The book Ghost by Jason Reynolds (208 pages) puts us as readers in the shoes of a young boy, Ghost, who has had an uphill battle from very early on in life. His father was abusive and one night fired gunshots at Ghost and his mother. Ghost tells us that this is the fastest that he has ever had to run in his life. After this occurred, Ghost grew up fatherless and in a low-income household with a very hardworking mom. He also didn’t have the best track record in school. When walking his normal route one day, he stumbles across a track and decides that he could one-up all of the gifted athletes practicing. By racing the most gifted sprinter, he ends up landing a spot on the team. These characters all play a substantial role in the development of Ghost but none more than Coach who becomes a father figure that Ghost never had. He is able to keep him on the right path and Ghost uses the gunshot as motivation to become something great. He ends up being able to open up and build strong bonds between himself and his teammates. However, it isn’t all easy for Ghost when he joins and the author uses this to keep readers intrigued throughout the novel.

One important character to the plot of the novel is Lu Richardson. Lu is the runner that Ghost first sees running and decides that he wants to put in his place. This relationship is competitive and is one of the things that motivates Ghost to be better. As the story develops, we find out that Lu, Ghost, and the rest of the team all have struggled and it results in a positive friendship between the two of them. He plays an important role by being Ghost’s main competition as a sprinter which improves his drive and motivation to be the best.

Another character that is essential to the plot is Coach. Coach Brody is a track coach that gets Ghost on the team, but their relationship goes beyond the sport. Coach takes an interest in Ghost off the field and wants him to succeed in school and life. He sets a standard very early that, “If he messes up in school, one time, he’s off the team.”  As we learn early in the story, Ghost’s dad has been out of the picture for a while. So Coach plays an important role as a father figure for Ghost and is able to push him to be the best he can be.

At one point in the book when Ghost and Coach are talking, he tells him…

“Trouble is, you can't run away from yourself." Coach snatched the towel from his shoulder, folded into a perfect square, and set it in the space between us."Unfortunately," he said, "ain't nobody that fast.” (Coach)

Part of the reason that Coach and Ghost become so close throughout the book is they have shared experiences. Not only has Ghost grown up with an abusive father but so has Coach. Although this happens toward the end of the novel, we see the connection being made between the two of them the same way we find a connection between Ghost and the team when they talk about their struggles. This quote demonstrates to readers that we all have things we wish we could change. However, you are who you are and you can only make yourself better. This is an idea constantly displayed throughout the book.

Finally, I would give this book a solid 4 stars! I would recommend this book to a wide range of people because it contains universal topics but also allows readers to be sympathetic towards the characters. It demonstrates personal growth, determination, and empathy between people. The book demonstrates growing relationships like Coach and Ghost and Ghost and the team. The only reason I wouldn’t give this book a 5-star review is for me, the book was a bit predictable but still had enough anticipation to keep me intrigued and reading. If readers want an empowering story of tenacity and self-improvement, read the book.