Rush for the Gold by John Feinstein

Rush for the Gold by John Feinstein.  Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.

Stevie and Susan Carol are off on another adventure in this new mystery.  Fans of the teen sleuths will enjoy this newest offering, but the roles are a little different this time.  Stevie is still investigating and reporting, but Susan Carol is swimming competitively.  In fact, she is in the World Championships and she has to concentrate on her races rather than doing any detecting. 

Susan Carol loves swimming and she is even more excited to compete against the top swimmers in the world.  Unfortunately, she is quickly discovering that this level of athletic talent brings many people who want something from the athletes.  There are PR and marketing people who want to sign the athletes as clients.  There are also major companies who want the athletes to endorse products.  This all amounts serious sums of money.

Susan Carol is both excited and overwhelmed by all the attention.  She knows that her family can use the money for college for her and her siblings.  At the same time, she thinks her father is being misled about some of the proposals being presented to him.  She is angry and hurt by his unwillingness to listen to her concerns, particularly since much of the focus of the marketing is about her looks and she doesn’t want to be promoted as a sex symbol. 

Stevie is suspicious.  Is something illegal or at least shady is going on with the marketing and PR people or is this the way things are in the big leagues of professional athlete endorsements?  Even the reps for Susan Carol are unpleasant and are trying to interfere in their relationship. 

John Feinstein again delivers a book that will be popular with both athletes and teens that enjoy a good mystery.  The conflict is a little slow to develop, but it is worth the wait. 

Visit author John Feinstein’s website.

Payback Time

Payback Time by Carl Deuker. Published by Houghton Mifflin Books, 2011.

Daniel True dreams of a college major in journalism. Being a reporter for the school newspaper is going to help him get there. He is disappointed when the new editor changes his assignment from news to sports (he’s nicknamed Mitch after the Michelin Man due to his short, round stature). A major downside for Mitch is that he is going to be hanging out at sporting events and with athletes. He knows he will appear even shorter and fatter in comparison to all the jocks, so he decides to lose weight and start exercising.

Mitch finds himself enjoying the sports writing. He gets to work with Kimi, a talented and driven photographer. He and Kimi are even able to receive a little money and byline credit as stringers for the local newspaper. Football season is kicking off and Mitch notices a new player on the field. His name is Angel and he is very good. Mitch is puzzled that the coach doesn’t use Angel very much. In fact, Angel seems to hate publicity.

After stealing a look at Angel’s student records, the mysteries pile up- attendance, grades and other records have been removed. They can’t find any pictures of him from his previous schools. Soon, Mitch’s continuing investigation is becoming dangerous for everyone.

This realistic fiction is recommended for teens who like mysteries, sports or writing. 


Visit author Carl Deuker's website