Bad Boy

February 3, 1992
Full of action and dramatic tension, this story set in Canada reveals the problems of a high school hockey player during his first year on a Triple A team. A. J. Brandiosa's elation in making the Cyclones is undercut by the fear he will not measure up to the other players. The 17-year-old's hot temper and aggressiveness in the game soon bring him the wrong kind of notoriety. Trying to dispel his reputation for being a ``bad boy'' on the ice is not the only challenge A. J. faces. Even more difficult is his struggle to accept that his best friend and teammate, Tully Brown, is gay. After A. J.'s initial shock over this news wears off, the boy begins to question his own sexuality. Besides relating the dynamics of amateur hockey, Wieler ( Last Chance Summer ) explores the psychology of a confused adolescent trying to prove his manhood. The topics of homosexuality and peer pressures are dealt with openly yet with delicacy; messages regarding tolerance and self-control are effectively conveyed. Ages 13-up.