comes into play when looking at the art of a graphic novel, and the style of art used is one that works well for the story being told. 

Friendship

This book doesn’t have romance, but the novel has a lovely friendship. Terry and Rani meet when Rani is showing Terry his school when he is a new student. Xander meets them a little later in the story, but he’s a welcome member of the trio. Terry, Rani, And Xander support each other when needed, and they also help each other through the heavier topics discussed in the story. Rick is one that starts off as a bully, and he wants Terry to join him in his act for the talent show. By the end of the novel, even Rick is a character that you want to root for. 

Recommend for/ Enjoyment 

This was an enjoyable read for me, as someone who is trying to read more Middle-Grade Books and is also trying to get into graphic novels more. The story is fun, however, there are also some lessons in the novel that readers young and adults can grow from. I recommend this for people that enjoy the genre, and those that are looking for a fun memoir, 

About the Author

Terry Alan Crews (born July 30, 1968) is an American actor and former American football player. He is best known for playing Julius on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, Sergeant Terry Jeffords on the NBC comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and for his appearances in Old Spice commercials, as well as films such as Friday After Next, Idiocracy, and The Expendables series. He is a host of America’s Got Talent.

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