The Boy in the Black Suit

By: Jason Reynolds

Narrated by: Corey Allen

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

Just when 17-year-old Matt thinks he can't handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more - and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down - in this wry, gritty novel from the author of When I Was the Greatest. Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died - although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad's snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt's snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. She's got a crazy name, and she's been through more crazy than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She's tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he's drawn to her, and definitely why he can't seem to shake her. Because there's nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands your loneliness - and who can maybe even help take it away.

©2015 Jason Reynolds (P)2015 Recorded Books

Engaging read about a soft black teen

Where does The Boy in the Black Suit rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was a really cute one but i think I wanted more of him and Lovey. There aren't a ton of black couples that are mainstream in YA Contemporary and I wanted more for them. I did highly enjoy the book though.

Excellent meta tale of love and loss!

Exploring the ups and downs of life with the main character, Matthew Miller, is a fascinating journey of chance, risk and how to with love and loss. It's a must read for youth 13 and up. Although there is some mature language is fitting to the tone and age of the characters! I can't wait to read Reynolds next piece!!

Great Book

I loved this book, but the narrator was like listening to nails on a chalkboard.

Processing Grief

Jason did an awesome job of displaying the process of grief that Matt experienced. All to often we don’t consider how children/teens are impacted by loss.
I love how he and Love were able to forge a friendship, be supportive of one another, and teach each other about life after the loss of a love one.
Mr. Ray was just what Matt needed as well. This was a sweet love story that was wrapped in sadness.

A Touching Story!

I am an English Language Arts teacher picking out books for high school curriculum, so I have my students in mind. This book may be triggering to those who have experienced the death of a loved one, but at the same time, it could be a catalyst to the healing process. I love that the book is through the point of view of an African American youth, yet the topic of the book isn’t race. I have been looking for books like this. I am concerned that some students may not think there is enough “action” in the story, but I am hopeful that they will be captivated by the subject matter and the sweet romance that slowly builds about half way through. It would be interesting to pair this text with The Catcher in the Rye, since both stories have a focus on dealing with death. The Boy in the Black Suit is an example of what happens when someone goes through a somewhat unusual but healthy grieving and healing process compared to Catcher where Holden struggles for years with his grief before getting the help he needs. The audiobook narration is well done!

Perfect read

Kids need these type of books to understand death at a young age. Also, it may help boys with relationships

Grieving teen learns to cope with moms death

Loved it! the mail character, Matt, is honest, relate able and sometimes laugh out loud funny while he learns to cope with his mom's recent death and newly formed relationships.

The Gift of a Jason Reynolds Book

The beautiful thing about a Jason Reynolds book is that you will always- no matter the book, the characters, the setting- no matter who you are, where you live, how old you are- no matter what you look like, what you do for a living, what your hobbies are... you will always be able to see yourself in his characters.

This book was no different. Please read Jason Reynolds' works. You will not be sorry!

Great pairing.

The combination of Jason Reynolds' writing and Corey Allen's narration is perfection. I found this audiobook so enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the power of family and friendship

I think my students would love to read the story of Matthew, Mr. Ray, Lovey and how Matthew learns that life continues after the death of his mother.

For me it was an anecdote for my loss

I really enjoyed this story and performance. I loved the easy pace which I thought complemented the telling of an uneasy subject. Having experienced a similar loss, I smiled reminiscently in acknowledgment of those grieving feelings while listening to this book. For me, it was an anecdote for my loss.

Book

I loved the book it was a good story plot I liked how in the whole book every chapter there was something new but I think this book would be a great movie