Admirable Story The life of a student athlete is a difficult life. It can be a very mind twisting confusing one. There is a lot of hard work involved and some people just cannot take it. In The Outside Shot by Walter Dean Myers, he zooms in on the life of Lonnie Jackson, a student at Montclare College who goes struggles. I thought this was a decent book after I figured out what the author was trying to express. At first, I was not sure about the plot but I concluded he was just trying to tell a story about a college student. It also had a romantic aspect to it which made it more interesting. Lastly, I liked this book because it gave me an insight of what my life could be like when I get to college. About halfway through the book I was questioning what the author was trying to portray. Honestly, I did not fully figure it out until the end of the book. Towards the beginning I thought that maybe it was going to be about him helping a very shy kid come into the light. “The whole thing is to try and get a response” (Myers 20). This was spoken by the secretary at the hospital he worked with Eddie, the kid. I figured he was going to turn him to be outgoing and a basketball player, but my theory was only partially correct. He did get him to talk more and play basketball, but that …show more content…
Shelly came to him after one class to ask if he wanted to join a study group. She came to him because they were some of the only dark skinned people on campus. I liked this because it added something secondary to the story that was interesting. She helped him through a lot, especially when he was being searched for fixing points. She was there when one of his friends killed himself and when even when he was hungover and puking. At first she wants to be friends, but later expresses more than that when they kiss. In the end, he finally tells her how he feels. “Hey, girl, I think I love you.”(Myers
When a physical, demanding sport collides with a brutal, poverty-stricken town, true character is revealed, and the devastating realities of high school kids are shown to those who live in a sugar-coated world. The Manassas High School football team is full of new talents that are apparently worthless when a different players is shot, imprisoned, or drops out of school on an almost weekly basis. That is just a glimpse inside the misfortune that the kids of this film are enduring day in and day out. Some parentless and some virtually homeless, it seems as if the only way out of a constant state of need is a miracle, or death. Released in 2011, Undefeated has much more to offer than the typical football documentary.
The plot, the setting, the characters were all wonderful, but the three things that caught my attention were the accuracy of events, heart-racing events, and the plot. Throughout the book, events during the jail or courthouse were described very detailed and produced a clear image in my head. The author must have done lots of prior research in order to get information about these events that most commoners do not know. The fire, rape, fights were described in a manner that allowed me to truly experience and understand what it was like in the character’s shoes. The plot went through many situations from jail cells all the way to getting confidential information from the Pentagon.
I do think some improvements here and there could really make the book better. The writing is marvelous, much like Neal’s other books, but the plot seemed under-developed and disjointed. It’s as if he wrote an a thousand page book, then cut all the important, thought provoking pages out; leaving the book to be good, but choppy. Overall, I’m really glad I read this book, and I think others should as
Baseball Great is a series of novels written by Tim Green the children's sports author that has made a name for himself writing several sports fiction novels. The series which debuted with Baseball Great published in 2009 features Josh a player with the Titans baseball team that plays in a minor baseball league. His novels have all made national bestseller lists with several making the top 30 of the New York Times bestselling lists. In addition to writing children's sports fiction he is the author of A Man and his Mother: An Adopted Son's Search which was a memoir that was featured on ABC Prime Time, Entertainment Tonight, and in People Magazine. He first got into writing when he attended the Syracuse University where he got acquainted with
It was a gritty emotional book, and it totally fascinated me. Although, I loved this book, sometimes I thought the high school drama they were going through was a little over the top. Some scenes seemed like too much for real life. I love when you finish a book, and you know right away that you’re going to compare the next book you read. The characters jumped off the pages, they were so raw and honest; it was easy to picture them in real life.
In the book True Legend, Drew Robinson is a nationally ranked basketball player who needs to prove to not just the world but this old man that he is real and not hype. I chose to read this book because it sounded like a good book when I read the summary. I also chose to read it because it was about basketball and I thought this book would be interesting because basketball is my favorite sport. True Legend has an intense plot, exciting and interesting chapters, and well-used flashbacks.
Standing in the batter’s box, I twirled the bat once and placed it on my shoulder. As my heart thumped and sweat rolled down my cheek, I raised the bat and exhaled. The score was 6–6 in the bottom of the seventh inning; our team had two outs and the bases were loaded. With the weight of the game on my shoulders, I waited anxiously for the pitch. The softball whipped furiously through the air until it came to a sudden halt; the ball had crashed into my thigh.
the second half of the story the plot digresses from that and becomes more about trying to bust the coach for his wrong doings. It left me scratching my head as to why, when, where and how something happened far too often. Although the plot is a bit convoluted at times it is fairly good as a whole. I feel this book has a fairly sub-par plot and supporting characters but the great protagonist is what is keeping this book afloat. Without him this book would not have been a below average book
The story and the characters really stood out to me. They really expressed themselves and the setting in the story was very cool to learn about. I enjoyed the pictures in the book because they guide the reader into the setting and the time period in the book. I recommend this book to people who are interested in learning about World War II and people who are interested in biographies and survival stories. One of my favorite quotes from the book was “A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain.”
It 's a jaw-dropping book that will leave you wanting more as the author Laurie writes in a crisp and clear way describing the young girl Melinda’s horrific story and how it unfolds. The author 's tone gives off the vibe of a young frighted girl which I find really enhances this sad, but exhilarating story. This story taught me to always speak up for myself and to never let anyone take advantage of me. I would recommend this novel because it is extremely detailed, painting vivid pictures in your mind that really help to magnify and
Throughout The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams, Russell Thomas has shown again and again that he is a restless, ambitious person willing to do whatever it takes to reach his goal of getting a job as a nurse. This biography was written by Darcy Frey in 1991, showcasing the lives of four students from Lincoln High School who tried to make it out of the neglected Coney Island through basketball. Frey talked about the struggles of living in a community where violence was common, and where success was elusive for many. As a result of the problems of the deficient education system, family conflicts, and the adversities of college signings, basketball seemed like the only way to get out of poverty and despair, especially for people like Thomas. When Frey spots Thomas watching his friend Tchaka play
I absolutely loved this book. The story really sucked me in, and I loved the idea of a small town with such a big secret. Kendall is a strong female character who is driven to the very end. The twist is unexpected and
John Updike’s “Ex-Basketball Player”: Legend or Laughingstock? John Updike grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, just across the river from the city of Reading (Cole). Last month, the Reading High School boys’ basketball team won their first-ever state championship. Students and residents alike all came together to root for their Red Knights and the team pulled off the biggest win of their lives. This gritty city celebrated something positive for a change, and the players took their place in the school’s history.
I feel as though this book has many life lessons, and is very inspirational. Michael Oher is very strong and fast. Big Tony takes Michael under his care and tries to get him into a high status, white private school. Michael has terrible grades, and he is functioning at a grade level way below where he should be. Administrators of the school still accept him and agree to help him with highschool.
This was a hard book to read, sure I like the author’s writing style. But the way the story went is something else. The book was depressing, a lot of bad stuff happening, one after another. Then Dante the character I really grew to love, got the short end of the stick. Not only does he get pushed away for another man, but he had a tragic ending.