The Other Wes Moore

"[2] Jen Steele of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel wrote that "Moore's message is that it takes a village – and a bit of luck – to successfully navigate the negative surroundings where so many urban youths grow up.

[6] The author, whose father died after a medical misdiagnosis, stated that he was, as a pre-teen, failing classes and getting into legal trouble, but that his life changed after his mother sent him to Valley Forge Military Academy and College.

[7] The book also documents Wesley John "Wes" Moore, born in 1975,[8] who was also raised in Baltimore in the 1980s.

Wesley's mother Mary Moore, who had an associate's degree from the Community College of Baltimore, never attended Johns Hopkins University, even though she received admission, due to the cancellation of her Pell Grant.

[14] Tony Moore pleaded guilty so he could not be sentenced to death, and he also received life imprisonment without parole.

[2] Both Wes Moores grew up in low-income environments and had encountered issues with illegal drugs and violence in their youths.

Sragow states, "The autobiographical parts ruthlessly analyze how the writer fell into bad behavior, then developed his brain and conscience" after intervention from loved ones.

[12] Frances Romero of Time stated that "In the case of the other Wes Moore, there appears to be no clear answer as to what went wrong.

"[12] Thembe Sachikonye, who had a correspondence with the author, wrote in the Zimbabwean newspaper Newsday that "The juxtaposition between their lives, and the questions it raised about accountability, chance, fate, and family, had a profound impact on Wes.

The author stated that he had no intentions of harming the Prothero family, nor did he intend to provide any excuses for the murder and robbery.

[13] In April 2021, it was announced that a film adaptation of the book was in development from Unanimous Media, with Stephen Curry set to executive produce.