One Shot Away: A Wrestling Story

Gr 9 Up—New Jersey high school seniors Trevor, Jimmy, and Diggy are troubled teammates on the varsity wrestling team. Trevor is dealing with his father's death in a car accident and his mother's new relationship with their landlord. Team captain Jimmy is tormented by guilt after reluctantly helping his father steal lumber from a construction site. Diggy rebels against his father's relentless physical and verbal abuse about his weight, performance, and his older brother's wrestling stardom. Trevor defeats Diggy in a weight-class challenge, bumping him to a heavier class. Infuriated, the teen breaks team rules and seeks revenge by stealing Trevor's beloved dog. Jimmy joins Trevor in his search for the pet, which leads to a brutal, almost fatal, confrontation. This story unfolds in alternating chapters from each boy's perspective. Although wrestling is the connection, motivator, and potential scholarship source for the protagonists, their tumultuous personal lives, parental conflicts, and insecure relationships with girlfriends overshadow the few sports moments. Adult role models are practically nonexistent. This somber tale includes vivid adolescent characters, intense confrontations, gritty dialogue, sexual encounters, and life after high school angst.—Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC