The Final Four by Paul Volponi

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The Final Four

Age Group: YA
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Publishing Date: March 1st 2012 by Viking Books


 Summary: Four players with one thing in common: the will to win

Malcolm wants to get to the NBA ASAP. Roko wants to be the pride of his native Croatia. Crispin wants the girl of his dreams. M.J. just wants a chance.

March Madness is in full swing, and there are only four teams left in the NCAA basketball championship. The heavily favored Michigan Spartans and the underdog Troy Trojans meet in the first game in the semifinals, and it's there that the fates of Malcolm, Roko, Crispin, and M.J. intertwine. As the last moments tick down on the game clock, you'll learn how each player went from being a kid who loved to shoot hoops to a powerful force in one of the most important games of the year. Which team will leave the Superdome victorious? In the end it will come down to which players have the most skill, the most drive, and the most heart.

My Thoughts: If you really have never davelled into Sports Fiction, other than John Feinstein, this was an amazing book. I really think in my opinion this is what sports fiction is about, not about some 6 year olds just playing football, an intense and suspenseful mystery which just happens to surround a sport. So many people simply diss sports fiction because they aren't sports fans and think that sports fiction is just a crap genre. In reality, if you pick the right books, it really can be something special. However, I didn't like the character of Malcolm. Basically in the book, he's portrayed as a selfish ball hogging jerk, which even though his background begins to justify his actions, it sort of distracted from the main plot.

Rating: 8.6 out of ten.

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