OZZIE

In the first book of a new YA series, Tillit paints a portrait of a Black high school football player struggling to find his own way in life.

As the third member of the Waxman family to play football at Hancock High, Ozzie appears to have it all. He has talent as an offensive and defensive tackle and is a strong candidate to be recruited by a university; indeed, he seems more likely to find success than his father or his brother, Vic, who’s currently the team’s assistant coach. But Ozzie doesn’t love the game as his family members do: “I kept waiting for that same intensity.” This disparity causes Ozzie angst as he navigates high school and his relationship with his girlfriend, Zonta Jones. Although he’s popular, he doesn’t have close friends, aside from high school freshman Vashon Wilkes, whom he’s known for years. He does meet a new student in school, however: an unhoused girl named Lilly Orem. His teammates engage in casual racism: “They threw out comments all the time full of hateful stereotyping. They didn’t hold back. Race, gender, or any trait at all were fair game.” In the interactions of these various characters, Tillit effectively addresses such issues as bigotry, homelessness, and mental health. The author also builds tension as Vic makes Ozzie change positions—a situation for which the teenager doesn’t feel prepared: “I understood how to be perfect with perfect preplanned plays. For me, winging it was impossible.” An unexpected turn of events only intensifies Ozzie’s struggle. Over the course of this novel, Tillit deftly weaves a story of hope into an account of typical high school challenges. Along the way, Ozzie learns who his true friends are, people who are there for him when it counts. The author also includes an authentic police intervention toward the end of the novel. Overall, the story is engaging without being preachy, which will appeal to many YA readers.

A thoughtful tale of finding hope amid life’s trials.