Scan barcode
kelly_e's review
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Title: Calico Joe
Author: John Grisham
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: January 1, 2012
T H R E E • W O R D S
Nostalgic • Athletic • Entertaining
📖 S Y N O P S I S
It's the summer of 1973, and Joe Castle is the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone has ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzles Chicago Cubs fans as he hits home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shatters all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly becomes the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing New York Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faces Calico Joe, Paul is in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his dad. Then Warren throws a fastball that will change their lives forever.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Several John Grisham novels have sat completely ignored on my shelf for many years. It's for this exact reason that I chose him as one of twelve authors for my '2024 Author Taste Test'. What made me select Calico Joe? The fact it centers around baseball, and it was simply the shortest of the bunch.
This story is so much more than just baseball. It's part coming-of-age story weaved with a central thread of father/son relationships and sprinkled with themes of redemption and forgiveness. Given that a fictionalize character (Calico Joe) was dropped into the real 1973 Cubs team, this novel read more like non-fiction. At times I kept questioning whether this was something that actually happened or not, which made for a distraction while reading.
There is definitely some language and societal norms that don't hold up over time.
Calico Joe is a fairly quick and relaxing read that doesn't require too much brain power. There is some language and societal norms that certainly don't hold up over time, but if you can get passed that it is entertaining, just not anything special. While I know this is a departure from his normal legal room novels, I think it's save to say that at this point in my reading life his books are just not for me. I'll never say never, but they certainly won't be a priority.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• baseball
⚠️ CW: mental illness, alcoholism, domestic abuse, child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, toxic relationship, injury/injury detail, cancer, cursing
Author: John Grisham
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: January 1, 2012
T H R E E • W O R D S
Nostalgic • Athletic • Entertaining
📖 S Y N O P S I S
It's the summer of 1973, and Joe Castle is the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone has ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzles Chicago Cubs fans as he hits home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shatters all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly becomes the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing New York Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faces Calico Joe, Paul is in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his dad. Then Warren throws a fastball that will change their lives forever.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Several John Grisham novels have sat completely ignored on my shelf for many years. It's for this exact reason that I chose him as one of twelve authors for my '2024 Author Taste Test'. What made me select Calico Joe? The fact it centers around baseball, and it was simply the shortest of the bunch.
This story is so much more than just baseball. It's part coming-of-age story weaved with a central thread of father/son relationships and sprinkled with themes of redemption and forgiveness. Given that a fictionalize character (Calico Joe) was dropped into the real 1973 Cubs team, this novel read more like non-fiction. At times I kept questioning whether this was something that actually happened or not, which made for a distraction while reading.
There is definitely some language and societal norms that don't hold up over time.
Calico Joe is a fairly quick and relaxing read that doesn't require too much brain power. There is some language and societal norms that certainly don't hold up over time, but if you can get passed that it is entertaining, just not anything special. While I know this is a departure from his normal legal room novels, I think it's save to say that at this point in my reading life his books are just not for me. I'll never say never, but they certainly won't be a priority.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• baseball
⚠️ CW: mental illness, alcoholism, domestic abuse, child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, toxic relationship, injury/injury detail, cancer, cursing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Child abuse
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer and Cursing
mary00's review against another edition
4.0
This book, which is a departure from Grisham's usual legal thrillers, was surprisingly engaging and moving. I was completely drawn in, despite not knowing much about professional baseball. At its core, the story is about relationships and human frailties rather than about the sport. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
stanleys1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
fistpuncher's review against another edition
4.0
I've never been a huge fan of Grisham's non-thriller books, but this one actually has a nice story. The characters stayed true to themselves, and Grisham does a nice job blending reality with fiction. It's been a while since I read baseball fiction that I really enjoyed. This is a good one.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
3.0
This is a fun, light read which baseball fans will appreciate. Especially Chicago Cub's fans. Calico Joe is a fictional character dropped into the real 1973 Cub's team. Fun to see references to Ron Santo etc. A tragedy happens and eventually so does forgiveness. A nice summer read.
kaly711's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mschrock8's review against another edition
4.0
Don't usually read this author. I enjoyed this short baseball story. Perfect for spring!