Waiting to Score

VOYA - Angie Hammond

Living in the shadow of Zach's famous hockey- playing father is tough. Especially since his father is dead after a car crash involving groupies with whom his father may or may not have been having an affair. And his mother? That she loves him is never in question, but is she pushing him to become his father or a better version of himself? This year Zach questions his own motives for playing hockey and takes some time evaluating what he really wants to do with his life. Moving to a new town, Zach is instantly immersed in a power struggle with the captain of the hockey team. Between that friction and falling for a girl who seems to hate hockey, Zach has his hands full for the school year. The topics presented—questioning life choices, teen relationships, drinking, sex and suicide—are real issues faced by many teens. Readers will enjoy being privy to Zach's thoughts and struggles when making some of these moral decisions. A good solid choice to offer readers who enjoy sports fiction or light romance, the conversational tone makes for easy reading, but McLeod does not shy away from tough issues and keeps the plot moving along evenly. Reviewer: Angie Hammond

School Library Journal

Gr 8-10

Zachary Chase, 15, has spent his life moving from one town to another with his mom. He never knew his father, an NHL player who died drunk in a car accident, but he inherited his dad's talent on the ice. Zack's mother assumes that he will continue the tradition, although he has been having second thoughts. When they move to Haletown, MT, Zack has to deal with the usual new-kid pains, but the issues are exacerbated by a team captain who feels threatened and tries to undermine him at every turn. Not one to back down from a fight, Zack stands up to Mac's bullying, especially when he finds out that the captain's harassment extends to girls at their high school whom he has sexually exploited. Zack is drawn to Goth loner Jane, who wants nothing to do with jocks and is the sister of one of his teammates. She slowly warms up to him as she realizes that he is different from the others. Alcohol flows freely at parties, and the suicide of one of the girls whom Mac abused leads students and parents to examine their priorities. Mac's bullying reflects the mistreatment he receives from his father, but the two are almost cartoonish figures. The secondary characters are two-dimensional. Sensitive Zack is a likable protagonist, but he is a little too good to be true. Yes, the story line is full of clichés, but teens will enjoy the drama and the romance.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA