Available:*
Library | Material Type | Item Barcode | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library | Teen Fiction Book Hardback | 120703505298021 | YHBA 1992 T DUN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library | Teen Fiction Book Paperback | 120791003103955 | YHBA 1992 T DUN | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Seventeen-year-old April finds her comfortable life changed forever when death threats to her father, a witness in a federal case, force her family to go into hiding under assumed names and flee the pursuit of a hired killer.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-9-- Undoubtedly a master of suspense, Duncan has written a spellbinding tale of uniquely contemporary horror. Seventeen-year-old April Corrigan's life ends abruptly when she learns that her airline executive father has been working secretly undercover for the FBI. Now his testimony against a notorious drug dealer has placed the whole family in danger, and April and her family are quickly relocated under the Federal Witness Security Program. What begins as a temporary measure soon must become a way of life. April, an ace tennis player, has to stop playing tennis; her mother must give up a lucrative career as a children's author; their names are changed; and April's naive attempt to communicate with her boyfriend causes the violent death of an agent. The entire book is fast-paced and enthralling, but the conclusion will have readers on the edge of their chairs. April and her grandmother get involved a high-speed cross-country chase which culminates in the death of a hit man. Although some readers will not be able to imagine having to sever completely all ties with their past, they won't be able to put this book down. Don't Look Behind You is filled with booktalk potential. --Jeanette Larson, Mesquite Public Library, Tex. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Gethers's second novel (after The Dandy presents the life and times of Alex Justin, a major league baseball player searching for that elusive ``moment''the ``perfect play.'' His relationship with Patty, his childhood sweetheart, is particularly endearing, and this neatly told story, with its snappy dialogue, is populated by other memorable characters: enigmatic Dave Manning, crass ``Lump'' and Willie Trott, whose career is violently cut short by bigotry. The perceptive, compelling narrative draws us into Alex's ``secret world,'' his own version of the American Dream, in which he is convinced that potential and hard work will spell certain success. The problem is, the Dream subtly changes as Alex ages, for he learns fear. The book begins in the '50s, when Alex is an apprentice player, and ends in the '80s, when he is the manager of a jazz club. When they are 18, Willie introduces Alex to modern jazz and Charlie Parker, whose moments of ``getting blue'' are the perfect musical counterpoint to Alex's search. Alex is driven to do something great, but when his moment is realized, he discovers it is not enough, for what he strove to achieve in baseball, he continues to wish to achieve in life. (March 6) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Although burdened with the same adolescent soul-searchings that spoiled its predecessor (The Dandy, 1978), Gethers' second novel is set in the world of baseball (a world he chronicled in his non-fiction Rotisserie League Baseball), providing a colorful and engaging backdrop for the often strained obsessings of its uncertain hero. Seventeen-year-old Alex Justin knows he can ""play baseball better than anybody in New York City""; so sure is he of his talent, he has only one goal: to reach what he calls ""The Moment,"" that magical instant when everything comes together, and he does something on the baseball field--doesn't matter what--better than anyone ever has. Shuttered by this narrow vision, Alex fails at most everything outside of baseball, and early on adopts a set of strict rules--no premarital sex, for instance--in order to cope. When signed by the Phillies and sent to their North Carolina minor-league team, he quickly earns the nickname of ""The Judge"" from his freewheeling teammates, a ragtag bunch that Gethers depicts with sympathy and verve. In time, Alex bends some of his rules--he enjoys a hot affair with a waitress--but he never gives up his quest for ""The Moment,"" despite the advice of a black teammate about ""Getting Blue""; thinking of happiness as a process, not a one-time goal. Finally reaching the major leagues, Alex racks up a yeoman's career until, in the final inning of his last game in the seventh game of the World Series, he makes a spectacular, historic catch: ""The Moment."" But to his surprise, life continues: fame and fortune come from his catch, but his wife leaves him, his son commits suicide, and he must learn lo adjust to life slowly, to ""Getting Blue."" This uneasy blend of coming-of-age and sports novel never sets properly, but baseball fans will enjoy Gethers' colorful players and his knowledgeable attentions to the nuances of the game. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
A candid, sometimes raunchy, novel in which Alex Justin's continual search for perfection transforms him from a naive, inquisitive teenager to a 40-year-old adult who has experienced both tragedy and success. (Mr 15 87, forthcoming)
Library Journal Review
A well-written, compassionate novel about America's favorite pastime, this is the tale of Alex Justinjourneyman big league outfielder, decent human being, and dreamer. Growing up in New York in the 1950s, Alex believes he's destined for baseball greatness. During the next two decades as a much-traded .260 hitter, he comes to realize that he is not the best. Still he persists and, just once, does touch greatnessmakes a great catch that wins the World Series for the Yankees. During the 1980s Alex, trading in on his moment of baseball glory, operates a jazz nightclub and eatery. By the author of The Dandy , this novel offers solid characterization, deep respect for baseball, and a mature understanding or appreciation of human weakness. Highly recommended. James B. Hemesath, Adams State Coll . Lib., Alamosa, Col. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.