From Publishers Weekly
Secrets, not all of them credible, abound among the eighth-grade protagonists of this disappointing novel. Delia has managed to hide her inability to read from her parents and teachers, but she doubts she can pass the proficiency test that will enable her to graduate to ninth grade and continue competing in Double Dutch jump rope. Randy, whose mother walked out several years ago, hasn't told anyone that his father, a long-distance truck driver, has been missing for weeks. And when twin tornadoes hit the school, it becomes apparent that the Tolliver twins, who dress entirely in black and terrorize their classmates, are actually sensitive fellows behind their intimidating facades. Overflowing with rambling conversations and extraneous details, Draper's (Forged by Fire) narrative is often awkward ("The huge gym was filled with crisply ironed T-shirts, frantic practice jumps in the halls and parking lot, and the electric excitement of competition and challenge"). Jump-by-jump descriptions of the Double Dutch championships may rescue this tale for diehard jump-rope fans. Others can skip it. Ages 11-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-Sharon Draper's novel (Atheneum, 2002) follows a brief time in the lives of middle school students who are training for a major double dutch competition. With this backdrop, the complex personal lives of several major characters are explored, such as Delia, who can't read; Randy, who's father is missing; Yolanda, who embellishes and outright lies to impress others; and the Tolliver twins, the enigmatic tough guys. Their lives intermingle and overlap daily in and out of school as they each try to discover themselves and reconcile their multitude of problems. The opening lines with the brief graphic violence against animals, and later references to a "stripper," should be noted. Despite the fast-paced setting of an urban middle school, and the biting, sarcastic banter of students, the audio format is slow going. There is an enormous amount of dialogue among protagonists, and most is mundane teenage conversation and tedious descriptive details. The use of expressions like, "Guess what, girl?," "Awesome!" and outdated references to "Barney re-runs," become boring with repetition. Combining this with the complexities of the subplots, listeners can easily lose track of the major story line. Actress Patricia R. Floyd can bring little to rescue this novel. While her diction is clear and her enthusiasm for the characters obvious, her stumble in Chapter 6 (Tape 2) and the pauses before "she said," "he said," add to the laborious feel of the dialogue. This book is better in its print format since readers can set a faster pace and skim over plodding text.
Tina Hudak, St. Bernard's School, Riverdale, MDCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
