Wins & Losses. Alexandra Warren. 2018. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.]
For her twentieth release, Alexandra Warren outdid herself. Wins & Losses is a page-turner that I couldn’t put down and gets my strong recommendation. With this release, she demonstrated that she’s capable of more than just telling a story, but is able to make a compelling critique of current events in an authentic and insightful way.
The book starts with Carmen at her father’s funeral, reeling from his yet-unsolved murder. Charles Wellington was an integral and well-loved member of their community so his death doesn’t make sense to anyone. In the wake of his death, Carmen has to figure out how to support her 17-year-old brother Jordan who is captain of the basketball team and in the midst of his final year of high school when she lives hours away with her fiance Will. Luckily, Jordan’s basketball couch, a former rival, Nasir, is staunchly in his corner and willing to be a pillar of support for them both while they figure out their new normal.
Warren prefaced this book by sharing that it isn’t anything like what she’s written previously, and she’s spot on. One of the most prevalent themes in this book is grief and how folks manage it. I appreciated the difficulty Jordy had with coming to terms with the death of his father, the only parent he’s ever known, at such a pivotal time in his life. The emotional outbursts, changes in relationships, and shift in priorities is a very real part of a teen’s development, and is absolutely complicated by the loss of a close family member. Warren’s exploration of Jordy’s grieving process highlighted how important it is to understand the emotional needs of anyone facing loss, but especially when that person is a young man of color.
Something that cannot be missed in this book is Warren’s success at interweaving current events into this book. She manages to seamlessly address microaggressions and more subtle racism/classism in athletics, student athlete compensation by universities, high mortality among black mothers as a result of differential health care. All of the topics are handled with sensitivity and honesty — topics that are only recently getting sufficient attention in media and advocacy circles. It is Warren’s willingness to tackle these topics unapologetically that sets Wins & Losses apart from her other works. There is a depth of social commentary that is refreshing in a genre that easily glosses over issues that would impact their characters in tangible ways.
This wouldn’t be a romance without some issues of the heart. Nasir’s willingness to help Carmen and Jordan through their initial transition is welcome, but does illuminate the ways her fiance, Will, falls short of her expectations. Nasir’s thoughtful handling of the two only serves to shine a flashlight on the cracks in her and Will’s relationship, making her question if she’s making the wise choice for her future. The drama runs high, as she struggles to remain faithful in what is now a long-distance relationship, one that she’s not even sure she wants to be in at that.
Overall, Wins & Losses is an interesting book that surpassed my expectations. I wasn’t looking for substantive social examinations, but I got it and enjoyed it along the way.
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