Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Ball Don't Lie by Matt de la Pena

Sticky lives with his foster mom, foster brothers, and foster sisters. Sticky is a tough, beat around kid who has no life except for basketball. Sticky is very competitive and once he tried basketball, he got hooked on it and practiced nonstop. Sticky has no future in school or anything else except for basketball. Sticky practices at a local gym, with some regulars who act like his family that he never had. Sticky also plays for JV on his high school team. However during the Varsity playoffs Sticky gets asked to play for them. Sticky puts on a great show and he gets a notice to tryout for some of the best colleges. This might be Sticky's only way out of his hard life that he lives.

This was one of my favorite books. The book was written so well, and the flow was great. I read this whole book in one sitting. I could relate to what Sticky was feeling at certain times, like when he was in a sticky situation, or if things were turning out perfectly. I would feel joy and sadness when he felt it. I felt like I knew Sticky so well and that he was real, because the author went into depth to explain his life.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lutherville, MD United States