Beanball

February 4, 2008
Poet and baseball enthusiast Fehler should attract a crowd with his first YA novel, related by 28 narrators in free-verse monologues. When high school star athlete Luke “Wizard” Wallace gets hit in the head by a wild pitch, he falls into a three-day coma, from which he emerges blind in one eye. The author raises the stakes for the other characters, sometimes a little too much: the rival team's pitcher hangs up his uniform (even though he's being scouted by the major leagues), infuriating his unrepentant coach (who ends up blaming Luke: “If he'd just gotten out of the way..../ he ruined our whole damn season”). Luke's selfish semi-girlfriend visits him only once (“When I saw his face.../ I thought I'd barf right there”). What makes this brief novel believable and rewarding are Fehler's clear grasp of the dedicated athlete's mind and his ability to imagine what it feels like to be suddenly and seemingly permanently sidelined. Fehler does an excellent job in pacing his shifts of perspective, and the central story, of Luke's friendships and eventual recovery, comes through with drama and clarity. Ages 12-up.

May 1, 2008
Gr 5-9-A high school athlete is seriously injured by a wild pitch, and he, his family and friends, teachers, coaches, and eyewitnesses share their reactions and feelings about the incident in free-verse monologues. Luke "Wizard" Wallace is a determined, talented player, and a leader on the field and off. Then, in a game versus their archrivals, he leans into a fastball thrown by Kyle Dawkins and is hit by a pitch that leaves him blind in one eye. This plot-driven, brief novel is a page-turner, though its protagonist and supporting characters are one-dimensional. Most are defined chiefly by their relation to Luke: the sympathetic coach; the "win at all costs" coach; his loyal friends and family. Fehler's straightforward story may appeal to die-hard sports fans, but Scott Johnson's "Safe at Second" (Philomel, 1999) and Carl Deuker's "High Heat" (Houghton, 2003), two novels that also deal with sports accidents and their aftermath, offer both compelling story lines and memorable characters."Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2008
High-school center fielder Luke Wizard Wallace seems to have it allnatural athletic ability, good grades, and a beautiful girlfriend. When a high and tight fastball crushes him right in the face, however, his life and relationships undergo radical change. Told in free verse by a full cast of narrators who either know Luke or saw the devastating pitch, the story is a patchwork of observation, perspective, and opinion. A few characters, such as the win-at-all-cost coach and the vapid ex-girlfriend, rely on stereotype, but Lukes frustrations and fears are palpably real and believable. Although this lacks the precision of poetry, the short, terse narrative will attract reluctant readers, and Lukes nightmarish ordeal will keep them turning the pages.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2008
More than two dozen narrators contribute their perspectives to this moving high school baseball story. After talented center fielder Luke "Wizard" Wallace is put in a coma by a star pitcher's wild throw, Luke's friends, family, teammates, and opponents weigh in on the event. Moments of genuine tension anchor Fehler's insights into sports, competition, and ambition in this deftly handled free-verse novel.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)