This was a slow starter for me. I felt it was going to be a “message” book masquerading as a sports book, and I was right, unfortunately. There was a good message in place: accepting other people and trying to understand other cultures. But Ms. Padian also threw in skin-heads, rich vs. poor, drug and alcohol abuse, cyberbullying, and political activism. All of these things can be used to make a point, but it seemed like overkill to me. Not to mention that the romantic interest was a college sophomore girl falling for a 17 year-old-boy.

So will all of that, I’m glad I finished it, but I only did, because it’s on our Gateway possibilities list. I think I can target this to our few soccer players who are patient readers and willing to give a book time to get interesting.

Favorite Quotes:
Pg. 17 – Somali is a no-holds-banned language. Half the time it sounds like people are fighting each other, but it’s just that they get that animated. The hands go, too, emphasizing each word. I think you’d render a Somali person partially mute if you tied their hands.
(This is so me!)

Pg. 260 – Time is a lunging dog on a leash when you’re in an emergency room. It yanks you forward in ways you can’t control….

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For social significance, power and originality... three stars. For the chills it gave me at particularly poignant scenes another star.

The lost star is for the repetition and the voice. Although overall the voice is believable, and its interesting how evident it is that this teenager grows with the book. He begins rather young, goofy. By the end he talks like an adult who has changed with the story. Sometimes a little too adult...

Overall, though. I'm very impressed. I expected to like this one. I didn't expect to love it. ( )

Tom is soccer-star extraordinaire, close to the top of the class, and slick with the ladies. And then his world blows up when he actually realizes that there are other people in the world. If this reaches other people, then all the better but it felt a little after-school-special to me. ( )

This book takes a really good look at a teen boy's attempt to make sense of the community he lives in, which is rapidly changing due to immigration. Although not called such, it's clearly based on Lewiston, Maine, home to Bates College. A wonderful book about class and race in Maine. ( )

Wow. If they ever turn this book into a movie I'd watch it along with the entire horde of my football soccer loving friends.

Review to come. ( )