Actually, when I grabbed this book for my Reading My Library quest, I thought it was a jock book and was proud of myself for expanding my horizons. As it turns out, it was a science fiction book with jocks in it, so I had even more fun. And for added goodness, it takes place in South Dakota, so it counts towards my geographic challenge as well. Will Hobbs, thanks for writing Go Big or Go Home.
I know I've been complaining about first person narratives in my recent YA reads, but apparently it's just angsty teens that bug me. Hobb's characters are confident and definitely not self-absorbed, reporting the events and problems but not lingering over their uncertainties or insecurities. Instead Brady gives an impression of an active, interesting boy who is honest about his faults without being proud of them. It was fun reading about his basketball and biking skills because they far surpass my couch-potato levels of athleticism.
The science in the science fiction doesn't hold up to close scrutiny (well, I think the factoids are true, but what happens is unlikely), but the story moves along rapidly enough with just enough emotional grounding to keep things steady, so I didn't mind. I bet my seventh grader would like this, and maybe it would inspire him to take a few long bike rides even if he isn't infected by a super-charging asteroid named FRED.
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