BLOG TOUR Terry's Crew by Terry Crews

Hi friends! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for Terry's Crew by Terry Crews, organized by TBR and Beyond Tours. Check out my post and make sure to show the other hosts some love as well! The link to the tour schedule is below. 

Terry's Crew by Terry Crews Blog Tour Schedule (TBR and Beyond Tours)

About the Book

Genre: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel
Release Date: November 8, 2022

Actor-author-athlete Terry Crews digs into his childhood in Flint, Michigan, to tell a story of fitting in and finding your place in his showstopping debut middle-grade graphic novel, the start of a series.

“Terry’s Crew is a true delight from beginning to end. It’s sure to provide a much-needed mirror and sliding glass door for countless kids.” —Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give

“A delightful, powerful, readable retelling of Terry Crews’s adolescence. Readers young and old will be captivated.”
—Sharon M. Draper, author of Out of My Mind

“A must read for all those kids who allow themselves to dream in a variety of big ways. Bravo!” —Pablo Cartaya, author of The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

Young Terry Crews has a Big Dream Plan: He wants to become a MULTIHYPHENATE. That means he wants to be an artist. And a football player. And a musician. And maybe a NASA scientist, too! OK, maybe it’s ambitious, but his parents worked hard so he could go to a new school—Rock City Academy, a prestigious institution (read: rich kids go there) where he’s sure he can make his mark at the talent show. He plans an elaborate performance with his new friends, Rani, a passionate engineer, and Xander, a shy kid with a head like an encyclopedia.

Along the way, Terry’s plan is threatened by his grades, which slip below Mom-and-Dad-approved levels, as well as the schemes of the school’s football star, Rick, who won’t stop until Terry quits the talent show altogether. No matter what challenges he faces, though, Terry knows that he always has his crew to back him up. 

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REVIEW of Terry's Crew by Terry Crews
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: November 8, 2022
Format: ARC (Courtesy of Publisher and TBR and Beyond Tours)
Publisher: LB Kids

When I think of Terry Crews, I think of the big muscled former footballer that has starred in the likes of The Expendables and Brooklyn Nine-Nine and hosted America’s Got Talent. I don’t necessarily think of the other part of his “multi-hyphenate” title, author. However, that’s all going to change in the future because Terry Crews proves his writing chops and creative brilliance in his middle grade graphic novel debut Terry’s Crew. A story filled with humor and heart, readers of all ages will see themselves reflected in some part of the story and connect to the overall themes of the book. 

Terry’s Crew is a loose fictionalization of Terry Crews’ childhood, and it was an honest and impactful read. The story focuses mainly on Terry’s time at the new Rock City Academy, and all of the new opportunities and experiences that offers him. It captured the struggles of that age period, like having adults in your life that don’t understand the scopes of your dreams and the constant fight to fit in and find your place in the world. It doesn’t shrug away from some of the bigger issues either, like elitism, racism and bullying. Terry’s character does struggle with the more unpleasant experiences, but thankfully he has his friends Xander and Rani, his older brother and street smart friend Emilio to help him get through it. 

The illustrator, Cory Thomas, did a great job with the art style of the book. I loved the vibrant colors, the expressive reactions on the character’s faces, and the way the pictures were able to show what was happening in any given scene without relying on the words to guide readers. 

Overall, a fantastic entertaining book. When reading the author’s note at the end, I think Terry Crews did a great job in achieving his goal of “inspiring readers to keep going, even when things don’t feel like they are working out”. If you or a young reader in your life enjoy humorous and impactful graphic novel reads, then this would be a great addition to your to be read (TBR) list. 

Thank you to the author Terry Crews, the publisher LB Kids and the team at TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review Terry’s Crew immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.  

About the Author

Terry Alan Crews (born July 30, 1968) is an American actor and former American football player. He is best known for playing Julius on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, Sergeant Terry Jeffords on the NBC comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and for his appearances in Old Spice commercials, as well as films such as Friday After Next, Idiocracy, and The Expendables series. He is a host of America’s Got Talent.

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