High Heat

by Carl Deuker

Overview

Like the game of baseball, life is quirky and unpredictable, as Shane Hunter discovers in the spring of his sophomore year. Suddenly and without warning his life of privilege is turned upside down. And just as suddenly, life begins to seem utterly without fairness or purpose to him.
Exciting, well-written sports scenes transport readers right into the stands while complex issues engage their hearts and minds. For here is a novel of loss, of morality, and of the rare, redemptive power of baseball. Can speaking the truth really determine lives? Just how does one accept, move on, and begin doing the right thing?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547528694
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/21/2003
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	676 KB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Carl Deuker is the author of many sports novels, including On the Devil's Court, Heart of a Champion, and Painting the Black, all of which were selected as ALA Best Books for Young Adults. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

Narrator Shane Hunter is the "closer" for his high school baseball team-the treasured pitcher whose job is to take to the mound in the crucial final innings of a game. Baseball is Shane's world, his identity ("I focus on home plate, the catcher's glove, and the ball in my hand. When that's my whole world, I'm in control"). But the sophomore's world is shaken when his father, who owns a luxury car dealership, is arrested for money laundering while he is watching one of Shane's games. In a rapid spiral of events, Shane loses his father, his upscale home, his entire world. Suddenly poverty-stricken, he and his mother and sister move into a tiny run-down apartment, and the kids must attend public school for the first time. Perhaps worst of all, he loses his love for baseball. In a pivotal moment of darkness, Shane intentionally hits a batter, putting him in the hospital. But as the story progresses, he and the injured boy work out their demons together, through the game that has meant so much to them both. Deuker (Night Hoops) fills the pages with dozens of exciting play-by-play sequences; these serve not only to move the story along chronologically, but also act as the metronome for Shane's personal story of loss, recovery and renewal. It is a dark story in the first half, but the arc of redemption reminds readers that love conquers all-as does the pursuit of personal excellence. Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 7 Up-Shane Hunter's life of privilege disintegrates when his dad is arrested for money laundering and commits suicide. The teen, his mother, and his younger sister are forced to move out of their palatial home and into subsidized housing in a tough part of Seattle. Shane has a difficult time adjusting, and is eventually arrested for stealing beer from a convenience store. As part of his probation, he must help repair a local baseball diamond. There, he meets the coach of his public school's baseball team, who encourages him to try out. A crucial moment comes when Shane, a relief pitcher with a blazing fastball, faces the team from his old private school. His anger rises to the surface, and he delivers a fastball directly at the head of Reese Robertson, the kid whose family bought Shane's house. Reese is hospitalized, and although Shane affects a lack of concern, he is so rattled that his pitching skills deteriorate. The rest of the novel follows his attempts to get both his arm and his life back on track, and the uneasy bond he forms with Reese. Deuker avoids easy answers in the book's ambiguous but truthful conclusion. Non-sports fans may find too many game descriptions to hold their interest, but devotees will be rewarded with a story that delivers baseball action along with a rich psychological portrait, told through a compelling first-person narration.-Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

A story that delivers baseball action along with a rich psychological portrait, told through a compelling first–person narration.” —School Library Journal “High Heat joins the Deuker canon with yet another fine study of a conflicted soul whose ethical salvation is determined in a sporting arena, and once more readers are left to ponder whether a tainted success loses its sweet savor.” —Bulletin “Deuker fills the page with dozens of exciting play–by–play sequences; these serve not only to move the story along chronologically, but also act as the metronome for Shane’s personal story of loss, recovery and renewal.” —Publishers Weekly “There’s enough taut sports action here to satisfy the most avid fan.” —Booklist “[Deuker] creates another captivating story. Readers will think they are sitting in the front row with a Cracker Jack box and a Coke . . . do not let this one slip past.” —VOYA —

From the Publisher