Customer Reviews

One Good Punch

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This is a timely and relevant story for teens regarding school, drugs, friends and morality. Michael Kerrigan never gets into trouble. He is a star athlete on the track team and has a job at the local newspaper. When a friend hides some marijuana in his locker and Michael is busted after a random drug sweep he must decide to tell the truth about his friend or take the blame.

Taking responsibility for the drugs will cost him his track career as well as his job in addition to any legal woes. Some readers may question Michael's choices but this poignant short story surely points out how much one mistake can cost you. A brief but well written, easy read that will probably leave readers wanting to know more about what happens to Michael and the impact his decision has on his future plans.

Michael is a dedicated athlete, captain of the track team, and has never been in trouble - until the police find four joints in his locker in Rich Wallace's ONE GOOD PUNCH. The choices he will make next will affect his career and his future in a story of would-be champion struggling to find his winning way in the world. Teens at the middle school level in particular will find it engrossing.

Right and wrong. Truth and lie. Guilt and Innocence. Sometimes things are just that easy... And sometimes they're not. Sometimes you get away with a mistake. Sometimes one good punch finishes you.

Mike Kerrigan is a good kid, for the most part. He's a decent student, average really. He runs both cross country and track and he's just been made captain of the track team. He works part-time for The Scranton Observer, writing obituaries. After a winter of seriously intense training, Mike is ready to have his best ever season of track. After school he's off to college and out of Scranton for good. Then everything falls apart.

A weekend sweep through the high school uncovers four marijuana joints in Mike's locker. The police and the school administrators want him to tell them where he got them. If he does, he'll get suspended for a few days, maybe a week, and then he'll be more or less back on track. If he doesn't, he'll get expelled and everything he's worked so hard to achieve will be gone, maybe for good. The school administrators think they know the truth - think they know who's really guilty. But Mike knows it's not that simple and ultimately, he has to make a choice that he can live with.

It was a fast paced book, an easy read, and hard to put down after I first started reading it. I could relate to the main character which made the book make more sense to me. I would recommend teens read this book because it makes you think about life and how one bad decision can mess up your life.

Michael is a track star on his way to earning a full college scholarship for running. He asks his buddy for some joints, and in turn the friend places them in his school locker without telling Michael. In a canine drug sweep the police discover the stash. As a result Michael wrestles with the dilemma of whether or not to rat out his best friend or take the fall himself alone which would ruin his college chances. My one complaint was the quickly written predictable ending which left me unsatisfied.

Despite this one drawback, I still thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book and would highly recommend it to other teenagers looking for a thought-provoking read.

ONE GOOD PUNCH is a sure-fire winner for any teen. Just short of 120 pages, it is a fast-paced, page-turner with suspense and humor. I predict it will end up on most Best Teen Books and Quick Reads lists soon.

Michael is a senior. An ambitious cross-country and track runner, he is hoping to use his talent as a stepping stone to a decent college. His part-time job at the Scranton Observer writing obituaries is giving him valuable experience as he dreams of someday writing novels.

Trusted by his parents, Michael leads the life of a typical 18-year-old. When not working or running, he spends most of his time with his best friend, Shelly. Mostly they hang out and talk or take in a movie at the Cultural Center downtown. Lately things have moved a bit more in the romantic direction, which Michael feels is a bit weird, but at the same time, it feels sort of right.

Life changes overnight for Michael when four joints are discovered in his locker during a routine drug sweep of the high school. Put there by his friend, Joey, they represent the possible end to Michael's future dreams. He did ask Joey to get him a couple of joints, but he never dreamed the kid would be stupid enough to put them in his locker.

Michael gets advice from just about everyone he knows that he should rat out Joey as his supplier. Even school officials suggest things would go easier for him if he tells. Torn between giving up his future plans and staying loyal to a longtime friend, Michael's world is turned upside-down.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"