Winger
Review by Ella; dreamer, ski racer, writer, and rock climber. Ella lives in SV, Idaho with her mom, dad, cat, dog, gecko, and fish.
Winger is about Ryan Dean’s life at a boarding school in Oregon that is for the troubled kids of wealthy parents. Ryan Dean is 14 but entering his junior year of high school. He is determined to become more confident and mature. His best friend, Annie Altman, is also his crush and he struggles with feeling unworthy of her throughout because of the age gap. This is true for his interactions with the rest of his classmates as well. Ryan Dean is the winger for the school’s rugby team and finds that he has a community. Because of a stunt he pulled the year before, he is bunking in a different dorm than his friends, JP and Seanie, and is under constant supervision. Ryan Dean makes new friends in his new bunk room and starts to grow into himself. He becomes really close with one of the members of his rugby team, Joey. Throughout the story Ryan struggles with his relationship with Annie and the neglect he feels from his parents. I really enjoyed this book because I think it perfectly illustrates how a 14 year old boy thinks. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good laugh and likes to laugh at the main characters.
