King of the Neuro Verse

Name: King of the Neuro Verse
Author: Idris Goodwin
ISBN: 9781665973144

Idris Goodwin

awards won

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Idris Goodwin

awards won

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#6262 of 8,085 books · #616 in Young Adult

Shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature (2025).

A powerful, joyful novel in verse about a Black teen with ADHD who finds self-expression and first love during one epic summer school season. For the third summer in a row, Pernell is back in the classroom, facing the same struggles that have always made school seem more like a battlefield than a place of learning. This summer is different, though: he's battling to become the Cypher King, leader of the lunchroom's impromptu rap circles. Here, the rhythm flows and the words fly, creating a space where the wittiest and most rhythmically inclined reign supreme. Here, Pernell's ADHD gives him an edge. But life outside the cypher isn't as forgiving. Pernell's English teacher has it out for him. His parents are pressuring him to see a doctor for his lack of focus. And Electra, his friend-slash-crush and the only one who truly gets him, is too busy chasing her dream internship to give him the time of day. If Pernell doesn't pull himself together, he won't just lose the title of Cypher King—he'll lose his chance to graduate high school. In a world where the systems are turned against kids like him, Pernell needs to find a way to succeed with his ADHD, rather than in spite of it.

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