Crossover

Alexander, K. (2014). Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

About the Book

Josh a.k.a Filthy McNasty is the main character in this uniquely written realistic fiction novel. The story is told through poet verse. The plot of the story is about Josh and his twin brothers relationship with basketball and how their relationship is threatened when a girlfriend enters the picture. Josh's relationship with his father is also explored and in the end he is forced to deal with the death of his father.

Evaluative Criteria for Realistic Fiction

Crossover is a wonderful example of literary style, it is written in poetic format. Each poem is the next chapter in the story. Josh a.k.a Filthy McNasty is telling the story about his family and their love for basketball and each other. K. Alexander uses descriptive language throughout the entire book. For example, the poem about the main character Josh’s hair, “Ode to My Hair” uses multiple similes to describe his hair. Throughout the story the tone and mood changes along with the plot. When Josh is on the basketball court the language is carefree and full of action, but when he is having struggles with his twin brother the language becomes very serious. The setting in the book is modern day taking place at home, school and the basketball court. The backdrop of this story is very familiar to boys who play basketball. The reader can relate to the balance of family, school and the game with their lives.