Book Review 21: Boost by Kathy Mackel

Boost is about a 13 year old girl named Savvy who is REALLY tall and REALLY good at basketball. She's just moved to live with her aunt because her father has lost his job and her aunt needs some help. She decides to try out for league basketball, different than school basketball. A person she meets convinces her to leave the middle school age tryouts and go to the high school tryouts. They make it, but Savvy starts out on the bench, because while she's good, she needs some work. The coach gives her drills and all that to help her do better. They call it her "boost" list. The cover shows pills, so you assume he gives her those, but it's not, it's just drills and ways to improve her game. Her sister is older, and a cheerleader. A cheerleader who has gained weight over the summer and must lose it in order to stay on the new school's squad. At a big stakes game, pills are found, and they lead to Savvy's locker. Savvy doesn't know where they came from, but many people don't believe her, and she decides to do a drug test to prove her innocence, which it does.

This is an okay book. It started out slow, got good in the middle, but then I was bored at the end again. So not sure if kids would like it. But they might!

The next book I'm reading is the Rule of Won by Stefan Petrucha, I'm almost done with it as well. It is pretty good, I'll have lots to say when I write my review of it, probably tomorrow.

Book Review 20: The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail by Michael P. Spradlin

So, I am not really into the whole "Templars" and Holy Grail kind of story. But it was interesting enough. I could see how kids might get into it. I do have a complaint that several of the books I've read leave off. Yeah, I understand it is good to have sequels and keep kids reading, but this one ended right in the middle of major action!! Very frustrating for me. So, not sure this was a favorite. The main character is Tristan, who is an orphan left with monks and a mysterious note when he was a baby. So we get the idea he is someone special. The Templars stop by the monastery he is living at, and he draws the attention of Sir Thomas who wants Tristan to become his squire and train as a Templar. Unfortunately Sir Hugh also notices Tristan, and Sir Hugh is basically a bully, but maybe more as we find out further on. They go to the Holy Land under King Richard the Lion Heart. When the town they are in gets surrounded by Saracen, Sir Thomas gives Tristan the Holy Grail and tells him to make for safer land. On Tristan's way out, he runs into Robard who is a former member of the king's guard, and they are attacked by a band of assassins. They knock one out as the others run away. Tristan feels they must help this person, who turns out to be a girl, Maryam. She is grateful that they've helped her, so she helps them find their way. The book ends on a ship as they try to get to England, in the middle of the storm, when Tristan falls off the boat and begins to sink. Yeah, I know right, what a major cliffhanger.

My next book I started tonight, is called Boost by Kathy Mackel, it's a sports book, female basketball player I think. Not starting off well, I'm kind of bored so far.