Friday, October 31, 2008

Tangerine / by Edward Bloor

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The move to Florida for Paul Fisher has come off pretty much as expected. Except for his junior high school's sinking (literally) into the ground, things aren't much different from what they were in Texas. His parents are still as hung up on his brother Eric's football ambitions as they ever were, essentially relegating Paul into the background-- the second son. Always the four-eyes with coke bottle lenses to correct his vision, Paul's not only been overlooked by his parents and abused by his brother, he's dutifully assumed the role of outcast from the start, learning to tread lightly among peers and perceive threatening situations where necessary. But when fortune associates him with the toughest clique in school--the soccer team--Paul not only becomes the star goalie, he's embraced for the first time as himself, not Eric's geeky little brother.

The aforementioned Eric is anything but what he's perceived as. Deemed a "hero" for his athletic prowess, Eric has always held the favor of his parents' eye; but he's no more a hero than he is a law-abiding adolescent. When a string of isolated thefts begin occurring around the neighborhood, Paul is the only one to see the truth and be in a position to bring it to light. Now he must choose between loyalty to his family, loyalty to his team and a terrible secret that must be exposed.

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