Kick

The backstory of this novel is something out of a young bookworm's dream.  Thirteen-year-old Ross Workman sent a fan email to his favorite author, Walter Dean Myers, and then Myers wrote back suggesting they collaborate on a book.  Kick is the result of that collaboration and it's worth reading if only for the knowledge of how it came to be.

The basic story centers on teenage Kevin Johnson who tried to do something to help a friend and wound up in deep trouble.  The son of a cop killed in the line of duty, Kevin is one of the star players on his high school soccer team, but any chance at glory is jeopardized one night when he's found at the wheel of a crashed car, a crying female classmate in the passenger seat, and no story that he's willing to share that can explain any of it.  The car belongs to the girl's father and while he decides whether or not to press charges, Sergeant Jerry Brown takes an interest in the case based on the fact that Kevin has no record and his dad used to be on the force.  As the real story unfolds, Kevin and Sergeant Brown learn to trust each other and just maybe this means Kevin can salvage his bright future while not betraying the trust of his friend.

Clearly geared towards boys who might not otherwise read unless there's sports or a whiff of trouble, Kick is told from two perspectives passed back and forth -- Kevin's (written by Workman) and Seargeant Brown's (written by Myers).  Knowing the background of the novel, it's really quite an interesting experience to see the back-and-forth perspectives, knowing how the two authors collaborated.  With years of writing for teens, it was a pretty wonderful move on the part of Myers to reach out to a teen for a fresh voice to spark the young man's career, or at least give him material for a pretty fabulous college application essay.  Kick is a good choice from the 12+ boy who might require some sports in his books to make them appealing.  The ending is tidy, but it's better to give hope to kids who make a mistake.  Another fabulous book from Walter Dean Myers.

Note: I can't claim total subjectivity on this one, so take what you will from this review.