46 pages • 1 hour read
Mary Rand Hess, Kwame AlexanderSwing
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | YA | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Swing by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess, high school juniors Noah and Walt "Swing" Jones navigate friendship, passions, and personal challenges. Walt chases his baseball dreams and spreads his love for jazz and "hug life" philosophy, while Noah secretly wrestles with his artistic talents and feelings for their friend Sam. This young adult novel, told in verse, creatively intertwines jazz and poetry. Themes of violence, death, police brutality, and systemic racism are included.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Swing by Mary Rand Hess and Kwame Alexander is a compelling mix of prose and poetry that explores themes of friendship, love, and baseball. Many readers appreciate its heartfelt narrative and relatable teenage characters. However, some note that the blend of styles can be disorienting. Overall, it’s praised for its emotional depth and engaging storytelling.
Who Should Read Swing?
Readers who enjoy Swing by Mary Rand Hess and Kwame Alexander are typically teens or young adults who appreciate contemporary stories with themes of friendship, love, and personal growth. Fans of Jason Reynolds' Long Way Down or Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give will likely find this book compelling.