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"Description: When Tommy and Vince, two teenagers, go camping without their parents’ permission, they run into far more trouble than they could have imagined.

Overall: 5 Stars

Plot/Storyline: 5 Stars

I admit that I am a bit leery when picking up a YA (Young Adult) novel. So many of them are filled with teenage angst and other issues that just are not relevant to me, as an adult. However, I do enjoy many of them because they tend to have a fast pace, which is something I love. This one did not disappoint. It was fast paced and a fun read for any age.

I especially enjoyed the short interjections of thought provoking scenarios. They were relevant to the story and interesting in their own right.

I’m not too certain that a high school would allow a kid like Vince to play on their football team because of the fear of liability in case of injury. However, I am willing to concede that it could happen.  Although, I have to say that I was even more doubtful that the play described in one of the games would more likely have been an illegal play. Again, for the purpose of the story, I gave it the benefit of the doubt.

Character Development: 5 Stars

I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the characters. Tommy and Vince were so different, yet they found common ground to become friends.

Vince was a convincing football star, in spite of his handicap. I enjoyed reading about his outlook on life.

Tommy was the epitome of a ‘band geek’, complete with low self esteem. His character, as the main one, grew the most during the events in the book. It was a particularly credible growth as it didn’t come with some great epiphany; circumstances forced it.

Writing Style: 5 Stars

The writing style was excellent. Told from the narrative view of Tommy, the sentence structuring was perfect for a teen. Having raised a son, I found the dialogue to be perfect for teenage boys. The descriptions were excellent, with good detail in the action scenes."