Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
An Unexpected Read
I love basketball, so the topic of this Grisham book intrigued me. It was very slow out of the gate and I almost gave up on it. But, at last, the story of a basketball prodigy from Sudan captured me. Loved the improbable journey to the Final Four, and how quickly money and fame can cause one to do things out of character. Adored the best friend, Murray and his desire to finish what Sooley could not…bring his family to America.
I love basketball, so the topic of this Grisham book intrigued me. It was very slow out of the gate and I almost gave up on it. But, at last, the story of a basketball prodigy from Sudan captured me. Loved the improbable journey to the Final Four, and how quickly money and fame can cause one to do things out of character. Adored the best friend, Murray and his desire to finish what Sooley could not…bring his family to America.
Rounded up from a 3.5. This was a gripping read. The family's struggle in Africa was sad and well told. Sooley's year in America was more than a bit hard to believe, but was still fun to read about. I wasn't crazy about the ending, though.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Grisham wanted to be a professional basketball player. I didn't know that. This work of fiction was entirely too believable. Its also heartbreaking. Its why I know I won't be disappointed by a John Grisham book, they always hit their mark
I really should read the synopsis of books before I start reading. I wasn't expecting a book about basketball.
I admit, I do not know what I expected from "Sooley."
But this was NOT at all what I thought it would be...
This was so much more.
Grisham's best (by FAR) non-legal work. Would give it more stars if I could.
Beautiful, exciting, heartbreaking, all of the above.
Thank you.
But this was NOT at all what I thought it would be...
This was so much more.
Grisham's best (by FAR) non-legal work. Would give it more stars if I could.
Beautiful, exciting, heartbreaking, all of the above.
Thank you.
I always appreciate it when Grish takes a big swing and he's certainly done that here. Sooley as a protagonist felt a little thin to me. His motivations were easy enough to follow, but I wanted it to go a little deeper. Ultimately that blunted some of the impact here. I also felt the two primary storylines were disconnected in a few that never quite came together. Still, I appreciated the decision to tell a different kind of story here.
We discuss all things John Grisham in an early episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-20-a-time-for-grisham
We discuss all things John Grisham in an early episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-20-a-time-for-grisham
2021 is a long-awaited Olympic year, and my favorite part of the games is the inspirational stories about exceptional athletes. John Grisham has thrown his hat in the ring with a fictional story that is about so much more than basketball. Grisham was inspired to write a different kind of book after admiring Sudanese basketball players who have come to the US to follow their dreams. The story is told in a straight-forward way that is engaging from beginning to end. It was a bonus for me to see my home state of Iowa mentioned multiple times in the book.