Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

Summary:

Jacqueline Woodson's novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies.

For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone's hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he's as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately life at ZJ's house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ's mom explains it's because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that--but it doesn't make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on tight to family traditions and recollections of the glory days, all the while wondering what their past amounts to if his father can't remember it. And most importantly, can those happy feelings ever be reclaimed when they are all so busy aching for the past?

Review:

These books in verse are killing it! This is such a short, little book. But, it packs such punch! I read it basically in one sitting –while I was coloring my hair! And I let the dye sit a little longer so I could finish this book. I knew I was going to like this book because I love Jacqueline Woodson, but I wasn’t expecting to get so sucked into the story because football is not exactly my thing. My husband and I lost power on Superbowl Sunday, and I was mostly upset because it was too dark to take a picture of the painting I just made and I couldn’t post it to Instagram until later…You get the idea.

Any way, it wasn’t really about football. It was about family and learning to live with someone who is slowly forgetting more and more. It was also a friendship story. I read so many great girl friendship stories. It was really nice to read about a strong group of guy friends who were all there for each other through everything.

It was interesting reading this through today’s lens because I already know about CTE. I watched a movie about it. It must have been so scary for families going through this, not having any of that knowledge. Though, it was fun to go back in time to 2000, and reminisce a little.

What really made this book so remarkable was the writing. ZJ writes songs. His songs help him get through the day to day with his dad who is declining, but also he just constantly has a beat in his head. So, the book being in verse not only fits for the author’s writing style, but it fits for the main character. You feel like you can almost sing parts of it out loud. Some of the conversations ZJ has with his father, some of the songs, you can almost hear coming off the pages.

I loved this book. I found it powerful, at times very sad, and at other times extraordinarily hopeful. It’s small, but mighty. I give it a 10/10.