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329 pp.
| Houghton
| September, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-544-64961-3$17.99
(2)
YA
High school football player Brock Ripley understands the perks of being in the circle of quarterback (and vicious bully) Hunter Gates. But Brock's new friend Richie Fang is Hunter's victim. Does Brock have the guts to stand up for a friend? Sports action plays second string to Deuker's gritty depiction of the dark side of high school athletics and gun violence.
Reviewer: Dean Schneider
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2016
298 pp.
| Houghton
| November, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-97459-0$17.99
(2)
YA
When his family moves to Seattle, high-school basketball star Jonas befriends new neighbor Levi, who plays power forward. Assistant coach Ryan Hartwell appreciates Jonas's fast-breaking style, but something about Hartwell feels wrong. Eventually his misdeeds lead to tragedy, and Jonas must find the courage to do what's right. Basketball fans will love the realistic hardwood action and the story's quick pacing.
Reviewer: Sam Bloom
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2013
298 pp.
| Houghton
| September, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-27981-7$16.00
(2)
YA
As sports editor of his high-school paper, Mitch unearths multiple wrongdoings; unwittingly, he puts one football player's life--as well as his own--in danger. The protagonist's transformation from mild-mannered reporter to lone avenger plays out during a nail-biter of a football season. But it's Mitch's ethical dilemma, concerning not what can be reported but what should be, that gives the novel heft.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2010
313 pp.
| Houghton
| September, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-618-77713-6$16.00
(2)
YA
Teenage football player Mick Johnson is a steroid junkie who won't be second best. When a teammate discovers Mick's stash of "gym candy," he reaches his breaking point. The story's tight focus is its real strength, mirroring Mick's single-minded dedication to football. Deuker doesn't wimp out with an everything-turns-out-peachy-keen ending: Mick lands in rehab but still longs for the juice.
Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2007
216 pp.
| Houghton
| May, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-618-54298-1$16.00
(2)
YA
When Chance Taylor is offered a suspicious job--retrieving hidden packages and stashing them away for later pickup--the high school senior doesn't ask many questions. He views the two-hundred-dollar-a week salary as a means to pay the mooring fees for the sailboat where he and his alcoholic, chronically unemployed father live. Narrator Chance is an empathetic central character in this fast-paced and suspenseful novel.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2005
277 pp.
| Houghton
| May, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-618-31117-3$$16.00
(3)
YA
When Shane's father is arrested for money laundering and commits suicide, Shane's distress is obvious. As his world collapses, the high school sophomore struggles with school, family, friends, and his inability to focus on the mound. Deuker effectively uses baseball as a metaphor in this engaging novel about teams, families, and individuals who thrive despite the odds.
212 pp.
| Houghton
| April, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-395-97936-6$$15.00
(2)
YA
Narrator Nick Abbott enters high school determined to play basketball, despite the presence of his antisocial neighbor on the varsity team. Trent has an explosive temper and may have been involved in a local shooting, but he and Nick forge an uneasy alliance during nightly games of hoops in Nick's backyard. The sports action is plentiful, and the characters of Nick and Trent are well drawn.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2000
7 reviews
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