Players

by Joyce Sweeney

Publishers Weekly :

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Sweeney (Shadow; The Spirit Window) explores the disastrous effects of competitiveness gone too far in this suspenseful story about a high school basketball team. Corey, from whose point of view the novel is told, plus three other returning starters hope to win for the St. Philips Badgers an All-City Championship. But when transfer student Noah Travers is added to the roster, he throws the team off balance. Although Noah's athletic skills are impressive, he runs a one-man show on court. His hot-dogger antics breed resentment among players, who soon blame Noah for mysterious misfortunes such as starting center Luke's fainting spell before the first game, another key player's sudden decision to quit the team and the discovery of a gun in Luke's locker. As team captain, Corey must play referee off court as he tries to quell the rising tensions and give Noah a fair shot at proving himself. Sometimes the plot and the pop-psychology passages go overboard (as when Corey's sister tells him, "We need to grow up, Corey. We need to face the idea that there is bad in this world") and readers less gullible than Corey will pick up on clues the protagonist misses. Nonetheless, they will stay on the edge of their seats waiting to find out how far Noah's scheming will take him. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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School Library Journal :
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Gr 8-10-High school senior Corey Brennan is looking forward to the start of a new basketball season, with the hope that his Catholic high school will have a shot at the Miami all-city trophy. As captain, Corey thinks of himself as the leader of the team, but he finds that things start unraveling as soon as the season starts. After a lot of detective work, Corey discovers that the problem is a transfer student, Noah Travers, who will stop at nothing to make the starting squad. His unbridled ambition leads him to blackmail, tampering with a player's medications, and planting a gun in a teammate's locker. Eventually, Corey tricks him into admitting his crimes. The novel ends with one last act of revenge, but Noah is foiled in these efforts as well. He is a deliciously nasty villain, with no redeemable qualities, and he provides plenty of over-the-top melodrama that many teen readers seem to crave. On the other hand, the portrait of Corey is more complex and subtle. He's a good but hardly perfect kid, trying to do his best as he confronts genuine evil for the first time in his life. Basketball fans may be disappointed that there isn't more on-the-court action, but the book scores as a fast-paced story of the unmasking of a sociopath.-Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Review
: Booklist :
From Booklist, October 1, 2000, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
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*Starred Review*
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Gr. 6-12. Being captain of the basketball team turns out to be more demanding than senior Corey Brennan expected after a competitive new player named Noah joins the team, with his eye on becoming a first-string star. Determined to believe the best about everyone, Corey ignores clues that implicate Noah in mysterious mishaps that gradually rob the team of its best players. But when Corey's best friend is arrested for having a gun in his locker, Corey becomes both private detective and avenger, racing against time to restore his team so they can become All-City champs. Sweeney is in top form in this fast-paced, intriguing, often humorous novel. Entertaining subplots about Corey's family tie in nicely to the central story by the climax, and Sweeney's message about trust is never heavy-handed. Best of all, Sweeney does a great job of depicting male teenagers: though differing in background, social status, and intelligence, the major players on the team spring to life through authentic dialogue and realistic relationships. A great amalgam of suspense and sports, with plenty of on-court action, this novel is a real winner.
¾: Roger Leslie.
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