This enhancement talent squash match simply runs too long.
It takes two in this middle-grade pro-wrestling sequel.
Business has boomed at Slamdown Town arena ever since Ollie, a scrawny sixth grader, discovered magical gum that transforms him into Big Chew, a muscle-bound wrestler. For now, Big Chew is sidelined, as Ollie prefers cheering alongside gamer girl Tamiko in the crowd. Ollie and Tamiko are doubtful when promoter Linton Krackle’s children, Leon and Luna, make their in-ring debut—and dumbfounded when they effortlessly defeat adult opponents. After battering the duo during an at-home exhibition, Ollie and Tamiko seek and gather evidence of corruption and learn the Krackle Kiddos are ignorant of any foul play. Meanwhile, Tamiko unlocks her own alter ego when a stream of arcade game pixels empowers her to shape-shift Shazam-style into wrestler Game Over. The best friends are, at last, in-ring partners—but Big Chew is a rule-abiding face whereas Game Over competes as a rule-bending heel. As Leon and Luna stack up suspect wins, the Ragtag Team works through their differences and earns hard-fought victories, culminating in a three-way dance for the tag team titles. Can Ollie and Tamiko find a way to conquer the champions while protecting the Krackle Kiddos from psychological and physical harm? Although matter-of-fact intergender matches are welcome, wrestling fans will scratch their heads at nonsensical move names while bookish types will bemoan the formulaic plot. Ollie is White; Tamiko’s name cues her as Japanese American.
This enhancement talent squash match simply runs too long. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4594-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A riddling, sporting adventure and a story of true friendship.
“Like three sides of the same triangle, none of us can imagine what life would be like if we weren’t together.”
Sarah, West, and Hannah have been an intrepid trio since they first met. They bring their passion for math and numbers and their perfectly aligned strengths to solving escape rooms. With a foreclosure looming on Sarah’s family home—which would mean moving to live with her grandparents in Michigan—the only solution is to seek out the rumored Triplet Treasure belonging to Hans, Stefan, and Karl Stein. The treasure is supposedly hidden in a long-abandoned fun house they built in the 1950s. To outmaneuver the triplets’ ingenious riddles and tricks, the friends will need to overcome personal obstacles and unlock the doors within themselves. While the stakes are high, it’s reassuring for readers to know that Sarah’s family has a place to go, even if it’s far away from her friends. Early chapters detail the health challenges faced by Sarah’s father; his chronic illness has placed a strain on the family’s finances. Currie sets up a moving metaphor: Sarah’s enthusiasm for escape rooms becomes a means of tackling the unsolvable puzzle that has left her parent confined to his own inescapable room. This topic is treated with a gentle touch, but Sarah’s emotional depths could have been explored more deeply; West’s and Hannah’s emotional arcs are fulfilling, however. Main characters read white.
A riddling, sporting adventure and a story of true friendship. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781728259536
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch.
Basketball-playing twins find challenges to their relationship on and off the court as they cope with changes in their lives.
Josh Bell and his twin, Jordan, aka JB, are stars of their school basketball team. They are also successful students, since their educator mother will stand for nothing else. As the two middle schoolers move to a successful season, readers can see their differences despite the sibling connection. After all, Josh has dreadlocks and is quiet on court, and JB is bald and a trash talker. Their love of the sport comes from their father, who had also excelled in the game, though his championship was achieved overseas. Now, however, he does not have a job and seems to have health problems the parents do not fully divulge to the boys. The twins experience their first major rift when JB is attracted to a new girl in their school, and Josh finds himself without his brother. This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. Most interesting is the family dynamic that informs so much of the narrative, which always reveals, never tells. While Josh relates the story, readers get a full picture of major and minor players. The basketball action provides energy and rhythm for a moving story.
Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch. (Verse fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-10771-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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