Sway

Gr 9 Up—Teen con man Jesse "Sway" Alderman sells drugs, term papers, and pretty much anything other students want. He likes to think he's above needing friends, but in truth, he feels dead inside ever since his mother overdosed on pills and booze. When Ken Foster, captain of the football team, hires him to learn about Bridget Smalley so he can get her to go out with him, it sets in motion a chain of events that turn Sway's life upside down. He becomes friends with Bridget's younger brother who has cerebral palsy, discovers he has a conscience, and falls in love with Bridget. How he sorts all this out makes for a very engrossing story. Narrator Nick Podehl's pace and different voices are perfect, pulling the listener into the story smoothly and quickly. While the language is pretty rough and there are violent moments, neither should be deal breakers for libraries. The quality of the story transcends both. Teens who like edgy love stories will devour this debut.—John R. Clark, Hartland Public Library, ME