The Comeback

by Alex O'Brien

Overview

"... the in-depth game play will attract sports fans." — School Library Journal

On the surface, fourteen-year-old Chris is pretty average, playing hockey and having friends. But underneath it all, Chris is depressed, full of self-blame and negative thoughts. He quits his hockey team, feeling he has let them down, but his doctor suggests that he should pick up another sport. Chris starts playing soccer, and the positive benefits of sport start to take effect: he is motivated and has fewer self-doubts. But former hockey teammate Trent is on the team, and his suspicions about Chris and his emotional state threaten Chris's acceptance and recovery. When Chris and Trent are chosen for a team to play in a summer tournament, Chris decides to keep his depression a secret. But will rumour and stigma about his condition make him relapse and turn his own team against him?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459414815
Publisher:	James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers
Publication date:	02/04/2020
Series:	Lorimer Sports Stories Series
Sold by:	De Marque
Format:	eBook
Pages:	120
Lexile:	HL540L (what's this?)
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	8 - 9 Years

About the Author

ALEX O?BRIEN left a career in human resources to write novels, scripts and songs. He has been a finalist and winner of several writing competitions. He is the author of the Lorimer sports story The Playmaker. Alex lives in Parry Sound, Ontario.

Table of Contents

1 Missing Out 1

2 Brave Face 12

3 Ball Time 18

4 Hard lessons 24

5 Back Down 29

6 Mind Fog 33

7 Curveball 40

8 Ball Hog 47

9 High and Wide 53

10 Off the Bar 59

11 Holding Strong 64

12 Scouted 70

13 The Tryout 76

14 Spurned 83

15 Fear 88

16 Bad Calls 94

17 The Comeback Kid 101

18 Heatwave 106

19 The Final 113

Note for Readers 119

Acknowledgements 120

Editorial Reviews

2020-06-03
Hockey player Chris learns to battle his depression while learning a new sport in this Canadian import.

Fourteen-year-old Chris has suffered from severe depression for months. This may have been exacerbated by a hockey injury that led him to quit before the championship game. Chris’ psychologist suggests that he can improve his mood through sports, but he is hesitant due to his lack of energy and because the hockey season has ended. When Chris confides in his best friend, Keiko, she suggests he joins her brother’s soccer team. Chris signs up but is also joined by Trent, captain of his former hockey team and, more importantly, a bully. Chris strives to improve his mental health and his soccer skills, finding an unexpected ally in the gruff coach of the regional team. While the plot points are commendable, the execution is humdrum. The stilted dialogue is reminiscent of low-budget after-school specials, and the characters are one-dimensional. Young readers affected by depression or who know someone affected may be sympathetic, but it’s doubtful they’ll stick around long enough to reach the cheesy Hollywood-style conclusion. A note to readers provides contact information for a Canadian mental health organization for children. Characters are default white, with diversity indicated primarily via naming convention (as with presumably Japanese Canadian Keiko).

Red-card this book. (Fiction. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews