Hey, guys! I just finished Stand-Off by Andrew Smith. Winger was fantastic and you should all read that, but Stand-Off could also be a standalone if you decided to make the mistake of not reading Winger. I was looking forward to this book so much. I think I may have screamed when I saw that there would be a sequel to Winger (one of the funniest and most intense books I've ever read). I was not disappointed.
The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows Ryan Dean with Sam Abernathy in a headlock while Sam looks quite pleased. It works really well for this book for some reason. It's not a cover I would see and want to read the book but... It works. It sums up Ryan Dean and Sam's relationship in one screenshot. The title is also really cool. Winger was named after Ryan Dean's position in rugby/nickname, and Stand Off follows the same pattern. It's Ryan Dean's new rugby position and also shows the interactions he has with the other characters (Hint: There are a lot of stand offs.) Solid A cover
Official Description:
It’s his last year at Pine Mountain, and Ryan Dean should be focused on his future, but instead, he’s haunted by his past. His rugby coach expects him to fill the roles once played by his lost friend, Joey, as the rugby team’s stand-off and new captain. And somehow he’s stuck rooming with twelve-year-old freshman Sam Abernathy, a cooking whiz with extreme claustrophobia and a serious crush on Annie Altman—aka Ryan Dean’s girlfriend, for now, anyway.
Equally distressing, Ryan Dean’s doodles and drawings don’t offer the relief they used to. He’s convinced N.A.T.E. (the Next Accidental Terrible Experience) is lurking around every corner—and then he runs into Joey’s younger brother Nico, who makes Ryan Dean feel paranoid that he’s avoiding him. Will Ryan Dean ever regain his sanity?
My Review:
This book was fantastic. It was the perfect blend of high-quality humor and serious topics. It was one of those books that make you get very attached to the characters through jokes and awkward situations and then takes those attachments and punches you in the gut with them.
Basically, in Stand Off Ryan Dean has two problems. He, a fourteen year old senior, gets stuck with a twelve year old freshman roommate who watches the cooking channel constantly and has such intense claustrophobia that they have to leave the window open to their dorm. During winter. And Ryan Dean has to leave the room whenever Sam needs to use the bathroom, since he can't close the door. Problem number two is that Ryan Dean can't get over the death of his best friend. He has night terrors and can't even draw comics without adding a goul-like guy named Nate to them.
Stand Off was great. I can't even find words. There was superb character development, humor, heart-wrenching moments, comics, and some romance. What more could you want?
The characters were wonderful. They were complex, varied, and flawed human beings. Everyone was some level of screwed-up and they had to help each other out. The character development was gradual, subtle, and just wonderful!
I can't tell you how strongly I would recommend this book. A test for how much I enjoy a book for me is always whether I would tell my friends at school to read it, many of them who aren't big book nerds. This is definitely one that I will and already have recommended for them. I can almost guarantee that you'll love it. Give it a shot!
Phrase:
Princess Snuggleworm
Happy Reading!
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The Cover:
It shows Ryan Dean with Sam Abernathy in a headlock while Sam looks quite pleased. It works really well for this book for some reason. It's not a cover I would see and want to read the book but... It works. It sums up Ryan Dean and Sam's relationship in one screenshot. The title is also really cool. Winger was named after Ryan Dean's position in rugby/nickname, and Stand Off follows the same pattern. It's Ryan Dean's new rugby position and also shows the interactions he has with the other characters (Hint: There are a lot of stand offs.) Solid A cover
Official Description:
It’s his last year at Pine Mountain, and Ryan Dean should be focused on his future, but instead, he’s haunted by his past. His rugby coach expects him to fill the roles once played by his lost friend, Joey, as the rugby team’s stand-off and new captain. And somehow he’s stuck rooming with twelve-year-old freshman Sam Abernathy, a cooking whiz with extreme claustrophobia and a serious crush on Annie Altman—aka Ryan Dean’s girlfriend, for now, anyway.
Equally distressing, Ryan Dean’s doodles and drawings don’t offer the relief they used to. He’s convinced N.A.T.E. (the Next Accidental Terrible Experience) is lurking around every corner—and then he runs into Joey’s younger brother Nico, who makes Ryan Dean feel paranoid that he’s avoiding him. Will Ryan Dean ever regain his sanity?
My Review:
This book was fantastic. It was the perfect blend of high-quality humor and serious topics. It was one of those books that make you get very attached to the characters through jokes and awkward situations and then takes those attachments and punches you in the gut with them.
Basically, in Stand Off Ryan Dean has two problems. He, a fourteen year old senior, gets stuck with a twelve year old freshman roommate who watches the cooking channel constantly and has such intense claustrophobia that they have to leave the window open to their dorm. During winter. And Ryan Dean has to leave the room whenever Sam needs to use the bathroom, since he can't close the door. Problem number two is that Ryan Dean can't get over the death of his best friend. He has night terrors and can't even draw comics without adding a goul-like guy named Nate to them.
Stand Off was great. I can't even find words. There was superb character development, humor, heart-wrenching moments, comics, and some romance. What more could you want?
The characters were wonderful. They were complex, varied, and flawed human beings. Everyone was some level of screwed-up and they had to help each other out. The character development was gradual, subtle, and just wonderful!
I can't tell you how strongly I would recommend this book. A test for how much I enjoy a book for me is always whether I would tell my friends at school to read it, many of them who aren't big book nerds. This is definitely one that I will and already have recommended for them. I can almost guarantee that you'll love it. Give it a shot!
Phrase:
Princess Snuggleworm
Happy Reading!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret
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