High Heat

Shane Hunter had everything going for him-a well-to-do family, lots of friends, and a coveted position as the star pitcher on his high school baseball team. Then, in the spring of his sophomore year, a terrible tragedy turns his life of privilege upside down. With everything around him in shambles, Shane’s not sure he wants to pitch ever again. But maybe the game he once loved could be the thing that saves him. When sophomore Shane Hunter’s father is arrested for money laundering at his Lexus dealership, the star pitcher’s life of affluence and private school begins to fall apart. AGES: 12 + AUTHOR: Carl Deuker participated in several sports as a boy. He was good enough to make most teams, but not quite good enough to play much. He describes himself as a classic second-stringer. I was too slow and too short for basketball; I was too small for football, a little too chicken to hang in there against the best fastballs. So, by my senior year the only sport I was still playing was golf. Carl still loves playing golf early on Sunday mornings at Jefferson Park in Seattle, the course on which Fred Couples learned to play. His handicap at present is 13. Combining his enthusiasm for both writing and athletics, Carl has created many exciting, award-winning novels for young adults.
REVIEWS: A story that delivers baseball action along with a rich psychological portrait, told through a compelling first person narration. -School Library Journal

High Heat joins the Deuker canon with yet another fine study of a conflicted soul whose ethical salvation is determined in a sporting arena, and once more readers are left to ponder whether a tainted success loses its sweet savor. -Bulletin