Kick

March 7, 2011
This book has an intriguing concept: veteran author Myers paired with a teenage fan to write the story of a soccer player in trouble with the law. In their story, Kevin—the 13-year-old son of a police officer killed on duty—was arrested after crashing his friend's father's car. Gerald Brown, a good-hearted sergeant, agrees to look into the case, finding in Kevin "a young man stumbling toward an uncertain future with a boldness that sometimes wasn't even clear to him." Both Brown's and Kevin's voices are convincing and sympathetic, with Kevin struggling to succeed in soccer and Brown dealing with a touchy stomach. However, a far-fetched phone call for help from Kevin's friend's father to Sgt. Brown and a confusing side story about an investigation into possibly exploited workers strain the plot. Even Kevin's ultimate confession about what happened that fateful night feels anticlimactic. Still, readers may find a gratifying parallel between the authors' creative collaboration (the back cover features their first email exchange) and the mutual respect that evolves between the well-developed characters. Ages 14–up.

Alternating between the viewpoints of 13-year-old Kevin Johnson and the much older Sergeant Brown, Peter James fleshes out the characters and enhances the narrative of this short book. Though he has a passion and talent for soccer, Kevin's future is jeopardized when he's accused of stealing a car. As his mentor, Brown tries to get Kevin to explain what occurred before it's too late. James maintains a strong distinction between each character's voice, with Brown's voice deep and resonant and Kevin's softer and less confident. James also changes his pace to match the active chapters told by Kevin and the more relaxed ones told by Brown. Secondary characters are given distinct voices as well. L.E. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine