The Boy in the Black Suit Book by Jason Reynolds

Reynolds, J. (2015). The boy in the black suit. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Matt’s mom died of cancer, and his dad’s an alcoholic. Matt becomes interested in a girl, Lovey, at Cluck Bucket. While there, a family friend, Mr. Ray, offers Matt a job at his funeral home. Matt accepts, and realizes he enjoyed watching the emotions of people close to the dead person. It made him feel connected to them and validated his feelings about his mom dying. Mr. Ray and Matt’s best friend, Chris, were positive influences in his life, since his dad became an alcoholic. Matt and Lovey reconnect at Loveys’ grandma’s funeral. Their bond builds when Lovey reveals her mom, Renee, was murdered by a boyfriend. Matt realizes he and Chris had witnessed her mom’s murder. Matt’s dad gets hit by a car after a night of drinking, but survives. Matt knows he is grateful to have Lovey, Mr. Ray, and Chris to support him, and he’s able to smile once more. The Boy in the Black Suit will pull on the heart strings of the reader. The raw emotions Matt feels and conveys about his mom dying and his dad being an alcoholic can make the reader feel sympathetic; it is as if the reader knows Matt and wants to be there for him. An adolescent who has lost a parent might read this book for autobiographical reasons. Many times throughout the book the author, Jason Reynolds, makes references to current reality shows, singers, a NFL team, and a civil rights activists, which draws the reader in and connects to real life experiences and connections. This book is currently on the top ten 2016 Best Fiction for Young Adults list. I would recommend Hold Tight, Don’t Let Go, by Laura Rose Wagner. It too deals with death and tragedy of a loved one.