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Volponi, Paul
10 Reviews
(3)
YA
Middle-school quarterback Travis Gardner, whose older brother Carter plays for Gainesville University, thinks he's made it when Gainesville's football coach offers him a scholarship to play for him in five years. As a publicity frenzy follows, Travis becomes less concerned with being a good teammate. Volponi's appealing cautionary tale ably broadens Travis's first-person narrative with occasional "Carter's Take" interludes, tweets, and newspaper articles.
Reviewer: Dean Schneider
(3)
YA
Julio Jr.'s papi, a pitcher for the Cuban National Team, defected to the U.S. six years ago. Now sixteen, Julio's baseball future is hindered by the "traitor" label--until his Major League player father sends him an escape plan. Play-by-play action is set against a perilous ocean journey, as Julio battles the elements and family loyalty.
Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan
(3)
YA
A much-anticipated Final Four basketball game is played by the underdog Troy University Trojans and the Michigan State Spartans. As the nerve-racking game unfolds, flashbacks, newspaper articles, interviews, and journal entries introduce readers to four players and their previous struggles and successes. This is a well-structured story that conveys each player's passion for the game and desire to win.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(4)
YA
Transgender transfer student Alan ("He's really female. He was put in the wrong body") wears makeup and wants to be called Alana. The bullying football team plots an attack. Conflicted jock Adonis finally finds his spine and stops the assault. While many characters are stereotyped and the resolution is predictable, the worthy story will likely gain traction from its topical subject matter.
Reviewer: Carolyn Shute
(4)
YA
His court date delayed again, Martin returns to Rikers Island to wait out his time among other juvenile inmates. There he gets caught in a melee that leaves his face scarred. Required to attend school, Martin meets a teacher who helps turn his life around and quells his desire for revenge. Martin's compelling voice drives this story to its predictable yet satisfying conclusion.
Reviewer: David Elzey
(3)
YA
Noah lands in the hospital, the victim of a hate crime, after he and his friends (en route to steal a car) are assaulted in a white neighborhood. As Noah recovers and prepares for the trial, his story, interjected with multiple viewpoints, illustrates the complexities of contemporary race relations. Volponi raises numerous talking points, enriching this page-turner.
Reviewer: David Elzey
(4)
YA
Runaway Gaston ("Gas") lands a job at a racing stable. There, his prejudiced attitude toward undocumented Mexican workers (whom he blames for his mother's death) undergoes a change. Less credibly, he becomes a novice jockey and tries to impress Tammie, a local stable owner's granddaughter. Gritty, hard-bitten prose should increase the novel's appeal to reluctant boy readers.
Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam
(4)
YA
Huck is determined to win his late father's poker title back from egomaniacal Mr. Abbott, Huck's high school math teacher who stole Huck's father's prized watch while he was dying. Though the dialogue is hackneyed ("Some of you bright lights can't even spell poker"), this edgy and fast-paced novel will appeal to teenage cardsharps and fans of hard-boiled thrillers.
Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear
(3)
YA
Narrator Miles, an African American teenager, describes in graphic detail the chaos and violence that erupts at the Louisiana Superdome during Hurricane Katrina. The novel not only focuses on Katrina's physical effects but also on the racial implications of the government's failure to help New Orleans's population. A confrontational relationship between Miles and his jazz-musician father adds to the story's tension.
Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey
(3)
YA
This crackling narrative alternates between the play-by-play account of an inner-city championship basketball game and star player Mackey's anguished flashbacks to his involvement in his best friend's death. Realistically, no easy solutions are offered for Mackey's guilt and the pain he has created. Street language, including profanity, sets the tone, and the taut structure keeps the novel vividly engaging.
Reviewer: Abby Harper Kingsbury
10 reviews
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