Payback Time by Carl Deuker

Summary: Payback Time is a sports-centered book that even non-sports fans will enjoy. As with his other books, Carl Deuker has written a novel in which a teenager faces tough choices and comes out on top.


Mitch (short for Michelin Man) True is a reporter for his high school newspaper. Despite not being chosen editor for his senior year, he puts his all into his new assignment – covering sports. As an added bonus, some of his articles even get published in the city newspaper and he gets to have Kimi as his photographer (she would probably never even speak to him otherwise.) When Mitch notices a new player on the team with amazing talent, his curiosity is piqued. When his questions lead to stonewalling, both by the coach and by the player himself, Mitch realizes that he is on to something big. Why is a great player like Angel spending so much time on the bench? Is he an undercover cop looking for drugs on campus? Is he the coach’s secret weapon for winning the state championship? Mitch & Kimi get into much more than they bargained for while trying to solve the mystery.

Mitch is a great character that I could associate with – a teen who is on the fringes in his school; a part but not one that necessarily stands out. His relationship with Kimi and the way it changes within the story is a great way to show how Mitch is taking more control of his life and working hard to be what he wants to be (mainly thin, which is difficult since his mother is a caterer who often brings home desserts for him to try.) The twists within the story kept me turning the pages to see if Mitch would get through the story unscathed and to see how it would all end for Angel.

For sports fans, the descriptions of the action in the football games are well-written, but not so in-depth that a non-sports person (such as myself) felt lost. That is a tough balancing act, but Deuker pulls it off well.

Themes:
Acceptance
Persistence
Making tough choices
Doing what is right



Age Appropriateness:
13 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: moderate

Strings Attached by Judy Blundell

Summary: Judy Blundell’s Strings Attached is a great combination of mystery, suspense, and romance set in the early 1950’s during the time when gangsters were big news and McCarthyism was in full swing.


Kit is one of the famous Corrigan triplets, raised by her alcoholic father and her strict, seemingly unfeeling Aunt Delia. After a blow-up with her long-time boyfriend, Billy Benedict, Kit moves to the city to try and fulfill her dream of becoming a Broadway star. Although it isn’t easy, it is helping her keep her mind off of Billy and her brother, Jaime, who both joined the Army. Kit’s fortunes take a turn when Billy’s father, Nate, an attorney with rumored ties to a notorious gangster, sets her up with a good job and a nice apartment to live in. All she has to do is help Nate out by letting him know when she hears from Billy.

But Kit soon finds out that there are more strings attached to Nate’s gifts than she realized. Is Nate really involved in murder? Is her Aunt Delia one of his victims? And how will she face Billy, knowing what she does about his father?

I enjoyed Strings Attached more than Blundell's last novel, What I Saw & How I Lied.  The plot was solid and had enough twists to keep me guessing without becoming too confusing or unrealistic.  I found myself sympathizing with Kit throughout the novel, and hoping that she would achieve the success she was hoping for without Nate's help.  A good read for those who like a little suspense mixed in with their romance.

Themes:
Trust
Love
Independence



Age Appropriateness:
13 and up


Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: mild
Violence: moderate