Andy Jackson has it all, the looks, girls, and an amazing talent to play basketball. After his basketball team, the Tigers, have an easy defeat at an away game, Andy and his buddies, Robbie Washington, Tyrone and B.J. celebrate and start drinking. Before long they are so drunk they could hardly walk . Without thinking, Andy and the boys decide to drive back home. Within seconds on the road, Andy lost control of the car. The car began spinning out of control and finally came to a rest upside down. Andy managed to get out of the car with only a few minor injuries, but as he turned around he saw his best friend, Robbie, burned to death with the remains of the car. Luckily Tyrone and B.J. made it out safely, but Andy was still in shock from what he had just seen.Robbie’s death affected the whole school, after all, he was the captain of the Tigers basketball team, but Andy had the most trouble recovering from the accident. It was normal that a kid would feel horrible about being responsible for his best friends death, but Andy keeps on blaming himself for what had happened. He knew Rob for so long that they were like brothers, all the good times they shared are just kept reminding Andy about what he had done. He can’t stop feeling guilty and it kept getting harder and harder for Andy to deal with his feelings. He doesn’t have family that he can talk to and express his emotions. His dad is always at work and his mom doesn’t seem to care like she should, they both seem to not see how bad Andy is dealing with the stress and loss.
B.J. and Tyrone are really worried about Andy, they notice every day he is becoming more and more depressed. Andy has a hard time telling people about his feelings and can’t seem to get the courage to ask people for help. Andy isn’t the same and they want there old friend back. Over the next few days, Andy begins feeling worse and worse. He suddenly begins having dreams about Robbie in his sleep. In one of his dreams, Robbie asks Andy to die so he would not feel lonely in heaven. The dream really effect’s Andy and living life is a challenge for him every day.
One day after school Andy and his girlfriend Keisha get into a fight, Keisha was really important to Andy. She would make him feel better and was able to understand the pain he was feeling. Now he had no one, and his life is falling to pieces right before his own eyes. Andy couldn't’t take it any more. That evening he went upstairs to his bedroom and took a moment to realize that each day of his life was just getting worse. The pain was just building up inside him. As he held his fathers rifle in his hands, he made up his mind what he had to do. In an instant he pulled the trigger and ended his suffering.As the news of Andy’s suicide spread throughout the school, Andy was thought of totally differently. His talents were forgotten and all that he was remembered by was his death.
------------Andy is a very athletic and talented boy, but sometimes he has trouble expressing and dealing with his emotions. In the book he refused to except help from others and this is what led to his unfortunate suicide.
------------Keisha, in my opinion, is the only one who could understand what Andy was going through. She's sensitive, kind, and thoughtful and if Andy realized that sooner, his future could have been changed.
-----------When you read this book, you have a sense of reality for what goes on in the world today. I felt that when i read this book, i knew Andy and the Trouble he was facing. Unlike many books who deal with the issues that teenagers today face, this one particularly helped me see how Andy reacted with his problems towards others. How his parents, friends and girlfriend saw Andy was all different, but because each one had a different relationship with him, that the author made it noticeable for the reader to see.
-----------In this book having a mental image helped me understand and have a better concept of the book. Sharon M. Draper uses a lot of good details to describe senes such as the car accident that killed Andy. During this scene i was able to have a clear image of the car going up in flames with Andy sitting in the front seat.
-----------Sharon M. Draper is a great author who writes about social issues that go on in scociety today. She gives the reader a sence of reality for what troubles you may face as time goes on. Her characters come to life and by the second chapter, it seems like you know them personally
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