Lu by Jason Reynolds is about life and its hurdles. Hurdles are both physical and figurative. Lu is a hurdler, and in his last race, he got out of rhythm and clipped one and fell. Since that incident, the hurdles have gotten bigger, just as his life hurdles have gotten bigger. His mom is pregnant. An old bully has returned. He learns a secret about his father. This secret changes the way he sees him. Lu is the fourth book in the highly acclaimed Track series from middle grade author Jason Reynolds. Lu is an interesting character. He is a black albino and the mouthpiece of the track team that he leads as co-captain. We meet Lu after he has gotten over most of the teasing. He has reinvented himself. However, he is still plagued by that one bully who still gets to him. Lu has a mantra that he is like lightning. Being struck by lightning more than once is rare. It is similar to the odds of being born an albino. Lu’s internal monologue keeps the story fresh and moving. His resilience to admit defeat and confront his own fears is compelling. The pace was, for the most part, steady, but the fruit art scenes were too long. Lu by Jason Reynolds was first published on October 23, 2018.

Why did I read Lu by Jason Reynolds? Lu is the 4th book in the Track series. The series ends with Coach, the fifth book in the Track series. Coach was released on October 14, 2025. I’m reading the whole series leading up to Coach. I just met Jason Reynolds on October 16th for a signing for Coach. This book is a good lead-in for Coach, since his life takes a big turn towards the end.

Plot Summary: Lu seems to have it all. He’s a very charismatic person. He wears fancy jewelry. He’s a fast runner. He was just made co-captain of the track team. But last week, he couldn’t get over the hurdles. And when he tries to jump them in practice, they seem to get bigger as he approaches. Lu faces challenges. His mother announced she is pregnant. A former school bully has returned to his life. He learned his father, Goose, is now a rehabilitation drug counselor, who once used to sell drugs. Lu has hurdles; can he jump over them and continue the race?

What I Liked: Lu’s personality is fun. He seems like a fun character to write for. The background story for The Wolf was heartbreaking. The background of how he went from prodigy to what he is now was told very well. I love how locked in and connected this little neighborhood is through the track team. I love how much history the neighborhood has. Goose is a fantastic character. I like the thought into how he got named Goose. Because he was a stutterer and would turn his head to the side as he stuttered like a goose. The scene where Lu confronts his father was powerful, and I got choked up reading it. I liked that we got a follow-up on Ghost and the situation with his father. The book had a lot more Ghost in it since Lu is his best friend. I like that the story shows the similarities between Lu and his bully. It also highlights what Goose and his bully experienced in the past. The ending was okay, but what the coach does is so special.

What I Disliked: The fruit sculpture chapters felt so long. I kept asking myself, What is the point to this? Finally, Reynolds gets there when the sculpture is delivered. Way too long on sculpting with fruit, although it does sound a little fun. The kiwi banana puree camel did sound gross, where you peel off the kiwi skins. I can’t believe no one took a picture of the sculpture, just started eating it. I have a little bit of an issue with what Lu did at the end. I know he was changed by his father’s actions and learning the definition of integrity. But I felt it went against everything Coach had taught and had been teaching.

Recommendation: Lu by Jason Reynolds is a great middle grade read. I would have been into this series as a kid. This book and series fit perfectly with Hoops by Walter Dean Myers and The Contender by Robert Lipsyte. Those are the books I grew up on, and Lu fits that mold. A book about members of a Track team seemed unlikely to be compelling. But, it is indeed compelling.

Rating: Lu by Jason Reynolds. I rated 3.8 out of 5.

Ranking: I have read and reviewed 6 books by Jason Reynolds. I will rank them from favorite to least favorite: 1) Long Way Down, 2) Ghost, 3) Sunny, 4) Patina, 5) Lu, and 6) Miles Morales: Spider-Man.