Morris Finalists and Prediction!


Each year I try to read as many of the Morris Finalists as I can and make a prediction about the winner. So here we go!

 This lineup is incredible, not only because of the impressive range of topics being explored, but also because of the fact that the authors themselves are so diverse and each comes from such a unique background. I've read four of these and, unlike some other years, I am having a heck of a time making any predictions.

 I know it would be easiest to say THUG will win, simply because of the impressive amount of accolades and the sheer number of weeks on the NYT Bestseller list. But as with so many awards that include much-hyped books, the accolades can sometimes (even subconsciously) act as a deterrent in awards processes. But I love the book and would love to see it get further rewarded.

 At the same time, I would love to see Saints and Misfits get some love since it's part of the first year of publications coming out of Salaam Reads, and the book itself is phenomenally well written. The lack of Muslim-identified authors being recognized on any awards lists is also dismal and I would love to see more love thrown Ali's way.

 Dear Martin is also a powerful book, even though it is similar in some ways to THUG. The writing is very different, as is the overall vibe of the narrative. It is much more swift in pacing and in length, but the impact is still very much there.

 And while I know there has been a lot of love shown for Starfish, and I still really liked it, I wasn't as pulled into the story. It was, however, brutally honest and very well written with strongly built characters. I can't say for sure if this will be a front-runner with the others, but I would not personally put it right at the top.

 I have not read Devils Within and so cannot really evaluate it within my prediction. So, what do I think is going to win? Even with the possible curse of previous fame and the fact that it has been out long enough for people to find more issues with, I predict that The Hate U Give will be the winner of this year's Morris Award.


Comments

  1. Felipe DylanJuly 30, 2021 at 5:46 AM

    To anyone out there who thinks love spells don't work, I’m here to tell you that Lord Zakuza love spell is the best and most powerful. I am a wealthy man who has lots of assets and possessions but I have difficulty with women. Whenever I try to settle down with any, we end up breaking up and I had no idea of why I was going through such an experience in my relationship. It was so worrying that I couldn’t be myself anymore and I started searching for help everywhere even at my place of work. I was going through my work activities online and I came across a testimony of a lady called ( Febe Anouk ) regarding how Lord Zakuza helped her to restore her relationship with his love spell, I had to give it a try and I visited Lord Zakuza and I told him everything I was going through. Lord Zakuza consoled and promised to help me out with my situation by preparing a love spell for me. I followed the instructions given by him to me and within 48 hours, my Ex lover came looking for me and pleaded for forgiveness. Since I came in contact with Lord Zakuza, things have changed for good in my life and right now, I am married with two beautiful kids and my home is blessed. All thanks to Lord Zakuza I am forever thankful to you. WhatsApp him on +1 (740) 573-9483. Try him and your life will be blessed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 8, 2023 at 1:59 AM

    I was able to win back my Ex lover with the help of…. Dr.mac@ yahoo. com....

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Living - Matt De La Peña

Image
The Living  recently received an Honor from the Pura Belpré committee. The award recognizes of a work which best portrays the Latino cultural experience in a work of literature for children or youth. As I was at the awards announcements, and having known people who served on the committee in the past, I was intrigued. I had read the winning title and the other honor titles, and was impressed with the choices. So here's my review of The Living : The novel begins with Shy, a young guy working for a snazzy cruise line, offering water to people on the Lido Deck of the ship to combat the heat. Everything is going pretty well until an older gentleman comes out and starts spouting of weird, disconcerting phrases: "You have seen the face of evil."Shy doesn't quite know what to think, so he moves on to a couple of ladies on the other side of the deck. Just as he's handing them their water bottles, he sees movement out of the corner of his eye and realizes the old guy h...
Read more

The Music of What Happens - Bill Konigsberg

Image
Max: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever. Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart. Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most. This is a phenomenal book, in my humble opinion. There aren't too many books dealing with male sexual abuse, particularly in YA. Sex and sexuality are messy parts of young adulthood, but what this book does really well is discuss consent and the ways in which physical cues can be misinte...
Read more

Girls Like Us - Gail Giles

Image
I have now gone out and made sure that I have all of the books longlisted for the National Book Award. I read and reviewed a number of these previously, so now I have five left to read and review. This is one of those five (but would I expect anything less from the fabulous team at Candlewick?) Girls Like Us  is a unique novel in a number of respects, most notably in the fact that both protagonists are identified (and self-identified) as mentally disabled in some way. Biddy has a learning disability that she was born with, while Quincy is a young girl who is disabled due to the fact that her mother's boyfriend hit her in the head with a brick, disfiguring her and damaging her brain. Once the two girls graduate from school, they move into a house together, becoming caregivers for both each other and an older woman, Elizabeth. The two must rely on each other for comfort, knowledge, and emotional strength, and Elizabeth manages to help them along the way. While I had moments of wo...
Read more