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Gr 8 Up—High school senior Finley lives with his widowed father and disabled grandfather and dreams of escaping the violence, Irish mob, and racial conflicts of Bellmont, near Philadelphia. His passions are basketball and his girlfriend, Erin. The only white player on his team, Finley trains intensively for his final season as point guard. When Coach Wilkins tells him that Russell Allen, a sensational but troubled basketball player, is enrolling in his school, Finley is puzzled by the coach's insistence that he befriend Russ. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, the two boys gradually co...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

When Russ moves to decrepit, race-torn, Irish-mob-ruled Bellmont after his parents’ brutal murder, the school’s basketball coach (a family friend) turns to team leader Finley to help him acclimate, but also to convince former-phenom Russ to play ball again; since the tragedy he goes only by "Boy21" and insists he’s from outer space. Despite inherent awkwardness, the two boys are immediately comfortable together: reserved, compassionate narrator Finley doesn’t push Boy21 to be someone he’s not ready to be, and a tender friendship develops. That basketb...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

When Russ moves to Irish-mob-ruled Bellmont after his parents' murder, the school's basketball coach turns to team leader Finley to ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More