Nate Dravus has lived in his older sister Amelia's shadow, but now he's trying to find his own pathSoccer is an obsession in Nate's Seattle home, but he's a mediocre player who doesn't enjoy the game. Meanwhile, Amelia garners a full-ride scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley. When Nate summons the courage to tell his parents he'd rather play basketball, they agree to let him switch but refuse to pay for the club he wants to join. Nate is crushed-his parents don't encourage him the way they do Amelia, and worse, he overhears them making cruel remarks about his soccer abilities. But Nate is disciplined and driven-and soon he's playing regularly with new neighbor Lucas Cawley, who's a beast on the court. The two of them become unstoppable. Lucas stands out for other reasons-his family is poor, his parents are often absent, and he's a devoted caregiver to his twin sister, Megan, who has unspecified special needs. Bullies call him Creepy Crawley. When tragedy strikes, Nate is unprepared to deal with his intense feelings. This fast-paced story takes place over the course of Nate's high school years. Deuker's prose, which evokes the excitement of sports announcers, will keep readers spellbound, and the short chapters make this an accessible work for reluctant readers. Unfortunately, Megan feels more like a plot device than a fully fleshed-out individual. The main characters are white.A page-turning sports story that delves into a boy's emotional growth.(Fiction. 13-18)

Gr 6–9— Sports fiction is rife with tales of young people demonstrating personal development alongside athletic growth. Told over several years, Deuker's latest YA novel introduces readers to Nate, a benchwarmer on his soccer team who dreams of glory on the basketball court. His best bet to improve his skills is his talented neighbor, Lucas, who pushes Nate literally and figuratively, as their relationship goes from harmonious to hostile to star teammates. A tragic accident makes readers aware that the title refers to the shadow of Lucas that looms over Nate as he ups his game, slowly coming into himself as a basketball player and a person. However, readers may wish that loyal, nuanced underdog Lucas was the focus of the story, instead of existing as someone else's motivation. This novel might have been an adequate hi-lo sports-centric recommendation, but is likely too lengthy for striving readers. Luckily, the chapters are brief, helping it go down faster and easier than expected. VERDICT A basketball tome for die-hard fans of sports fiction.— Alexandra Quay