Playground [Kindle Edition]

Playground is the story of Butterball, a 14 year old overweight bully. It's a compelling read which centers around Butterball's conversations with the therapist he is made to speak to after he attacks his only friend with a battery-filled sock. As you would expect, the rapper doesn't gloss over the violence or hold back on the language which might put some parents off, but it shouldn't. The realistic approach and the edgy black and white drawings which accompany the text makes this a cool book that young teens will want to read. The pay off is that at the end there is redemption for the bully and lessons to be learned by everybody.

I loved this book, really seriously loved it.
I started reading it as soon as I got it home and was racing through it, very unhappy at having to go out, so much so I was reading it while walking down the street at a really odd angle so I could read by the light of passing streetlamps! Then raced back home to finish it that night. I really loved Butterball and the way the story was told through his sessions with the therapist and jumping back a bit to fill you in with the details. The slow change in his character was really well done, particularly the way he began to develop self-confidence, and even the spiralling into bullying to gain `respect' was completely believable. The relationship with his parents was so honest, it was almost painful to read about how he completely hero worshipped his dad even though he was obviously such a jerk to him, and his conflict with his mum and their strained relationship was really poignant, his unhappiness at her working so much and his embarrassment about her relationship with Evelyn was very well done.

I read a heck of a lot of teen books and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, it was so easy to read and so well written about a subject which can be tricky to be written well. My only mild frustration is because it was so easy to read I would love to give it to bright younger kids but can't because of the swearing, not that they won't pick it up on their own...and I'm glad they will.

Oh and one last thing I LOVED the jacket, a really strong cover design, incredibly striking, and really makes it stand out.

I bought this because I LOVE 50 cent 's music and I wasn't disappointed! I read this in just over a day and I loved it. I'm 17 and will recommend it to others my age