Like some other established adult authors, Amis (Lucky Jim; The Old Devils, Booker Prize, 1986) seems to imagine that his expertise qualifies him to write for young people; unfortunately, he has come up here with a simplistic, condescending book. Clive, a working-class punk, is in serious trouble after breaking into a warehouse: a confrontation with the night watchman has resulted in the man's disabling injury. Almost everyone concerned—Clive's mother, his social worker, a hip young vicar, even his angry, sanctimonious new stepfather and the victim—conspire to explain, forgive, and blame anyone but Clive. Only the gruff police sergeant, who evidently speaks for the author, opines that Clive deserves to be punished. There's a nugget of truth here: as Clive senses, the misplaced sympathy does deprive him of the dignity of taking responsibility for his own actions. But Amis seems as oblivious to the real roots of Clive's antisocial behavior as his adult characters are; he even gives Clive the (unlikely) option of easily finding a job, and depicts him as bored with the girls he hangs out with. It all smells of the establishment believing that the lower classes would be all right if they'd just shape up. For a far more perceptive look at Britain's underclass, try Gillian Cross's Wolf (1991); unlike Amis's book, it has vibrantly individual characters and a compelling plot. (Fiction. 12-16)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0140374760
Page Count: 93
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1992
Reading like a long term paper, this dry, abstract recitation of teams and players brings neither the game nor the people who played and are playing it to life. McKissack (with Patricia C. McKissack, Black Diamond, 1994, not reviewed, etc.) opens with a chapter on basketball’s invention and original rules, closes with a look at women’s basketball, and in between chronicles the growth of amateur, college, and pro ball, adding clipped quotes, technical observations about changing styles of play and vague comments about how players black and white respected each other. The information is evidently drawn entirely from previously published books and interviews. A modest selection of black-and-white photographs give faces to some of the many names the author drops, but readers won’t find much more about individual players beyond an occasional biographical or statistical tidbit. McKissack frequently points to parallels in the history of African Americans in basketball and in baseball, but this account comes off as sketchy and unfocused compared to Black Diamond. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-48712-4
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An unusual, coach's-eye view of small, shy Evelyn Ashford, the dominant sprinter of the late 70's and early 80's. Despite the sometimes awkward prose (``Eugene was a dangerous place for anyone who was allergic to the numerous pollens in the air''), Connolly has a gift for making even the most routine workouts sound intriguing and gives a clear idea of a coach's multiple roles: not just physical and psychological conditioner but parent, buddy, even business manager. Herself a former Olympian, Connolly describes her innovative training techniques in general terms, plus giving many instances of sexism, racism, and financial irregularity in the world of ``amateur'' track and field; she also takes a passionate stand against drugs and steroids. Ashford comes across as rather passive and biddable off the track but totally different in competition: a day after miscarrying, she won an important race and later (1984) earned a gold medal despite a massively torn muscle. Ashford and Connolly severed formal ties after those games; aside from a very short epilogue, that's where this frank, engaging book ends. (Biography. 13-16)
Pub Date: May 15, 1991
ISBN: 0-06-021282-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1991
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