Rez Ball, Byron Graves
Rez Ball, Byron Graves
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Rez Ball

Author: Byron Graves

Narrator: Jesse Nobess

Unabridged: 8 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Heartdrum

Published: 09/12/2023

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

This compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be. These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon's dreams, their story isn’t over yet. This book is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that publishes high-quality, contemporary stories about Indigenous young people in the United States and Canada.Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

About Byron Graves

Byron Graves is Ojibwe and was born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, where they played high school basketball. When they aren't writing, they can be found playing retro video games, spending time with their family, or cheering on their beloved Minnesota Timberwolves. Rez Ball is their debut novel.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Anniek on September 26, 2023

I thought this was a great read, that fills a clear niche in YA. Publishing needs to pick up a lot more books by Indigenous authors, as well as books for and about teenage boys. This is both, and I think teens would really love this. I thought it was well written with a well fleshed out main charact......more

Goodreads review by Julia on April 20, 2024

This was the biggest surprise. Very little about this book speaks to my taste in books, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to sing its praises to everyone who will listen!......more

Goodreads review by Nev on January 16, 2024

This was a great YA book that’s a mix of a sports story, friendships, coming of age, dealing with loss, and representation of modern day life on an Ojibwe reservation. Last year Tre’s older brother Jaxon died in a car accident. Jaxon was a local basketball star, just like his dad before him. Now Tre......more

Goodreads review by Renata on April 16, 2024

This was suuuch a stressy read! I was reading this in my office on my lunch break and my coworker kept laughing bc I kept saying "oh no!!" out loud. Oh no!! The sports!! I thought it did such a great job of conveying the stakes and impact of the sports even for a non-sports-fan like me. (I looked up......more

Goodreads review by Cassandra on December 04, 2024

A solid sports book that deals with grief, the pressure and expectations from one’s community, friendship, peer pressure, and racism, all while playing some really good basketball. I got really stressed out near the middle when Tre started making some really bad decisions because of peer pressure an......more