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| Perma-Bound Edition ©2007 | -- |
Conduct of life. Fiction.
Integrity. Fiction.
Track and field. Fiction.
Journalism. Fiction.
High schools. Fiction.
Schools. Fiction.
Wallace's sobering novel is as quick and tight as a taut jab and packs about as much heft. Michael Kerrigan is about to begin his senior season on the track team, and he's never been in better shape. His unwavering dedication to writing (he types obits for the local newpaper, and hilarious reverse-obits of those living around him) and his athleticism keep him out of trouble, until a friend stashes four joints in his locker, which are promptly found during a random drug sweep. Facing expulsion, and hence no track season or college team after that, Michael confronts the common teen dilemna of deciding whether to lie, tell the truth, or tell the other truth, the one with shades of gray, that no one wants to hear l with his future hanging in the balance. The choices he makes may seem questionable to some readers; but while Wallace refrains from overtly moralizing, he does illustrate the very serious repercussions that one major mistake can have on one's hopes, especially those with the drive to be the very best.
Kirkus ReviewsTo everyone around him, Michael Kerrigan is "almost too good to be true." He's a runner hoping to compete in college, he writes obituaries as an editorial assistant for the Scranton Observer and he never hangs out with troublemakers. But when lockers are searched at East Scranton High School and marijuana is found in his, Michael is faced with a moral dilemma: "Where do you draw the line with your integrity? Do you protect yourself or your friend?" This isn't an original dilemma for a young-adult novel, and here it's never adequately played out or resolved. In fact, readers may get to the end of this too-brief work and wonder, "Where's the rest?" Yet the story has a lot going for it: a solid first-person voice and lively dialogue, an innovative use of "not dead yet" obituaries to flesh out secondary characters and a superb depiction of Scranton and Michael's oneness with his city. Readers will wish there were more to it. (Fiction. YA)
Voice of Youth AdvocatesMichael Kerrigan has plans that do not include hanging around East Scranton, "unemployed, sitting on the porch of [his] parents' house . . . drinking beer." He is going to be a writer, even if for now he only writes obits for the Scranton Observer. But first, he wants to place in the 800-meter relay at state. Michael is an athlete and steers clear of trouble, so when his friend Joey calls to say that he left "something" in Michael's locker, Michael does not panic. He is "almost too good to be true." Because of his job at the newspaper, Michael quickly learns that drugs were found in his school, and that his name is on the list. The school officials and police suspect Joey's involvement-he has a reputation-but they have no proof. If Michael and Joey remain silent, Michael will take the hit alone. But can he rat out his friend even if it means losing his dreams? The newspaper setting and sports theme make this novel read like a play-by-play. The newspaper setting contributes to the concise construction of the prose. Michael is a bright and aspiring character unlike the "jock" stereotype. Although he wants to achieve personal success, he struggles with the relationships around him, not wanting to let anyone down. This novel's success is in creating a multidimensional male character in a format that will appeal to all readers. The moral dilemma-to tell or not to tell-makes this novel ripe for ethical discussions.-Jessica Mize.
ALA Booklist (Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)
ALA/YALSA Best Book For Young Adults
Kirkus Reviews
Voice of Youth Advocates
Wilson's High School Catalog
Wilson's Junior High Catalog
Coal-Mine Fires Continue to Smolder
People keep dying, so my phone never stops ringing. I've made notes in the computer for fourteen obituaries tonight, and I haven't written up a single one. Most I've ever done in a shift is fifteen, and it's only 9:23, so there's plenty more to come."Scranton Observer. . . . Yeah, we got time. . . . He was a high school valedictorian, and then he worked in the mines? . . . Which Legion post? . . . In Jessup? . . . Mercy Hospital; family by his side. Okay. Talk to you later."I've been doing this job for five months now, and this is the busiest night I've ever had. Officially, I'm an editorial assistant, which used to be called a copy boy and generally means gofer.I'm a backup phone-answerer for the news department, but mostly I talk to the funeral directors and get information for the next day's obituaries--the dead person's name, age, where they were born, where they lived, surviving relatives, employment history, etc. Also the stuff that makes these things interesting--their hobbies, organizations they belonged to, their World War II-era nicknames (already today I've had Babe, Pops, Hammer, and Dingle). Then I write it up into readable paragraphs for the morning paper, doing it as fast as I can."Scranton Observer. . . . c-z-y-k? . . . Okay, so 'after a dignified and courageous struggle.' . . . Life member of VFW Post 4921. Where's that again? . . . Lone Pine Hunting Club. . . . Where'd he work? . . . Yeah, call me back with the survivors. No problem."I'm on a first-name basis with all of the local funeral directors, who call us in the evenings to get their latest clients featured in the paper. I work Friday, Saturday, and Monday nights, which sucks when you're a high school senior--I miss all the parties--but it's undeniably good experience for what I want to do with my life. These were the only shifts available."Scranton Observer. . . . Yes, Mr. Powell, this is Mike. . . . I haven't written it yet, but I've got my notes right here. . . . Scranton Eagles Memorial Classic at South Side Lanes, 1946. You say he rolled a 282, not 280. . . . Fixed it. Anything else? . . . I've got his brothers Fred in Minooka and Johnny in Dunmore, and a sister Kitty in Green Ridge. And predeceased by a brother Buddy in 1997. . . .""Yeah, of course we can mention the dogs. . . . Lucy and E-t-h-e-l. They both Labs? . . . Sweet. They gotta be missing him. They let dogs go to funerals, don't they? . . . Oh yeah, I'm running like eight miles a day. I jump on a treadmill at the Y when it's icy, but it's been dry lately. We start working out for real on Wednesday. Can't wait. . . . Thanks. Come see a race if you get a chance."There are a lot of very old people around this city. Well, obviously there are fewer all the time. But you learn a lot about their lives taking down the information for their final appearance in the newspaper.You can get a real history lesson reading the obit section every day--all the factories and mills that shut down way before I was born; the huge number of different churches and organizations people belong to (just in the last ten minutes, for example: the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Polish Women's Alliance, the Red Hat Society, the Olyphant Billiards Association).Good people--lots of war veterans, lots of faithful parishioners, lots of beloved grandparents. They die at home or in the hospital or a senior center, of old age or cancer or who knows what. The worst cases are when a kid dies in a car accident. Nobody I know yet, but I had to write one a few months ago when two guys from that football team went over the railing on Route 81 in a pickup truck.You read the obits and you learn about the city's history. But they also get you worrying about its future."Scranton Observer. . . . Don't call me here, Joey. . . . Because I'm working. . . . What kind of emergency? . . . Look in your backpack. I gotta go. .
Excerpted from One Good Punch by Rich Wallace
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
ASK ANYBODY AROUND East Scranton High School: Michael Kerrigan is almost too good to be true. Dedicated athlete, captain of the track team, editorial assistant (obituary writer) at the Scranton Observer, he's never been in trouble, and he doesn't associate with troublemakers. This is the most important track season of his life - and he's ready.
That is, until the police find four joints in his locker. Soon Mike's seemingly perfect world is threatened, and with pressure coming from his parents, his childhood best friend, and his sort-of girlfriend, Mike is faced with a choice - a choice that will determine the kind of athlete, friend, and man he becomes.
From the Hardcover edition.