Those Boys on the Hill is a biographical coming-of-age story about three inner-city, African American brothers growing up in a group home in a farming community in Pennsylvania. Elliott Glover uses a mix of humor, sadness, and raw situational honesty to share the harrowing experiences that shaped the men he and his brothers Jacque and Iszel have become. His narrative shines a light on group homes, foster care, and the grim realities of those who live through them. It is the cathartic telling of defying the odds in a system designed to fail them; of perseverance and survival; and ultimately, of the resilience and tenacity of the human spirit. First of all, thanks to Elliott Glover for the ARC copy! I feel confident to consider this book one of the best memoirs I've read in recent years. I get critical when reviewing books and rarely give out such high praises, but I feel like "Those Boys" are worth more than just a round of applause for having survived an arduous life odyssey in the group home. Layered with the history of our fractured justice system, it entails a plethora of interwoven emotions that symbolize the complexity of the Glover family, their respective struggles, and how they bonded over their shared experiences. Memoirs are not easy to compose as they can instantly become a dull laundry list. I appreciate the amount of effort Elliott has put into it: he wrote it with his heart. I can't help but admire the Glover brothers as I read on for their tenacity facing life's harshness and uncertainty. My heart ached multiple times for what they had to go through given their biological family's inability to support them, and that grip loosened when their life finally took a positive turn. Seeing those who helped them later along the way made me feel relieved. That mixture of emotions has been transported from the author to the readers through careful choices of words and composition. It's hard not to become aware of the issues with foster care by feeling the uneasiness that once defined the Glovers' life. I can relate to the struggle despite my lack of knowledge about Black history: James Baldwin has prepared me well for that. As I got to the end about Dr.Frye's refusal of the Spencers' adoption request, I tried contemplating all the possible reasons: It's possible that the families have always been unaware of the implicit bias long rooted in American culture. This issue will later plague the adopted child's life if he/she remains oblivious to it. On the other hand, the families might not have the resources to educate themselves about this issue. For that, I also admire the Glover brothers' initiatives to write this book and make their podcast to "lead by example" as they did in the House on the Hill. Sometimes it's the baby steps that make the most difference. An engaging, textured read for a wide range of audiences. It truly deserves my five-star. bookkaffeinated -