Redhanded

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This psychological portrait of an amateur boxer contains as many dark ironies as Cadnum's earlier thrillers (Heat; Edge), but the narrative here is marred by thick foreshadowing and uneven pacing. Narrator Steven lays out his vulnerabilities right away. His "temporarily" separated parents will probably never get back together, and his best friend, Raymond, has started hanging out with a juvenile delinquent named Chad. To make matters worse, Steven loses his job as a dishwasher. The only thing that Steven can count on is his ability to box, although he needs money as well as prowess in order to compete. Predictably, when Steven is given a chance to enter the Golden Gloves West Coast tournament in San Diego (costing $600 in travel expenses and entry fees), he lets Raymond and Chad lead him into crime. But the boys' plan to rob a liquor store goes awry, and Steven finds himself involved in the most profound fight of his life. Readers, especially those familiar with the author's other works, may be too aware of the hand guiding characters' actions to be able to lose themselves in the plot. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Children's Literature

Steven wants to be a boxer and has potential for going to the Junior Olympics. First he must prove himself in San Diego, but he needs money to get there. His father can barely cover the rent and his mother is off saving the environment and writing a dissertation. He could have continued his minimum-wage dishwashing job, but he refused to apologize when he was caught goofing off. He could go with his mother and work in his grandparent's business, but not be close to his trainer. Or, he can let his best friend, Raymond, introduce him to Chad. Even though they know Chad is bad news, the three of them plan a robbery. Steven is uneasy and wonders why he can't say no but continues to help with the arrangements. Will Steven go through with it? There is a policeman in front of the fast-food store so the boys decide not to rob it, but instead Chad grabs a stranded female and shoots her. The ending is abrupt and open-ended, leaving the reader wondering what will happen to Steven. This book would be good for discussions about making the right choices and how situations can quickly escalate to tragedy. 2000, Viking, 15.99. Ages 14 to 18. Reviewer: Janet L. Rose

KLIATT

Stephen enjoys testing himself in the boxing ring, and he wants to fight in the Golden Gloves tournament in San Diego, if he can get together money for the travel expenses and the registration fees. He can't depend on his charming but unreliable musician father, or on his absent mother, off working on her Ph.D. in animal biology. So when Stephen's friend Raymond offers to introduce him to Chad, an angry, streetwise older teenager with a plan for getting money quickly, Stephen agrees. Chad is scary but impressive, and Stephen finds himself wanting Chad to like him. Chad has a plan to rob a store, and Raymond and Stephen go along with him, on condition that no one will get hurt. Then Chad takes out a gun, and when the store robbery doesn't come off, he unexpectedly kidnaps a woman waiting by a stalled car on the freeway, and shoots her. Will Stephen do the right thing? The multiple meanings of the title come into play as the situation explodes in a violent climax. Reminiscent of the work of Robert Cormier, this presents a bleak, brutal world in which Stephen must fight to survive. Action fans will enjoy the detailed boxing scenes, and readers will understand both how Stephen gets swept up in Chad's plans and his revulsion at Chad's actions. A swift and exciting read. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2000, Penguin Putnam/Viking, 136p, 99-087652, $15.99. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick; January 2001 (Vol. 35 No. 1)

VOYA

Steven has the chance to compete as an amateur boxer. First, though, he has to prove himself a worthy contestant in the ring. He must show that he can dodge the blows, keep dancing to elude his opponent, and deliver a solid performance. The skills that Steven must develop in the ring also are crucial to his survival in the world outside of the gym. There Steven faces several opponents, including Raymond, a supposed friend. The deadliest opponent, however, might be Chad, an acquaintance of Raymond's who wants Steven to join him in a daring adventure. Cadnum pulls no punches in his latest offering. The pace of the novel is deliciously languid. Readers will feel as if they are watching a boxing match in slow motion as Steven agonizes over his situation. The decisions he makes, though, are swift. Steven is, after all, a good boxer, able to think on his feet, to escape trouble by using both his head and his hands. Steven does just that in a chilling chapter that will have readers alternately averting their eyes from the inevitable while rooting for Steven to do the right thing in an impossible situation. The title refers to the red gloves that Steven wears in the ring, but it certainly has other layers of meaning. Those teens who appreciate the work of Chris Crutcher and Chris Lynch will find that this new Cadnum book delivers a similar knockout punch. It is no mere sports book, although the boxing scenes will ring true for aficionados of the sport. VOYA CODES: 5Q 3P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Will appeal with pushing; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2000, Viking, 176p, $15.99. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: TeriLesesne

SOURCE: VOYA, October 2000 (Vol. 23, No. 4)

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Boxing is the most important thing in Steven's life, and he knows that with the right break, it will be his ticket to getting everything he wants. The teen sees his chance when a big boxing tournament is opened up for newcomers. Unfortunately, entry requires a hefty fee, which he doesn't have. When he is introduced to Chad, he sees another opportunity to get the cash he needs. Recently released from jail, Chad is street-smart and tough and convinces Steven he can get the money if he is willing to take the risk. The plan to rob some local businesses goes awry, however, when Chad grabs a woman and ends up shooting her. Steven realizes he has done the wrong thing and uses his boxing skills to bring Chad down. The story ends with an ambiguous but hopeful scene with the protagonist standing over the wounded woman and the sirens of police cars fast approaching. Cadnum's prose is typically raw and taut, but this occasionally gripping narrative is in need of fine-tuning. Steven's sudden, intense moral struggle is too abrupt and brief to be entirely believable. Equally difficult to appreciate is the teen's decision to turn to crime. The author's typically masterful ability to craft compelling stories with great psychological depth is not evident here. The characters are not fully developed and the narrative is rushed. Too many leaps in logic and gaps in credibility will leave readers ultimately dissatisfied.-Edward Sullivan, Langston Hughes Library, Clinton, TN Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A dreary, detached tale of a promising young boxer with a little too much testosterone. Readers will wince at the pounding Steven takes in practice rounds, but the gym's owner offers to enter him in the upcoming West Coast Golden Gloves tournament—if he can come up with the fees and airfare. No problem, Steven claims, though he's just quit his job, his pianist father can barely make ends meet, and he's too proud to ask his estranged mother, or her parents, for help. An alternative presents itself; his friend Raymond, always eager to stir things up, has been touting a new acquaintance, Chad, who has a brother in stir and a questionable reputation. Chad turns out to be big, tough, and obviously bad news. After a certain amount of roosterish posturing, Steven finds himself with Chad and Raymond cruising Oakland in a car that is most likely stolen, nerving themselves to knock off a store—" ‘It would work, if you did it right. It would be easy,' " Steven tells himself. Then Chad casually pulls a handgun out of the glove compartment, upping the stakes. In the end, the robbery doesn't come off, but Chad has worked himself into such a state that he suddenly snatches, clubs, and shoots a stranded motorist. Though Steven knocks Chad out before he can kill her outright, readers won't need the final sound of approaching sirens to know that trouble's coming. Cadnum (The Edge, 1997, etc.) captures something of the thrill his characters feel pushing themselves to the edge, but Steven is a distant narrator, so seldom forthcoming about his reactions that, though the boxing action is vivid, the rest of his life seems colorless, beyond evenRaymond'slove/hate relationship with risky behavior to animate. Above average, but not equal to the author's best work. (Fiction. YA)