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Seventeen-year-old Sticky is a skinny white foster kid whose talent at basketball surprises and impresses people around him. Basketball is who he is. Despite having no permanent home as a child, he has found a home at the gym where he plays ball. It's where his friends are, and it's where his dreams for the future start.
Ball Don't Lie is a sports story, true. But it's so much more than that. Once you get past the basketball details (if you're not a sports person, that is), you will find an amazing, interesting, and absorbing story of a boy who is working hard at the only chance he's got to beat the odds.
Matt de la Pena is a talented storyteller. His prose is not always easy and straightforward, which can be seen as a good thing but might also put off some reluctant readers, as it makes the story a little harder to get into. Although it is a bit slow to start, Ball Don't Lie, once you've been pulled in, is a wonderful, painfully honest story that is highly recommended and really has not gotten the recognition that it deserves.
This novel deals with some tough issues like race and class, and that, combined with the nonlinear narrative and sometimes difficult prose, makes it a good book, but not an easy one for all teens who might be interested in the story. This one is for smarter, older teens, or those who are willing to work their way through this story, not for those looking for an easy, quick read. If you do decide to pick it up, however, Ball Don't Lie
is well worth reading.
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Ball Don't Lie