Winger

Smith, A. (2013). Winger. NY: Simon & Schuster. I will be honest, to summarize this book could go two ways. If I did not give away the ending, it might be a funny coming of age tale of a 14 year-old junior named Ryan Dean who might just end up with Annie, the love of his 14 year life. The ending is required here so it changes everything. Joey is Ryan’s best friend and he is gay. Ryan keeps saying it followed by how he is so straight.  I was honestly hoping that maybe Ryan would be gay or something because I kept seeing and hearing people tell me there is a huge plot twist at the end. Hate crime plot twist of murder of Joey. Not by Ryan but horrible. The pages run out way to fast and I was left questioning what I just read. The language and jokes would cause a protest of the PTA if a class chooses to use this book. I would like to sit in on an older group of teenagers as they read the last pages of this book and hear their reactions. I really love working in an elementary setting so placing a book like this is a mental challenge for me.  This was the last book that I read and I am still trying to figure it out. I will have to come back to decide what to do with it.