I love when you read a book about a topic you don’t know much about and the writing just sweeps you away anyway. I love even more when you read three of these back to back.

So recently I read The Crossover, Booked, and Rebound by Kwame Alexander. These are three novels for young readers written in verse about three teenage boys, all of whom are grappling with various struggles: grief, divorce, grades. But there’s also family and first loves and athletics to help them through. The first and the last title listed above are connected, with Rebound being a prequel.

All three of these books are so fantastic. The characters are relatable and charming in their own ways, even with all their flaws and sometimes bad decisions. The dialogue is so strong, as might be expected from free verse poetry. There isn’t much description of what’s happening, with the writing focusing instead on the characters’ words and emotions. It encourages the reader to use context clues to glean the action sometimes, yet at the same time, the scenes involving basketball and soccer are riveting and heart-pounding.

And the themes about dealing with loss, about how to handle crumbling family structures, and how to find new purpose are so strong. These are difficult topics, and while Alexander doesn’t sugarcoat anything, they’re presented in a way that feels real without feeling hopeless. I loved seeing how each main character—Jordan, Nick, and Charlie—dealt with their problems, learning to believe in themselves and lean on their friends and family. They’re all relatable and realistic characters with believable arcs.

Each book is so strong on its own (and the three can be read in any order, probably), but it was a rewarding experience to read Rebound last. Seeing Jordan’s father Charlie in his younger years, seeing him discover his love for basketball and understand the trauma he went through when his own father died, was incredibly moving. It reframes some of the events of The Crossover perfectly, and made me want to reread that one (even though I had only read it a few days prior). It’s a perfect conclusion.

However, Booked was a fantastic read as well. I loved Nick’s journey as he deals with the complex emotions regarding his parents breaking up and his goals to excel in soccer. But I really think The Crossover is my favorite of the three. Librarians know what’s up, because this one hundred percent deserved the Newbery Award that it received. It’s a book that reads like an instant classic, full of emotions and energy on every page.

In the end, all three of these books are stellar. The writing is excellent, the verse approachable and the stories gripping. I should have read these years ago; I’ve been missing out! Even if you know nothing about basketball or soccer, you’ll still find so much to love about these, because these books—while they involve sports—aren’t really sports books. They’re about life, death, love, loss, and the power of family and friends. They’re amazing.