Indie Review: To The Top Of Greenfield Street by Ryan Standley
Other books have made me laugh and cry, and To the Top of Greenfield Street did that for me. One thing I’ve never done is stop in the middle of reading and email the author to tell him how great the book is – until I read Ryan Standley’s book.
Standley is quoted as saying “I tried to make the book as honest as possible.” Goal accomplished, in my opinion. Eric, Nate, Matt, Jen, Eric’s parents – all of them are vivid and unique with distinct voices and personalities. Greenfield Street comes to life in Standley’s imagination and it was so great to travel back in time with his characters to the summer of 1993.
The characters’ struggles are commonplace, but it’s Standley’s willingness to sit with them and hear them out that made me experience the characters’ journeys with them. Their situations are raw and relatable. And despite the struggles, I think To the Top of Greenfield Street is a comfort read for youth and adults, because reading this story is like coming home. It’s summer bike rides and pool parties, neighborhood block parties, fighting and making up with your best bud, hating your parents and loving them too. It’s dreaming big in a small town – the kind of hope that makes you believe in yourself.
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Article originally Published in the February / March 2021 Issue: Young Adult.