298th out of 2,086 books
—
11,148 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Autobiography of My Dead Brother” as Want to Read:
Autobiography of My Dead Brother
Printz Award winner Walter Dean Myers has written a realistic urban novel that probes a fatal crisis in the life of two boys. Jesse, the book's narrator, and Rise are best friends, but as time passes, Rise grows increasingly alienated and unpredictable. Living in a neighborhood where gang fights and drive-by shootings are almost commonplace, Jesse wonders whether he and hi
...more
Paperback
,
224 pages
Published
October 31st 2006
by Amistad
(first published January 1st 2005)
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Autobiography of My Dead Brother
,
please sign up
.
Be the first to ask a question about Autobiography of My Dead Brother
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,726)
Ah, another fabulous book! Set in Harlem, it centers around a group of teen boys that have to make important life choices. The protagonist, Jesse, narrates using first-person pov. Rise is Jesse's "blood brother" who begins to take interest in the gang lifestyle that he and Jesse always said they would avoid. Along the way, Jesse begins creating an autobiography of Rise through sketches. Sketches are thrown throughout the book, along with some comics, that compliment the plot and the characters o
...more
Dec 07, 2008
christopher
added it
Book review
Christopher Jordan 12/3/08
The book that I have finished is a novel called Autobiography of my dead Brother. This story is by award winning Walter Dean Myers. This story is fiction and the main theme of this story is even your own best friend can change on you by the surroundings as drugs, gun, gangs and the only thing you would have to fall back on is your family.
Autobiography of my Dead Brother is based on a fifthteen year old black male name Jesse. This story takes place in Harlem ...more
Christopher Jordan 12/3/08
The book that I have finished is a novel called Autobiography of my dead Brother. This story is by award winning Walter Dean Myers. This story is fiction and the main theme of this story is even your own best friend can change on you by the surroundings as drugs, gun, gangs and the only thing you would have to fall back on is your family.
Autobiography of my Dead Brother is based on a fifthteen year old black male name Jesse. This story takes place in Harlem ...more
I picked this book up because it's an award winning book, and because I love Walter Dean Myers. This reminds my of Diary of a Wimpy Kid in that it has some graphics, but I wouldn't call it a graphic novel. It is a story about Jesse and Rise. Two blood brothers who are learning how to deal with the fact they're growing up and growing apart. They live in Harlem and are members of a "club" not a gang. When a series of drive-bys start happening around the neighborhood, it separates the two brothers
...more
view 2 comments
i thought this was thee best book that i have read so far becuase i can really really really relate to it. in the book these kids are in a gang, that part doesnt relate to me but i know people who are in a gang. one of the kids are trying their hardest to keep out of the gang banging thing and he is also trying to keep his best friend/ brother out of it too. one of the main character decides that he will wirte an autobiography about Rise, his brother. the one reason why i really relate to this b
...more
I've been semi-avoiding any Walter Dean Myers books the past few years because they hit way to close to home, if by home I mean school. Working with the kids that I do and living the sadness, anger, and frustrations of Black youth on a daily basis, I don't generally jump at the chance to read about it for fun. However, this title was one I'd chosen for my classroom library because I thought it sounded interesting and I found it to be an intelligent and insightful portrayal of life in the inner-c
...more
Jun 03, 2015
Kim
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
award-winner
,
contemporary-fiction
,
fiction
,
listened-to
,
young-adult-fiction
,
diverse
Utterly relatable characters, real dialog, and the tension between two blood-brother friends who are making decisions about how involved they want to be in the gang lifestyle of their neighborhood make this a stand-out in urban fiction. I listened to the audio version, and narrator J. D. Jackson does an outstanding job of bringing Jesse and his friends and family to life.
Walter Dean Myers
had such a feel for urban teens, and it shines through in this story.
As with his other works for young adults and children, Myers does not hold back with this novel. The very first scene features Pastor Loving leading a funeral service for a young man, stating, "Lord knows we are tired of burying our young men" (1). The accompanying illustration, which is also on the initial page of the book, is that of a dead fourteen year old, with his hands crossed and the message "Bobby Green R.I.P." written next to him. The rest of the novel follows this trajectory - followi
...more
The Counts are just a social club until their leader goes to prison and attempts to persuade the boys to retaliate on his behalf. Rise, the self-appointed replacement, says the club won't do the other boy's bidding, but even Jesse, whom Rise tasks to write an autobiography, sees the subtle differences that make his childhood friend unrecognizable. What Rise says and what Rise does are at stark odds, and the former social club just might find itself in the middle of a gang warfare.
It's a quick re ...more
It's a quick re ...more
In Harlem, Autobiography of My Dead Brother follows the brotherly friendship between Rise and Jesse. Rise, taking the wrong path, becomes a gang member and a drug dealer. Jesse, on the other hand, becomes a great artist and tries to understand the complications of a true friendship. Also dealing with his neighborhood getting so gang-involved he tries to keep art his get away from everything negative around him.
This award winning book gets my fifth, sixth, and seventh star. A great book for tee ...more
This award winning book gets my fifth, sixth, and seventh star. A great book for tee ...more
"It was news but it wasn't a surprise."
The story of one teen's rise and fall on the gang-ruled streets of upper Manhattan, told through the eyes of his childhood friend and comic artist.
This story will capture the attention of teens who crave action and violence in their stories, but it also gives thought-provoking insight into the what leads regular kids into the path of violence. It held my attention consistently, making me sad and making me think.
"One day I seen me standing in the cold by th ...more
The story of one teen's rise and fall on the gang-ruled streets of upper Manhattan, told through the eyes of his childhood friend and comic artist.
This story will capture the attention of teens who crave action and violence in their stories, but it also gives thought-provoking insight into the what leads regular kids into the path of violence. It held my attention consistently, making me sad and making me think.
"One day I seen me standing in the cold by th ...more
Set in Harlem New York this is the story of Jesse and his blood brother Rise. The boys along with some of the other friends have a club to keep them from the gangs. But sometimes people change and for whatever reason people you knew very well are no longer the friend you thought.
I loved this book. I love New York. I knew the setting very well. When he mentions the streets and places I know them. I have been there too. The illustrations are great. They make you think and give the book an edge. I ...more
I loved this book. I love New York. I knew the setting very well. When he mentions the streets and places I know them. I have been there too. The illustrations are great. They make you think and give the book an edge. I ...more
The autobiography of my dead brother, is about a child named who has lost his brother in a drive-by. This book is about his life and what he went through without his brother. The thing that attracted me to this book is it's depressing cover. You might think this book is a depressing story, but it's not. This book takes place in Harlem where crimes are often committed. My favorite quote is "Damn, she loved that fool more than she loved me". This quote represents how much the mother loved the son
...more
Pretty good book, had a lot of slang language I didn't understand... Reasonably violent, has lots of gang wars, violence, discrimination. It is also reasonably sad.
This book was told through different mediums-- through drawings and narration. The story is about a boy whose best friend is going down some wrong paths, and he can see it just by the way his personality has changed. He draws his friend in various ways, trying to understand why his friend is so different. He feels like his friend is hiding behind a mask. This story shows the terror of living in an unsafe neighborhood with gangs and drive-by shootings. I understand that there are people out there
...more
One of the best books I've ever read in my entire life.
Synopsis: Jesse, a 14 year old, is growing up in a hood of New York. He struggles with the fact that his best friend, Rise, is falling into drugs and gangs. Jesse struggles with doing what's right and still being loyal to Rise.
This book started out interesting but it all seemed a little too fast and emotionless for me. I didn't react much to what happened to Rise at the end and I couldn't identify with Jesse, which makes sense. I'm not a 14 yr old, African-American living in New York.
I'm not su ...more
This book started out interesting but it all seemed a little too fast and emotionless for me. I didn't react much to what happened to Rise at the end and I couldn't identify with Jesse, which makes sense. I'm not a 14 yr old, African-American living in New York.
I'm not su ...more
While this wasn't a book I particularly enjoyed, I absolutely see its merits.
Autobiography of My Dead Brother
is the story of 15-year-old Jesse who grows up in a violent New York neighbourhood. He's smart, talented and although he's got all the typical teenage issues - he's not going to make decisions which adversely impact his life.
His best friend is Rise. Rise is seventeen and he and Jesse have been friends since they were little.
"His mother likes to tell me that when Rise first saw me, he wa ...more
His best friend is Rise. Rise is seventeen and he and Jesse have been friends since they were little.
"His mother likes to tell me that when Rise first saw me, he wa ...more
I was lucky enough to meet Walter Dean Myers and his son Christopher Myers (who drew the artwork for this book) and they both signed my copy! Walter Dean Myers grew up in Harlem, and I can't help but wonder how much of this story is based on actual events and how much of this story is complete fiction...
Told from the first-person point of view of Jesse, a 15-year-old boy who "fills his sketchbook with drawings and portraits of his blood brother, Rise, and his comic strip, Spodi Roti and Wise , as ...more
Told from the first-person point of view of Jesse, a 15-year-old boy who "fills his sketchbook with drawings and portraits of his blood brother, Rise, and his comic strip, Spodi Roti and Wise , as ...more
This book has a start like I have never encountered in a book before. It starts of in a church, with people mourning a death of a young male who was shot and killed in the neighborhood. It continues on about a relationship about two friends, one of which is a character named Rise he is older and begins to change as a person throughout the story. Even the relationship between him and Jesse, the character to basically narrates the story. He describes their relationship as a brotherly type feel, t
...more
"Autobiography" is another good story written by Walter Dean Myers. In my opinion, Myers is one of the best writers - within the urban realism genre and just teen writing in general. Another book by Myers, "Scorpions" was required reading in 8th grade, and I still remember liking that book a lot.
"Autobiography" is about Jesse, a teen in Harlem with a talent for art. He struggles with two conflicting paths ahead of him - staying on the straight and narrow, or being pulled into a world of drugs, v ...more
"Autobiography" is about Jesse, a teen in Harlem with a talent for art. He struggles with two conflicting paths ahead of him - staying on the straight and narrow, or being pulled into a world of drugs, v ...more
Right from the title of the book, Autobiography of my Dead Brother, instantly caught my attention. The more I read this book by Walter Dean Myers, the more I couldn’t stop reading. It is an emotional book with an unsuspecting twist that would make anyone who read this book love it. The story of each character can leave an emotional feel on the reader.
This book is told through the mind of Jesse, the fifteen year old main character. The book opens dramatically at his best friend’s funeral. Jesse ...more
This book is told through the mind of Jesse, the fifteen year old main character. The book opens dramatically at his best friend’s funeral. Jesse ...more
This book is powerful, both in its text and its illustrations. The subject matter is very real (and very violent, if that sort of thing bothers you) but what I like most about it is the honesty. The book is written as more of a journal than an autobiography and Jesse deals with some serious stuff in the book. However, the book is not filled with extreme emotion, but instead Jesse's somewhat complacent attitude about death and violence (although he obviously disagrees with it) is what is so power
...more
Autobiography of my Dead brother is a great book. It relates to kids who are brought up in a negative environment and shows how that type of environment can influence a kid to make bad decisions. Rise was that kid in this book. He hung around the wrong people, and they had a negative influence on him. His bestfriend Jesse was the main character, and the kid that truthfully didn't want to have to deal with gangs and all that trouble, but because his "blood brother" was there, so was he.
Rise go ...more
Rise go ...more
Lit. class review:
This title was nominated for the National Book Award in 2005, but has otherwise gone unnoticed by the rewards committees. II was interested in reading one of Myers’ less known books. It is illustrated by his son, Christopher Myers, who won the Caldecott Award for another of their collaborations. The illustrations are a mixture of gritty and cartoon-like comic book sketches. I wonder if the images will be used to advance the story or simply to expand upon it.
p. 72 – Jesse is a b ...more
This title was nominated for the National Book Award in 2005, but has otherwise gone unnoticed by the rewards committees. II was interested in reading one of Myers’ less known books. It is illustrated by his son, Christopher Myers, who won the Caldecott Award for another of their collaborations. The illustrations are a mixture of gritty and cartoon-like comic book sketches. I wonder if the images will be used to advance the story or simply to expand upon it.
p. 72 – Jesse is a b ...more
Jesse is a young African-American teen growing up in the 'hood. Rise is an older boy who has been Jesse's friend since forever; they even did the blood brothers thing when they were little. Well, Jesse was too scared to actually cut his finger but when he fell and scraped his knee, Rise cut his finger and they mingled blood then. They are as close, if not closer, than actual brothers. But lately, Jesse has been noticing a change in Rise.
Jesse and his friends have a social club, the Counts, which ...more
Jesse and his friends have a social club, the Counts, which ...more
I have read this with several groups of students and I prefer it to most of WDM's books. The addition of artwork/cartooning adds depth to the story and encourages critical reading among students. Myers sets his characters apart from those in other 'urban' tales through their sensitivity and artistry. I've often thought that if you've read one Myers novel, you've read them all. They certainly maintain a stock set of characteristics, but AOMDB was definitely above his typical par.
Oct 06, 2011
Tyler
added it
The book "The Autobiography of My Dead Brother" is a pretty good book. Same ole stuff happens as usal books about the ghetto...kids growing up in the ghetto, some make it some dont. This book will touch you if you have lost a close friend or relative like i have done myself. It makes you relaize and wonder how bad they had it and what it would be like... I wouldnt recommend this book to anyone who doesnt like to read about losing someone close or deaths or anything in that area but if it doesnt
...more
My teacher Mrs.Augustine said if i like "Monster" i would definitly like this book. this book is about a kid named Jesse and his bestfriend named Rice. They were like blood brothers,but than Rice starts hanging out with gangs and Jesse doesnt like it. Jesse starts to imagine how the old Rice was and he starts drawing him but he cant remember how the old Rice use to look like. My favorite quote is "The thing was that me and Rice were blood brothers, but sometimes i really didnt know him." I like
...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
pseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empi ...more
More about Walter Dean Myers...
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empi ...more
