Front Pivot by Chris Boucher

Front Pivot by Chris Boucher
Publisher: Wings ePress
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Noel’s brash front masks a secret past. No one knows how hard he works on his game or how far he and his brother will go to find their answers.

A high school legend, Pax forgoes college ball after becoming obsessed with their father’s Afghanistan War experience. Officially, he died a hero. But the journal he left behind suggests it’s more complicated.

Pax blames their dad for not finishing the job and decides it’s his responsibility. Noel isn’t so sure about either. And, if everyone in his family has to be a hero, how will he measure up?

Who should decide whether or not someone is a hero?

One of my favorite subplots involved a journal Noel’s father wrote when he was a soldier in Afghanistan. The entries gave Noel and his brother a peek into parts of their father’s life that they would have otherwise known about. I enjoyed seeing how they reacted to the stories their dad told about what it was like to be a soldier overseas and how he felt about his mission. The more they learned about him, the more curious I became about what they’d discover next.

It would have been helpful to have more character development. While I liked Noel and the people closest to him quite a bit, I never felt like I got the opportunity to see them grow and change in the ways they could have despite all of the dramatic shifts happening in their lives in many cases. This was something I mentioned about the first book in this series as well. It’s my hope that any future sequels will dive into this part of the storytelling much more deeply as the storylines themselves were well done and memorable.

The plot twists were well written and exciting. This was especially true as the ending grew closer and the stakes were higher. I had a good time taking note of what had happened so far and trying to guess what might occur next. There were a few times when I was completely surprised by what the author had in store for his characters. It’s always neat to read something that keeps the audience on our toes like that!

This is the sequel to Pivot Move. I’d recommend reading this series in order to get the most out of it.

Front Pivot was a thought-provoking read for anyone who likes tales about basketball or uncovering old family secrets.