[Blog/Bookstagram/BookTok Tour] Strong Like You by T.L. Simpson
About The Book:
Title: STRONG LIKE YOU
Author: T.L. Simpson
Pub. Date: March 12, 2024
Publisher: North Star Editions
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 224
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/STRONG-LIKE-YOU
I haven’t cried one time since you disappeared. Not even at football practice when Paton Roper told the whole team you were probably dead. He said, “You know how sometimes a dog gets sick or bites somebody and you have to put it down?”
Somebody said, “Yep.”
“That’s probably what happened to Walker’s daddy.”
Walker Lauderdale hasn’t cried once since his daddy went missing. And even though everyone says he’s dead, Walker won’t give up hope. He knows his father is out there, somewhere, cutting a wild trail through the Ozarks like always. But when a relative threatens to kick Walker and his momma out of the family home, Walker realizes he has no choice but to look for his daddy—a search that leads him straight to a drug-addled and dangerous man named Lukas Fisher. While attempting to balance life as a normal fifteen year-old boy and star player on the football team, Walker begins a desperate search across the hills of the Ozarks for the man who, for better or worse, taught him everything he knows about strength.
Reviews:
“Strong Like You is an engaging novel in which a high school football star is forced to confront his ideas of manhood and forge better ones.” —Foreword Reviews
“The book explores masculinity, with Walker having a heartening insight near the end, when he realizes that with the right help, people can learn better than they were taught.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A serious look at the legacy and impact of violence, especially around the toxic culture of football, along with a compassionate view of the struggle and frequent hopelessness of rural poverty, the novel makes for a compelling read with a mixed but ultimately hopeful conclusion. Recommended for libraries serving middle and high schoolers.” —School Library Journal
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “You used to say it is what it is. And I used to believe that. But I think something else now. It is what you make it. You learn better than you were taught. Or you don’t. There is nothing else.” Strong Like You is a powerful coming-of-age story told in the Ozarks. 15-year-old Walker Lauderdale’s father has gone missing. Aside from juggling a somewhat normal teenage life and being a star linebacker on the football team, Walker has no choice but to search for his father, as well as answers— after a relative threatens to kick him and his mother out of their house. First off, I found addressing his missing father as “you” throughout the narrative an interesting and excellent choice. Like several other readers, I could not put this book down. I say that with little interest in football or sports fiction, but this book was different in a million ways more than one. While football relates to several themes in the book, it does not take away the main focus. In fact, two of my favorite themes in this story include finding the true definition of strength, and how life is what you make it out to be. I loved Walker’s journey into learning what it truly meant to be strong by himself and with the help of fantastic side and background characters. Walker is not your average kid, he is struggling with poverty and the effects of abuse. Simpson’s writing does not sugarcoat that. Instead, his style gives a sweet kind of honesty that makes every change/scene in the story serve its intended purpose. And it’s so subtle yet distinctive how the characters are painted, not just as human and real as they are, but more incredibly complex to a point you understand there’s no black and white— which is what I enjoyed the most about this book. We can see the worst sides come from Walker and some of the other characters, yet also the good, or at least in some cases, the reasoning behind their actions. Fear. Anger. Greed. Walker’s father was not perfect. Neither was Wyatt or Lukas Fisher. However, they were not surrounded by supportive people like Walker, which made it harder for them to believe they could change something without resorting to violence or anger. This is why I found the portrayal of the cycle of abuse, as well as breaking it, to be incredibly well-written and accurate too. I also thoroughly enjoyed Walker's character development. I loved how his mindset began to change when he got closer to Coach Widner, Mr. Raines, and Chloe. Chloe’s last scene with Walker was absolutely perfect! You can see Walker’s growth, and I wouldn’t have asked for anything else. Overall, this book deserves five stars. I can see it making a huge impact on anyone, regardless if you’ve grown up in a similar situation or love football. I most definitely would recommend everyone to pick up this book. There are plenty of important quotes and lessons that can be taken away.
About T.L. Simpson:
T. L. Simpson is an award-winning journalist and editor of the Courier, a newspaper in his hometown of Russellville, Arkansas. Simpson spent nearly ten years covering high school and collegiate sports before taking over as editor. During that time, he was also the paper’s primary crime reporter. In a lot of ways, Strong Like You is the result of his experiences with covering both.
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Author Q&A:
What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I started Strong Like You by asking myself what I’d say to young folks if I had the opportunity to speak to them. Specifically, I thought about the sensitive young boys in the world who are often discouraged from expressing or exploring their emotions.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
I love Sawyer. He’s a little more mischievous than Walker. You get the idea that a lot of the trouble Walker gets into is instigated by Sawyer. Sawyer starts the novel happy despite his circumstances, always joking around and cutting up—so it hurts when you see him hurt later in the story.
Which came first, the title or the novel?
They both happened simultaneously. I thought of writing the novel as if the main character were speaking to his missing father calling him “you” throughout the story. Then I knew I wanted the main character to have to unlearn the lessons he learned about “being a man” from his father. Altogether, it led me to the title Strong Like You, which I knew would be the title before I wrote even the first sentence of the book.
What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I love the final scene of STRONG LIKE YOU. There’s a real bittersweet feeling to it. At the end of the day, even though Walker’s father is not the best representation of strength, Walker still loves his father. I can’t say more without spoiling it.
Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?
I began writing professionally in 2012 as a journalist. Thinking back, I think the best things I have learned are not to be overly precious about my writing, to grind at it daily and to gut out the losses while you wait out the victories.
As to being precious about writing: Writing is extremely personal, so it can feel like a personal attack when someone critiques your work. I think it is important to realize that the only avenue we have to improve our writing is through critique, so getting defensive or hurt over it is a massive waste of time.
What do you like most about the cover of the book?
I love everything about the cover, but one thing was being able to choose Walker’s number as 25 for the cover. It’s not a typical linebacker number (although not impossible) but it was important to me because it was my cousin Brandon Bourbon’s number, who died in 2016. Brandon was a football star who played D-1 football and was invited to the NFL combine.
What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2024?
I am looking forward to Dad Camp by Evan Porter, The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell, The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill and also getting a little further through my massive TBR pile.
What was your favorite book in 2023?
I want to say it was Demon Copperhead, but realistically it was probably Legends & Lattes. I just loved the cozy fantasy. Both technically came out in 2022 but I didn’t get to them until 2023.
What’s up next for you?
I am working on my second novel, COPE FIELD, which is scheduled for release in the Spring of 2025. COPE FIELD is about an emotionally stunted baseball player named Crawford who has it all — looks, wealth and a former professional baseball player for a father. One problem: His father is addicted to painkillers and has an explosive temper. Cope Field is about speaking your truth no matter what the cost. Also, there’s a lot more smooching than in Strong Like You. ;-)
Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
There is a scene where Walker discovers where his father has been that is told through Walker’s hand written poetry. I went back and forth for a long time on how best to make that reveal. In the end, straight from Walker’s pen in free verse carried the weight of it all perfectly.
Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
Andre, Walker’s coach, took a lot of work. I wanted him to be stern and old school, somewhat set in his ways, but still offer to Walker someone more steady (although still not perfect!) than his own father to look up to.
Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
Drafting for sure. I love getting into that flow state and writing for hours at a time. Revising can be fun, but to me that is when the real “work” begins. It is extremely rewarding though when the story begins to really take shape through revision.
What would you say is your superpower?
Years of honing my craft in the newsroom, noisy basketball stadiums, on crime scenes, in court and up against deadline have given me the ability to write extremely fast. And also…I seldom have writer’s block. If I know where the story is going…I can go.
Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
The Public Library!
1 winner will receive a finished copy of STRONG LIKE YOU, US Only.
Ends March 26th, midnight EST.
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