When I Was the Greatest
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Narrated by:
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JB Adkins
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By:
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Jason Reynolds
About this listen
In Bed Stuy, New York, a small misunderstanding can escalate into having a price on your head - even if you’re totally clean. This gritty, triumphant debut captures the heart 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 ticks 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.
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- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Malcolm Little's parents have always told him that he can achieve anything, but from what he can tell, that's nothing but a pack of lies - after all, his father's been murdered, his mother's been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There's no point in trying, he figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer.
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Very well written
- By jeff on 06-29-15
By: Ilyasah Shabazz, and others
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Sister, Sister
- By: Eric Jerome Dickey
- Narrated by: Sisi Aisha Johnson, Patricia R Floyd, Susan Spain
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Join three beautiful young women, Valeria, Inda, and Chiquita, as they look for Mr. Right in the bright lights of L.A. Gutsy, graphic, and full of sensual energy, Sister, Sister is Dickey at his best.
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Sister Sister is Sensational!
- By Thomas on 04-06-08
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Kissing Games of the World
- By: Sandi Kahn Shelton
- Narrated by: Myra Platt
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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What if the one person you can't bear to be with is also the one person you can't bear to be without? Jamie McClintock is a free-spirited artist and single mother who has at last found peace and freedom sharing a farmhouse with an elderly man and his young grandson. But when the old man dies suddenly her idyllic country life comes to a halt as the old man's estranged son, Nate, returns to claim the house and his child.
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Great Writer, Great Narrator ! Loved it!
- By Ms. Critic on 05-30-09
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Burn Baby Burn
- By: Meg Medina
- Narrated by: Marisol Ramirez
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Nora Lopez is 17 during the infamous New York summer of 1977, when the city is besieged by arson, a massive blackout, and a serial killer named Son of Sam who shoots young women on the streets. Nora's family life isn't going so well either: her bullying brother, Hector, is growing more threatening by the day, her mother is helpless and falling behind on the rent, and her father calls only on holidays. All Nora wants is to turn 17 and be on her own.
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Couldn't finish listening to this book.
- By Mathis on 12-03-17
By: Meg Medina
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We Were Here
- By: Matt de la Pena
- Narrated by: Henry Leyva
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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When it happened Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge only gave him a year in a group home - said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he'd actually done Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened Miguel’s mom can't even look him in the eye. Any home besides his would be a better place to live. But Miguel didn’t bet on meeting Rondell or Mong or on any of what happened after they broke out. He only thought about Mexico and getting across the border to where he could start over....
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Loved it!!!
- By Emmanuel Mangata on 03-17-18
By: Matt de la Pena
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Leaving Paradise, Book 1
- By: Simone Elkeles
- Narrated by: Nick Mondelli
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad - her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares - has been canceled. After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free...if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.
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Couldnt finish so bad
- By Chelsea on 09-11-18
By: Simone Elkeles
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Perfect Chemistry
- By: Simone Elkeles
- Narrated by: Roxanne Hernandez, Blas Kisic
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
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When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created perfect life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect.
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Perfect Chemisty has perfect chemistry.
- By Leslie on 04-21-10
By: Simone Elkeles
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All Involved
- A Novel
- By: Ryan Gattis
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- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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A propulsive and ambitious novel as electrifying as The Wire, from a writer hailed as the West Coast's Richard Price—a mesmerizing epic of crime and opportunity, race, revenge, and loyalty, set in the chaotic streets of South Central LA in the wake of one of the most notorious and incendiary trials of the 1990s. At 3:15 p.m. on April 29, 1992, a jury acquitted three white Los Angeles Police Department officers charged with using excessive force to subdue a black man named Rodney King and failed to reach a verdict on the same charges involving a fourth officer. Less than two hours later, the city exploded in violence that lasted six days. In nearly 121 hours, fifty-three lives were lost. But there were even more deaths unaccounted for: violence that occurred outside of active rioting sites by those who used the chaos to viciously settle old scores.
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Best Multiple Narrative Since the Poisonwood Bible
- By Alan McCarron on 04-22-15
By: Ryan Gattis
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What Happened to My Sister
- A Novel
- By: Elizabeth Flock
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Nine-year-old Carrie Parker and her mother, Libby, are making a fresh start in the small town of Hartsville, North Carolina, ready to put their turbulent past behind them. Violence has shattered their family and left Libby nearly unable to cope. And while Carrie once took comfort in her beloved sister, Emma, her mother has now forbidden even the mention of her name. When Carrie meets Ruth, Honor, and Cricket Chaplin, these three generations of warmhearted women seem to have the loving home Carrie has always dreamed of. But as Carrie and Cricket become fast friends, neither can escape the pull of their families' secrets.
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Breathtaking
- By Pink Amy on 03-11-24
By: Elizabeth Flock
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The Lesser Dead
- By: Christopher Buehlman
- Narrated by: Christopher Buehlman
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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New York City in 1978 is a dirty, dangerous place to live - and die. Joey Peacock knows this as well as anybody - he has spent the last forty years as an adolescent vampire, perfecting the routine he now enjoys: womanizing in punk clubs and discotheques, feeding by night, and sleeping by day with others of his kind in the macabre labyrinth under the city's sidewalks.
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NICE GUYS NEARLY ALWAYS FINISH LAST
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 05-27-17
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Guys Read: Funny Business
- By: Jon Scieszka, Adam Rex, Christopher Curtis, and others
- Narrated by: Michael Boatman, Kate DiCamillo, John Keating, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Funny Business is based around the theme of - what else? - humor, and if you’re familiar with Jon and the Guys Read Library, you already know what you’re in store for: 10 hilarious stories from some of the funniest writers around. Before you’re through, you’ll meet a teenage mummy; a kid desperate to take a dip in the world’s largest pool of chocolate milk; a homicidal turkey; parents who hand over their son’s room to a biker; and more.
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Awesome super funny
- By sacha on 10-03-16
By: Jon Scieszka, and others
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What listeners say about When I Was the Greatest
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Vincente’ Estrada
- 01-18-23
Good book
One of my favorite Jason Reynolds books. This is all my first audio book and I can say it was a great choice.
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- devon
- 09-09-15
loved it
good story fantastic memorable interesting nice amazing cool terrific sad and overwhelming and favorite story
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2 people found this helpful
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- John
- 02-28-15
I love this book
On the recommendation of a friend, I bought this book without expecting that much, since contemporary fiction isn't really my thing. this absolutely blew me away. This raw and gritty coming of age story was so moving I'm still digesting it days later. Easily the best book I've read this yeat.
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2 people found this helpful
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- ing
- 05-27-19
Excellent
I am from Brooklyn and I can relate to the story, sometimes it made me feel like I was watching a story. thank you it was great.
can wait for the next book
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- Yulil Alonso-Garza
- 10-25-21
A must read for boys!
Absolutely loved this novel because it is both entertaining and informative regarding turrets syndrome. Also a great story about defending those who can't defend themselves. I'm sure not just boys will enjoy this novel.
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- tarafarah7: Tara Brown
- 10-27-17
Outstanding!!!
When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds, narrated by JB Adkins is absolutely fantastic! I highly recommend it to...well, everyone! In fact, I can't think of anyone I wouldn't recommend it to. It's so good! I teach high school in an urban setting, so I am often drawn to books that either remind me of my students in some way, or present an opportunity for me to learn more about the lives of my students. Not to mention, Jason Reynolds is a celebrity in our classroom! We LOVE his work! He is a brilliant author who has the amazing ability of grabbing your attention right from the start and not letting go! Though the situations may not always be pleasant (because, face it, real life isn't always pleasant), the themes and messages that come across stick with you long after the last page.
This audiobook about family, brotherhood, loyalty, sacrifice, doing what's right,...I could go on and on!!....is flawlessly narrated. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to JB Adkins. I couldn't imagine a more perfect voice for this book! The pace, tone, volume, and inflection were right on. Outstanding job!
Overall, I give this audiobook a well-deserved 5/5 stars! I feel listening to it was even better than reading it, which is also awesome. If you haven't read or listened to any books by Jason Reynolds, you are missing out! Do yourself a favor and get one, any of them. They are all engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking. On that note, I'm off to listen to his new release, Long Way Down, which I'm positive is going to be just as great as this one!!
Thank you for reading my review. I hope it was helpful. :-)
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5 people found this helpful
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- F. C.
- 03-17-20
This book was amazing
I Loved it so much 😂❤
it was too relatable 😂
omg it was surreal 👍🏾
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- Michael Pedersen
- 03-04-22
A Stirring, Young Boys Perspective of Growing Up
Touching story of a day in the life. I’m a white man who grew up outside a big city but realized, as I was listening, I had many of the same experiences as Ali, just different situations. We all good!
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- Anonymous User
- 05-08-18
Great audio, book not Reynolds' best
The audio was fantastic. The book is good but a little lacking in plot, especially compared to the greatness of Reynold's other books.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Deridra Burden
- 09-19-19
Awesome
Impowering Jason Reynolds . He never disappoints. He makes African American boys just like everyone else
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