Mike by Andrew Norriss

Floyd, a teenage British tennis prodigy is unbeatable. He is absolutely dedicated to his game, supported by loving parents. Floyd has everything going for him. During a competitive match he sees Mike walking in the stands. He has seen Mike quite often, usually observing him during practice, never during a match. Mike walks down the stands, opens the gate and walks on to the court. Floyd tells the umpire to ask Mike to leave. The umpire is confused. Floyd's father (also, his coach) comes on to the court to find out what's wrong. Floyd explains, that Mike must leave. His father is confused as well. When Floyd tells Mike that he must go, his father, equally frustrated, says, "but I can't see anyone..."

The pressure and the stress of the constant practice and competition are starting to affect Floyd. As Floyd enters therapy, his therapist, Dr. Pinner, works to peal away the facade and get to the root cause of what Floyd is experiencing. What Floyd discovers has a ripple effect on those that love and care about him, as Floyd begins to question who he is, and what he wants out of life.

Andrew Norris's text is clear, a bit sparse, but pulls you right into the story. While character development is not detailed, which for me in this instance, was fine, you do see Floyd change and grow. While the plot was predictable, it was a pleasure to see it unfold. The ending is neat and tidy, which for many young readers is the way they like it. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Note: This review is from an advanced readers copy. The book is not available until February 26, 2019.
Mark's Book Picks Score: 4

Reading Level:  • Interest Level: 7-12 • AR Points:  • Lexile:   
Publisher: David Fickling Books, Scholastic • 240 Pages • Copyright: 2019 • ISBN: 978-1-338-28536-9 • Publication details will be added when available.