Review: Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clayton Byrd is a blues musician. He plays the blues harp (no harmonica here!). He's learned everything he know about music from his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd. Clayton and Cool Papa have a very special relationship.

But things change - as they always do - and Clayton finds himself navigating uncharted waters. His mother isn't a help to him, and he sets out to find what he is sure will help him. The journey is dangerous and along the way he learns some unexpected lessons about himself and his family.

While I loved Clayton and Cool Papa's relationship, I don't think the author did such a good job developing his mother or father. They were very one dimensional. The same applies to his teacher and school. The strength of this book is the way the author wrote about Clayton's pain. It felt very authentic and was powerfully felt by the reader.

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