Look Both Ways is a young-adult novel by American author Jason Reynolds. Published in 2019 by Atheneum and Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, it features gripping illustrations by Alexander Nabaun. The story is told from the perspective of a young boy walking home from school. The things he comes across in the ten-block way home prove to be the core value of this novel. This mundane walk home turns into an exploration of diverse ideas and lives that surround the character.
The character witnesses pickpocketing, skateboarders zooming across the lanes, friendly meetings, and the hustle and bustle of city life. He becomes a focal point of how, as humans, we tend to take detours on our way to the desired destination. These detours sometimes evoke a change in attitude and might lead you on the wrong path, forever lost on your initial destination.
The novel is hilarious and gives off a true feeling of authenticity as the stories are as grounded in reality as they can be. The author offers a brief reflection on life and the choices that we make to better our lives. Look Both Ways was nominated for the 2019 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature and the 2020 Coretta Scott King Book Award.
