When I Was the Greatest

Urban teen navigates friendship, loyalty, and unexpected danger in a neighborhood filled with challenges.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 7,564 ratings

232 pages· 61,854 words· Est. 5.5 hour read

$11.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Ali juggles school, boxing, and family responsibilities while keeping his friend Noodles out of trouble. But when they, along with Noodles's brother Needles, end up in a dangerous situation, Ali must confront the harsh realities of their neighborhood. Can he protect his friends and himself when the stakes are higher than ever? Discover the unexpected twists that test their loyalty and courage.

From the publisher

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds, a “funny and rewarding” (Publishers Weekly) coming-of-age novel about friendship and loyalty across neighborhood lines and the hardship of life for an urban teen. A lot of the stuff that gives my neighborhood a bad name, I don’t really mess with. The guns and drugs and all that, not really my thing. Nah, not his thing. Ali’s got enough going on, between school and boxing and helping out at home. His best friend Noodles, though. Now there’s a dude looking for trouble–and, somehow, it’s always Ali around to pick up the pieces. But, hey, a guy’s gotta look out for his boys, right? Besides, it’s all small potatoes; it’s not like anyone’s getting hurt. And then there’s Needles. Needles is Noodles’s brother. He’s got a syndrome, and gets these tics and blurts out the wildest, craziest things. It’s cool, though: everyone on their street knows he doesn’t mean anything by it. Yeah, it’s cool…until Ali and Noodles and Needles find themselves somewhere they never expected to be…somewhere they never should’ve been–where the people aren’t so friendly, and even less forgiving.