Kick, by Walter Dean Meyers and Ross Workman, is an exciting ride that pulls the reader in with the first word. The book is about a troubled teenager who sacrifices himself for his friends. The main character, Kevin, and his supporting cast are realistic and lifelike. The book also revolves around a true-to-life conflict. In the end, Kevin, like many teenagers, finds his way in life through a sport – soccer.

The book focuses upon Kevin's moral dilemma of whether to go to jail or snitch upon his friend. Fortunately for Kevin, a police officer, Sergeant Brown, takes sympathy upon the teenager and fights to keep him out of jail. When Kevin finally tells the Sergeant about his friend, the officer helps Kevin's friend by convincing the friend’s dad not to press charges. The choice faced by Kevin between doing right and helping friends is encountered by teenagers on different levels every day.

Kick’s characters, like the conflict, are realistic. They are involved in the same activities, encounter the same problems and face the same situations as everyday teenagers. Kick's characters are nothing like those in the popular Anthony Horowitz books where Alex Rider lives an unrealistic lifestyle. Kevin and the other characters are not secret agents destined to save the world. They are simply teenagers maneuvering through the curves of life. The adult characters in the book, like adults in real life, play a large role in helping the teenage characters resolve their problems. Kevin and the other characters make the reader feel like they are living the book -- not just reading it.

Kick’s writers do not present the book’s plot in a traditional manner. Instead, they insert the reader immediately into the rising action. Despite the book’s non-traditional beginning, the plot still evolves in a conventional manner, with three rising action segments, the climax and finally the conclusion. The conclusion of the book, like the beginning, is not traditional, as Kevin does not clearly win his inner battle. Rather, like most teenagers, he continues to question his choices and efforts.

While Kick revolves around soccer, everybody, even non-sports enthusiasts, will enjoy the book and identify with its characters. The book’s theme -- think before you act – transcends the soccer field and resonates with teenagers as well as adults. Again, the writers choose to present the theme unconventionally. It does not surface at the end like in many books. Instead, the theme emerges in the middle of the book and is reiterated at the end. This method of writing underscores the book’s theme without taking away from the characters or plot.

The end of Kick is the best part. The collaborative efforts of teen writer, Ross Workman, are evident in the play-by-play description of the championship game. The thoughts, emotions and stress faced by Kevin and his teammates reflect those experienced by teenagers in similar situations. Like real teenagers, the characters don’t always win. They learn that losing, like winning, is part of life.
Kick deserves 8 out of 10 stars. The book is action-packed and keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. It teaches a valuable lesson – think before you act. While it is well written and accurately portrays the dilemmas faced by teenagers, it is too short. If you like sports, you should read Kick. It is a superb sports fiction book.