Triangle [Hardcover]

Jon Ripslinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1994

Darin was a top athlete until a poolside accident left him in a wheelchair. For the past two years, his girlfriend, Joy, and best friend, Jeremy, have stood by him even through his most bitter and abusive moods. But as Darin becomes increasingly demanding and dependent on alcohol, Joy and Jeremy turn to each other for friendship and solace. Matters get complicated when Joy gets pregnant with Jeremy’s child and wants to cut all ties to Jeremy, in the hopes of convincing Darin he is the father. “Ripslinger’s use of a female pitcher will pull in both the female and male softball fan. The view from Jeremy’s corner of this love/hate triangle and his knowledge of softball should keep both the non-sports and sports fan’s interest.”-VOYA

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The long-standing friendship of three Iowa teens turns into a twisted web of jealousy, deceit and suspicion the summer after they graduate from high school. Darin, paralyzed from the waist down from a swimming-pool accident two years earlier, grows increasingly combative and hostile toward best buddy Jeremy and his own girlfriend, Joy, a softball star with a good shot at a college scholarship. Motivated by misguided feelings of guilt, Joy and Jeremy vow to stand by Darin even though they have fallen in love with each other and have begun to sleep together, "just for the experience." Other issues intensifying the already complex state of affairs include Joy's mysterious illness during a series of championship ballgames, her unplanned pregnancy, a case of blackmail, Darin's father's alcoholism and questions about Jeremy's parentage. This jam-packed first novel written by a high-school teacher will keep the reader fully absorbed, and the plot is, to a large extent, protected against melodrama by the voice of the salt-of-the-earth narrator, Jeremy. While characters' responses to various dilemmas are generally convincing as well as moving, Joy's decision to keep her baby and juggle motherhood with college and sports comes off as naive and preordained. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up-A teenage love triangle plays itself out during a hot Iowa summer with the battle for the girls' state softball championship as background. It's senior year for three best friends, and the end of their closeness is in sight. Darin, wheelchair bound since a swimming pool accident two years before, has become more bitter and possessive with each passing day. His longtime girlfriend, Joy, is the star player on the team. Jeremy admits to Joy that he's been in love with her since grade school and they embark on a sexual adventure. The young woman juggles the affections of both boys, becomes pregnant, and manages to hang on through morning sickness to pitch a great game. Darin hits bottom and is forced to turn to his family to rehabilitate himself. Jeremy learns some painful family secrets before he leaves for the Navy. Triangle chugs along like a standard YA problem novel, but it tips over into soap opera towards the end. Darin's father is an alcoholic; his mother tries to seduce Jeremy; Jeremy's grandmother turns out to have been a call girl. Didacticism lays its heavy hand on the plot now and again. However, the sense of season and place is palpable, the characters are nice kids in a tough spot, and having a girl jock as heroine is refreshing. The softball action has the authoritative ring of a fastball popping into a catcher's mitt, and the championship game is a thriller.
Kathy Fritts, Jesuit High School, Portland, OR
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (June 30, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152000488
• ISBN-13: 978-0152000486
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,883,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jon Ripslinger is a retired English teacher who taught English in public school systems for thirty-five years, the last thirty-three years at Davenport West High School, Davenport, Iowa. He has published over sixty short stories in men's, women's, and religious magazines. Harcourt published his first young adult novel titled Triangle. Roaring Brook Press published his second YA titled How I Fell in Love & Learned to Shoot Free Throws. Llewellyn World Wide published his third and fourth novels: Derailed and Last Kiss. Ampichellis Ebooks has published his fifth novel, The Hustle, and his sixth book, Missing Pieces. You can also read a seventh novel Longer Field Goals to Kick on his blog: www.longerfieldgoalstokick.blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very appealing to teens--a must read!, July 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Triangle (Library Binding)

This wonderful author is really in tune with his teen audience and portrays their lives as they really are. His insights come from many years as an English teacher and football coach. His marvelous book teaches teens life lessons with warmth and depth and his readers gain understanding and maturity as a result. Highly recommended!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book with a great plot!, May 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Triangle (Hardcover)

I really liked this book because of the twists in the plot. It's not a fairy tale where everyone lives happily ever after. This is fiction, but it could happen. It also shows that one's mistakes can ruin their life. I don't want to go into too much detail because you should read it for yourself.