Spin Out

by Steven Sandor

Overview

Ben Cheng used to live the good life — he had wealthy parents, lots of friends and respect as an online gamer. But when his parents separated, he had to move to a small apartment with his mom, his dad was out of the picture, and his new schoolmates started teasing him for his family's fall from grace. All Ben has left is his virtual life, where he still reigns supreme as an online driver.

Ben's life starts to spin out of control when he takes his mom's car out for a joyride and gets caught. Then he's in even deeper trouble when his mom finds out he has charged expensive upgrades for his online car on her credit card without permission. When Ben's dad secretly starts emailing him, Ben gets his hopes up that everything will return to the way it once was — he just has to loan his dad the money to get to Ben's big tournament coming up. It's not until Ben's dad is a no-show that he finally realizes the effect that his dad's gambling addiction and his own gaming addiction have on his family and his life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459414563
Publisher:	James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers
Publication date:	08/06/2019
Series:	Lorimer SideStreets Series
Sold by:	De Marque
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Lexile:	HL600L (what's this?)
File size:	729 KB
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

STEVEN SANDOR is an award winning magazine editor, author and sports broadcaster. He edits Avenue Magazine in Edmonton. He has written the five Lorimer Sports Stories novels Called Up, Stick Pick, Trolled, Replay, and Playing for Keeps, and the teen novels Crack Coach and Spin Out. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

Editorial Reviews

2021-05-27
Online and IRL worlds present confusing obstacles in this story of a teenager trying to stay in control.

Ben Zheng feels invincible when he plays video games, especially a car-racing game called Grand Series. Not only is he good at them, they’re also an escape from an unhappy life filled with school bullies and constant reminders of his once-affluent life, before his gambling-addicted father abandoned the family. So when Ben drives his mom’s car without her permission, charges in-game purchases to his mom’s credit card, and secretly emails his father, he really thinks he can handle it. Inevitably, Ben’s bad decisions catch up with him. Will he get a second chance? Present-tense writing and frequent gaming action keep this stand-alone title in the SideStreets series racing along. Ben’s love of video games is a counterpoint to the bullying he encounters, both virtually and in person. Like many teenagers, Ben lacks the resources to navigate these complex issues. Although the narrative thoughtfully unpacks gender stereotypes and online harassment, less time is spent on delving into Ben’s racial identity. Ben and his mother are cued as Chinese Canadian; there are few physical descriptions of other characters.

A solid, realistic reluctant reader title with an enticing video-game hook. (Fiction. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews