Close Menu
www.crackingthecover.com
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Home
    • Picture
      • Ages 0-3
      • Ages 2 and up
      • Ages 3 and up
      • Ages 4 and up
      • Ages 5 and up
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 8 and up
      • Author Interviews
      • Bedtime Stories
      • Gift Guide
    • Middle Grade
      • Author Interviews
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 7 and up
      • Ages 8-12
      • Ages 9-12
      • Ages 10 and up
      • Gift Guide
    • YA
      • Author Interviews
      • Reviews
      • Adult Crossover
      • Gift Guide
    • Seasonal
      • Back to School
      • Christmas
      • Earth Day
      • Easter
      • Fall
      • Father’s Day
      • Mother’s Day
      • Gift Guide
      • Halloween
      • Spring
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Winter
    • Diversity
      • AANHPI Heritage
      • Autism Month
      • Black Experience
      • Chinese New Year
      • Hispanic Heritage
      • Pride Month
      • Women’s History
    • Crossover
    • About
      • Review/interview policy
      • About our reviewers
    www.crackingthecover.com

    Chrystal D. Giles’ Not an Easy Win is thoughtful middle grade novel

    0
    By Jessica on November 11, 2023 ages 10 & up, Black experience, Celebrating Diversity, Middle Grade

    NOT AN EASY WIN, by Chrystal D. Giles, Random House Books for Young Readers, Feb. 28, 2023, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 10-12)

    A boy learns life lessons while learning to play chess in Not an Easy Win, a middle-grade novel by Chrystal D. Giles.

    Nothing’s gone right for Lawrence since he had to move from Charlotte to Larenville, North Carolina, to live with his granny. When Lawrence ends up in one too many fights at his new school, he gets expelled. The fight wasn’t his fault, but since his pop’s been gone, it feels like no one listens to what Lawrence has to say.

    Instead of going to school, Lawrence starts spending his days at the rec center, helping out a neighbor who runs a chess program. Some of the kids in the program will be picked to compete in the Charlotte Classic chess tournament. Could this be Lawrence’s chance to go home?

    Lawrence doesn’t know anything about chess, but something about the center—and the kids there—feels right. Lawrence thought the game was over . . . but does he have more moves left than he thought? —Synopsis provided by Random House Books for Young Readers

    Not an Easy Win is a quiet book. Other than a few tense moments — which are impactful — the change comes in soft waves, in small moments and simple acts.

    Told from Lawrence’s point of view, Not an Easy Win reads as much like a character study as it is a story. Lawrence is a smart kid who — more often than not — is the only person looking out for him, or so he thinks. Over time, Lawrence realizes he’s got a community of supporters, he just has to open himself to the possibilities.

    Not an Easy Win is contemporary fiction that is rooted in authenticity. Kids from all walks of life — but especially those who can see themselves mirrored in Lawrence’s experiences — will be drawn to this thoughtful narrative.

     

    *Not an Easy Win is a Cybils-nominated book. This review is my opinion and not the opinion of the middle-grade fiction panel as a whole.

    Copyright © 2023 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Jessica
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)

    Jessica Harrison is the reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. She loves books and worked as the in-house book critic at a daily newspaper, writing reviews and interviewing authors for two years. When the company cut back, she lost her position covering books, but that doesn't mean she stopped reading. If anything, the whole experience made her more passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices. She has been featured on NetGalley's Blogger Spotlight and is on Kindleprenuer's Ultimate List of the Best Book Review Blogs. Contact her at jessica(at)crackingthecover(dot)com and follow Cracking the Cover on Bluesky, Instagram,  Facebook and Twitter (X) @crackingthecovr. You can also read scaled down reviews on Jessica's Goodreads review page. Jessica is also a reviewer on Amazon.

    Related Posts

    Margaret Finnegan’s Spelling It Out is S-T-R-O-N-G middle grade

    Sleuth & Solve: Art offers up solo and group fun

    Aimee Phan’s compelling The Lost Queen draws on Vietnamese lore

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • bluesky
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • facebook
    • goodreads
    • amazon
    • bloglovin
    • mail
    Subscribe by email
    Follow
    Recent Posts
    May 15, 2025

    Margaret Finnegan’s Spelling It Out is S-T-R-O-N-G middle grade

    May 14, 2025

    Rachel Reiss’s Out of Air is creepy summer adventure

    May 14, 2025

    Seven: A Most Remarkable Pigeon celebrates individuality

    May 8, 2025

    Sleuth & Solve: Art offers up solo and group fun

    May 8, 2025

    Aimee Phan’s compelling The Lost Queen draws on Vietnamese lore

    Archives
    Categories
    Cybils Awards

    On Writing

    “The dance with words and the way the hair on the back of my neck raises when it works right is what I live for.”

    —Gary Paulsen

    “I write because I exist. Because I read. Because I breathe.”

    —Lindsay Eager

    “Books are kind of like the sense of smell: inhale one page and memories come rushing back.”

    —Keir Graff

    Cracking the Cover is a website dedicated to picture, middle-grade and young adult books. It features reviews, author interviews and other book news. PLEASE NOTE: We are not currently accepting self published books for review.

    Copyright © 2010-2022 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.

    Reviews Published Professional Reader 2016 NetGalley Challenge 100 Book Reviews

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.