Swagger by Carl Deuker
Jonas was happy with his life.
He lived in California with his mom and dad.
He was the star of their basketball team.
There was even talk of a scholarship.
But then Jonas and his family move to Seattle for a job and Jonas has to start all over again. He will be starting a new school his Senior year. He has to try out for the team. And he has to make new friends. Luckily, he becomes friends with his neighbor Levi. Levi also plays basketball, but his grades aren't that great...the guys on the team call him Double-D, short for Dumb-Dumb. Mr. Hartwell, the assistant coach, begins tutoring him. Unknown to anyone else, this is when trouble begins for Levi. With no one to confide in, he begins acting more aggressive and angy on and off the court.
Can Jonas figure out what is going on with his friend and play ball well enough to get his scholarship?
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I picked up this book because I am a fan of Carl Deuker. His book, Runner, is a staple in my booktalks. I was easily engaged in Swagger from the beginning. Jonas had a strong voice and the reader understood that Hartwell wasn't to be trusted from the first time Jonas and Levi met him. Geared towards basketball and boys, I am sure that anyone that enjoys basketball will plunge into the story.
That said, I was slightly disappointed in the development of Levi. You discover by the end of the story that his character and events have a major influence on Jonas's life. Maybe the topic of abuse in the story could have been fleshed out more, without being explicit. Jonas has to make a decision regarding Levi, friendship and the "right" thing to do, but I felt as if I was reading more about play by play action on the court. Maybe that's a strength though in the story...what a high school basketball player would be concerned about primarily, is basketball...then their friend.
I genuinely liked the book though. I easily could recommend it to middle grades and up. Parties, drinking and sexual abuse are implied.
