Over the End Line by Alfred C. Martino - OPTIONAL

Martino, Alfred C. Over the End Line, 304 pgs. Harcourt (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), 2009.

Language: R (150+ swears 12 'f'); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

HS - OPTIONAL

Jonathan Fehey wakes up with a terrible hangover and no clear memories of what happened the night before, only echoes of whimpers bouncing around his head. Thus opens this cautionary tale of seniors where being accepted into the inner circle and being a great soccer player are paramount. Jonny's once-best friend Kyle trains with Jonny but mostly ignores him since he is both popular and the soccer team's star, while Jonny is not. However, when Jonny scores the winning goal in a championship game, he's invited by Kyle to The Circle. Besides leading to a terrible hangover, the events of that night have catastrophic consequences for many.

Except for the excessive swearing, I enjoyed this story, with its insights about high school sports, the self-consciousness of teenagers, and the creepiness of its ending.

Reviewed by P.K. Foster, teacher-librarian.