The Final Four

May 31, 2013 Kevin Huang rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just finished reading this book. The genre is RF and it is a good book to read if you need to fill up any last Realistic Fiction books. The book centers around four main characters named Crispin, Michael, Malcolm, and Roko. They each have their own hopes and dreams and problems and their own setbacks. They ignore these problems and obstacles and they all try to focus on the one goal, which is to win. Since it is the final four, there are 2 semi final matches played and 1 final match, but this...more

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May 16, 2013 Robert Ballinger marked it as to-read

The book I read was “The Final Four”. The authors purpose was grab the reader and make him a part of the story. When I was reading this book I felt like I was right where and watching the game. Another purpose was to write a book about March Madness. Last I think Volponi which is the author of this book was trying to sat was that there are many kids and people that have different backgrounds but they aren’t always as different as people think they are
The main and the most important theme of “Th...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Ryan Kassing rated it 5 of 5 stars

The authors main purpose of "The Final Four", was to grab the readers attention, with a March Madness page-turner. What I think Paul Volponi was trying to say while writing this book was that people with different backgrounds are not always as different as they seem. For example, Malcolm McBride was a very talented and athlete kid from a troubled neighborhood in Detroit. And Roco Bacic was a kid who was from Croatia and was not the best athlete throughout his youth but he worked hard and got bet...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Sally Kruger added it

Wow! This is the best Paul Volponi book ever!!

It's the Michigan State Spartans and the Trojans of Troy University in the semi-finals of the NCAA Championships. It's March Madness at its best!

Volponi creates an amazing story that focuses on the final few minutes of the semi-final game and the multiple overtime periods that follow regular play. The play by play action is fast paced and intense, but what will really grab readers is how Volponi weaves in the back stories of four of the key players f...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Cheryl A rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

The Final Four. The dream of b-ball players everywhere. And in Paul Volponi's novel, the backdrop of four players striving to realize their dreams.

While the semi-final game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Troy Trojans is told in the present time, the rest of the novel is told through interviews, play by play, newspaper articles, journal entries and flashbacks. This format gives the characters a wonderful depth, and the quotes at the head of each chapter from famous players and coach...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is definitely not a book I would normally have chosen since I am not big on basketball. I picked it up because an award committee I serve on is considering it as a nominee. The book almost seems to be 4 shorts stories of college basketball players that are held together by the fact that their teams are doing well in the NCAA Final Four Tournament. The sport gives them something in common in the form of an interest and the hope that it can be used to help them become something more than they...more This is definitely not a book I would normally have chosen since I am not big on basketball. I picked it up because an award committee I serve on is considering it as a nominee. The book almost seems to be 4 shorts stories of college basketball players that are held together by the fact that their teams are doing well in the NCAA Final Four Tournament. The sport gives them something in common in the form of an interest and the hope that it can be used to help them become something more than they were. At the same time, they are also victims of the collegiate sport system that uses them to bring in millions of dollars for the schools while not necessarily providing them with an education or the future they hope for.

Malcolm McBride is a star player from the inner city, who lost his sister when she was mistakenly hit during a gang shootout in their neighborhood. He is pinning it all on the sport ... to the point that he has planned to drop out of school after the first year, which is when it is allowed. He has not bothered to do more with his classes than he has to in order to maintain playing eligibility

Roko Bacic has used basketball to get away from war his whole life. First, it was as an outlet when he was living amid the civil war in the crumbling former-Yugoslavia in what is now Zagreb, Croatia. It was also a way to acclimate to his new home when he was able to escape to live with his aunt and uncle in the United States.

Crispin Rice is the star of the other team in the book, and he has the weight of the game on his shoulders ... as well, as its importance for his future goals.

Finally, there is Michael Jordan ... yes, that is his name. He knows that he doesn't have the talent to live up to his name, but he does like the game. In fact, MJ is a second stringer. He puts his time into his studies. The game is a way for him to be able to go to school and be the person he wants to be through hist studies since he knows that basketball is not where his true talent lies.

The Final Four is a story about a tournament, but it is also a story about four kids and the final pathway to their futures.

I do have to admit that I found the descriptions of the actual games to be totally boring and confusing. I couldn't keep the players on the court straight. With that said, the stories of each of the four narrators are truly amazing, honest, and hard-hitting. They are stories that need to be told, and Volponi does a great job in doing so. (less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Jace Hartley rated it 4 of 5 stars

As the clock winds down in regulation time, the final four game between the favored Michigan State Spartans, and the huge "Cinderella": the Troy University Trojans the competition heats up and the trashtalking begins on the court. As the Spartan's star "one and done" Freshman Malcolm McBride hits a huge buzzer beater to send the game to overtime the author then starts with flashbacks. Volponi gives detailed background information on four of the key players in the game.

Malcolm McBride, the most...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Kaleb Wolters rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kaleb Wolters
10/10/12
B2
Final Four
Final Four is a story about four players of different backgrounds who all meet on the court in the game of the Final Four. The story talks about all four players and their journeys to the game. This story includes diverse characters and tells parts of the game through each one’s viewpoint. The characters in the story are Malcolm McBride and Michael Jordan of Michigan State (the favorite) and Roko Bacic and Crispin Rice of Troy University( the underdog).
The aut...more Kaleb Wolters
10/10/12
B2
Final Four
Final Four is a story about four players of different backgrounds who all meet on the court in the game of the Final Four. The story talks about all four players and their journeys to the game. This story includes diverse characters and tells parts of the game through each one’s viewpoint. The characters in the story are Malcolm McBride and Michael Jordan of Michigan State (the favorite) and Roko Bacic and Crispin Rice of Troy University( the underdog).
The author did a great job of mixing the characters and their stories throughout the book. The author’s purpose in writing the book is to show that people from different backgrounds are not as different as they seem. The author wrote the story to show that even though people seem different they may be very much alike. The author’s style helped show this because in the book the author told the story of the basketball game while switching characters’ point of view. Paul Volponi used this to show the similarities of each of the characters throughout the story. It showed that they each had struggles they needed to overcome.
The theme of the book is perseverance. Perseverance is the theme of the book because each character in the plot had a challenge that they had to overcome. Malcolm McBride had a sister who was shot and killed outside his apartment complex in the ghettos of Detroit. Michael Jordan had to overcome all the pressure people put on him because he was named after probably the greatest basketball player of all time. Roko Bacic had to overcome his life in war and poverty stricken Croatia and the murder of his very close uncle. Crispin Rice had to overcome his relationship drama with his girlfriend and girl of his dreams, Hope Daniels. Each character had to overcome a hardship that was told throughout the story as the game was going on.
This book was written as a description and was very effective. Each character in the book had a different story and the author made it seem like the reader was there experiencing the stories with them. Each character played a part in the plot and relayed the entire story of the game very smoothly and effectively. The style helped the reader stay intrigued in the book and not get lost or confused. The style also helped the reader keep the teams and players apart. This style was one of the most effective I have ever seen used. It made the story very exciting and interesting.
I loved reading this book. It had everything a reader would look for in a good book. It had interesting characters, a diverse plot, and a dramatic ending. I liked how the game happened throughout the story in between the individual character’s stories. I also liked how the book kept you on the edge of your seat. I did not like the ending to this book because the team I was cheering for did not win in the end. So, I would change the ending to where the team I wanted to win ended up winning. This book was not similar to any book I have read before. It was constant action with the point of view always changing from character to character. It spread the basketball game throughout the book. It was always entertaining and had humor mixed in with intense scenes that blended perfectly. This book was an excellent book.
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May 07, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: basketball, families, immigration, ncbla2013, war

Reading this title right after the March Madness of the women's and men's college basketball championships reminded me of all the hype associated with those games. Volponi really nails the guts and glory aspect of the game as well as hitting hard at the unfairness of some NCAA financial restrictions on players and their families. For many fans and some players, basketball is purely about skills and competition while for others, it's about paving their way to a better future. The book follows fou...more Reading this title right after the March Madness of the women's and men's college basketball championships reminded me of all the hype associated with those games. Volponi really nails the guts and glory aspect of the game as well as hitting hard at the unfairness of some NCAA financial restrictions on players and their families. For many fans and some players, basketball is purely about skills and competition while for others, it's about paving their way to a better future. The book follows four different players, two Michigan State Spartans and two Troy University Trojans. The book might have been more solid if it had steered away from the stories of Michael Jordan and Crispin Rice since it isn't clear whether Rice's fiancee Hope really is the woman he thinks she is, and I suspect that there would have been a lot more drama in real life if Rice suspected she was cheating on him. Still, the media attention to their romance seemed spot-on. The two teams meet in one of the semifinal games in the Louisiana Superdome, and their approaches to life and to the game of basketball couldn't be more different. The Trojans' Roko Bacic from Croatia is clearly the good guy set against the selfish and outspoken Spartan Malcolm McBride. Both have lost loved ones to violence, which gives them something in common, but for Malcolm, a year playing collegiate ball is all he wants before heading off to the NBA draft. Although it's hard to like Malcolm McBride because of his self-centeredness and inability to be a team player, it's also easy in some respects to understand his perspective on amateur sports as a form of slavery. After all, his family isn't living in a safe place. Why wouldn't he want to earn enough money to move them? Although there is emotional depth to Malcolm that is only hinted at when he thinks about his sister, his antics on the court are almost too ridiculous to believe, and I wondered how many experienced coaches would have tolerated them for long. Basketball fans and fans of the underdog will enjoy this title since the game goes into four overtimes with plenty of basketball action described throughout. One of the best aspects of the book was the sports-related quotes included at the beginning of the chapters, reminding readers that how much basketball resembles life. The book left me pondering collegiate and professional sports as well as fame. This is another slam dunk from Volponi and one that will surely entice reluctant readers to read.(less)

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Apr 23, 2012 Sarai rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction

I was not sure if I would like a sports book, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The quotes from basketball players and coaches which started each chapter really tied in well and were meaningful. The pacing was good, feeding the reader a little bit of sports with as little bit of character development, so those who came to the book for the sports won't get encumbered by a lot of character blah blah blah while those who enjoy the character side of books won't feel bogged down by the sports. It al...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Susie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I started this during the Men's Final Four, and finished during the Women's Championship game. I appreciate Volponi's background, but felt this was a bit too manipulative and cliched. I could have done without the Crispin-cheerleader drama for sure, and I found Malcolm too stereotypical and overdone. No successful coach would put up with his extreme selfishness. There were times that Malcolm showed a softer side, especially concerning his sister, but the character was way over the top. Students...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Michigan State Spartans and the Troy Trojans meet up at the Final Four tournament in New Orleans. Malcolm, a boy from the inner city whose sister was killed in a drive by shooting and who is only looking out for himself, and MJ (Michael Jordan, an unfortunate name for a boy who likes to play basketball!), who is trying to do well in school and make a better life for himself, play for MSU. Roko, a boy whose journalist uncle was killed in Croatia, and Crispin, who is from Louisiana and engaged...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Richie Partington rated it 5 of 5 stars

Richie's Picks: THE FINAL FOUR by Paul Volponi, Viking, March 2012, 256p., ISBN: 978-0-670-01264-0
.
"Imagine all the people living life in peace"
-- John Lennon. (Yep. He was murdered, too.)

Why is the human race so successful at spawning murderous thugs? That's what I was sitting here thinking to myself as I equivocated about which of the two main characters I should be rooting for in this awesome basketball story that is so much more than a basketball story. Do I cheer for the abrasive college fr...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars

Go anywhere that you’ll find an iron hoop attached to a backboard.
It could be in a crowded city park or a sweat-filled gymnasium.
You probably won’t have to stand around too long before you hear somebody say,
“Basketball is life!”

—Michael Jeffrey Jordan, The Final Four

If you have DVR in your cable box, you can pause an NCAA Championships semifinal with no time left on the clock, the winning shot airborne—or is it the losing shot? Maybe your TV is really fancy and lets you magnify the player...more Go anywhere that you’ll find an iron hoop attached to a backboard.
It could be in a crowded city park or a sweat-filled gymnasium.
You probably won’t have to stand around too long before you hear somebody say,
“Basketball is life!”

—Michael Jeffrey Jordan, The Final Four

If you have DVR in your cable box, you can pause an NCAA Championships semifinal with no time left on the clock, the winning shot airborne—or is it the losing shot? Maybe your TV is really fancy and lets you magnify the players’ faces, their eyes as they watch the rock halo the rim. But let’s imagine you can zoom into these desperately fragile warriors’ minds, their broken pasts, and see their stories—their remarkably dramatic off-court lives—play out in real time. This would be magic, right? This would be Paul Volponi.
The Final Four is a masterpiece in so many ways. Let’s start with the title. Yes, the Troy University Trojans and The Michigan State Spartans have made it to the Final Four, and yes the game goes into four nail-biter overtimes, but more, four young men have come to a moment that will define them for the rest of their lives. They never can be the same after this game, and neither can this reader. You don’t have to be a college hoops fanatic to love this book; you just have to love people, as our author clearly does. At a time when our very world seems to be crumbling apart, Mr. Volponi’s fearless belief in humanity has us cheering for four kids who are god-like athletes, yes, but also trapped by humble, earthly wants: to better their lives, to do well, and sometimes even to do good. Yet never does Mr. Volponi push us to love his characters. Like John Steinbeck, he is among the most generous of writers, simply letting his people be who they are, letting them speak for themselves—the author’s trademark ear for wonderfully rich, realistic dialogue is at full force in this, his tenth novel. Mr. Volponi is a pro, challenging us not to judge his four underdogs, but to accept them for all their inconsistencies and fears, their extraordinary courage both on and off the court.
Point guard Roko “Red Bull” Bacic and Center Crispin Rice lead the likely-to-lose Trojans. Roko, from Croatia, hunkered in sewage-strewn basements as the rocket-propelled grenades shrieked through the cratered streets of Zagreb, his hometown. He survived the relentless shelling only to lose his uncle and mentor Drazen, a journalist investigating mob corruption, to a car bomb. Rather than let this loss trap him in self-pity, Roko savors life moment-by-moment. He’s girl-crazy and loves American action movies—he learns English less from his Troy University professors and more from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Following Uncle Drazen’s example, Roko is selfless, the ultimate team player, cheering on the less confident Crispin.
C-Rice, at 6’ 10”, looks like the campus goof as he put-puts about on his tiny moped. Actually, the bike belongs to the local Japanese restaurant. When he isn’t practicing how to shut down opposing players without being called for a foul, Crispin is delivering sushi. He’s saving up for a diamond ring after proposing marriage to the Trojan’s head cheerleader, Hope, who may or may not be cheating on him. C-Rice’s war is one of self-doubt: Is he good enough for Hope? Is he good enough to play in the Final Four, to take that last tip-shot with his team down one point as the buzzer sounds?
The Michigan State Spartans may be heavily favored to win this semifinal, but they too have at least one player who needs to overcome a critical lack of self-confidence. Poor MJ is named after maybe the greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan, and plays nothing like him. MJ is strictly a bench warmer, the reserve you throw into the game when you’re too far ahead to lose and you don’t want to risk injuring your starters. But with the semifinal going into quadruple overtime and exhausted Spartans fouling out, MJ has to dig deep for his team if not himself. He knows he isn’t good enough to turn pro. He’s grateful for the scholarship that will get him through college and perhaps to grad school. But if he keeps making on-court mistakes, covering the wrong man here, not taking his shot there, and blows the big game, can he be successful in life after basketball, the company’s go-to guy, a winner who can make enough money to raise a family in a decent neighborhood or at least not in the Dearborn houses, where his father was murdered when MJ was eleven?
MJ’s biggest problem might just be his roommate, Malcolm McBride, the freshman phenomenon headed straight for the NBA draft and a multi-million dollar signing bonus after the big game—if he can stay out of off-court trouble. The one-and-done McBride is in no way grateful for his full-ride to Michigan State, and he isn’t shy about letting everybody from MJ to ESPN know this. Malcolm repeatedly points out that the NCAA championships—and the tournament’s star players—generate 700 million dollars for institutions that pay their coaches more than they pay their college presidents. Yet NCAA rules prohibit players from accepting gifts, and Malcolm’s parents have to beg and borrow to raise the gas money that will get them to the Final Four. The McBrides still live in Detroit’s Brewster-Douglass houses, where a stray bullet killed Malcolm’s little sister, Trisha. Her face is tattooed into Malcolm’s arm and burned into his angry heart. He has no room there for anybody but Trisha and himself…until his me-first game is put to the test in the final minutes of The Final Four.
Mr. Volponi supports his magnificent characters with a rocket ride of a plot that rips you into the story from the first line: “Just because the clock has stopped, don’t believe for a single second that the hearts of the ten basketball players on the court have quit pounding.” The book begins with the Cinderella-story Trojans up by two with 6.9 seconds of regulation time left in the game, and the pace never lets up. The play-by-play action is spectacular in its detail and spooled out in grab-ya beats by a writer who obviously not only knows and loves the game deeply but also has played it at a fiercely competitive level. Cut within the game commentary are flashbacks, newspaper articles, diary entries, school essay assignments, on camera interviews—all endlessly interesting and movie-like in their nuance. I grew nervous as I neared the book’s last page, wondering how the author could possibly wrap up such a high stakes story without disappointing me when I so wanted each of the four characters to win in a setup that demands two of them must lose. Reader, without giving away the ending, I tell you to have no fear. The Final Four ends as perfectly as it begins, and as surprisingly, and Mr. Volponi is as brilliant as he is honest: His four young heroes confront truths both devastating and glorious, and as they do they’re forced to do something that was, at the book’s beginning, seemingly impossible: rally around each other.
There is so much to celebrate in The Final Four, but for me, Mr. Volponi’s greatest gift to his readers is his trust in our better natures. He doesn’t ask us to feel sorry for these four terrific kids but to feel hope for them and, perhaps, each other and ourselves. The author quotes Phil Jackson, aka “The Zen Master,” who coached The Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers to 11 NBA championships: “Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together.” That same love is the foundation that will bind readers to Roko, C-Rice, MJ and the iconic Malcolm McBride. Paul Volponi’s genius is definite: His craftsmanship is as stunning as his deeply compassionate understanding of the ways of the human heart.
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May 22, 2013 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gateway-prelim-2014-15, sports

Actual rating: 3.5

Paul Volponi has written another quick, easy read that will have high appeal with teen boys. This basketball story is told in a way that really has the reader turning the pages. Each chapter (which begins with a quote from a famous basketball player - love that) focuses on one of four college basketball players. Two of these play for the Spartans and the other two play for the Trojans. These two teams are facing off in the semi-finals of the NCAA Tournament (get it? The Trojan...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sports, fiction

What a page turner. Every middle and high school library needs this new sports book. The action opens with 6.9 seconds on the clock in regulation of the first of the two Final Four semi finals games. Michigan State vs. the Cinderella team of the Trojans from Troy. It takes the whole book to get through the multiple overtimes and learn the outcome but it is a great ride. Full review of the many facets and strengths of the story is posted at my blog: http://bookends.booklistonline.com/20.... I lov...more

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May 06, 2012 bjneary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, ya, urban-fiction

I love all of Paul Volponi's books and this is no exception! He gets the suspense and excitement just right in this book about basketball and 4 overtimes in a game that will totally drive you crazy with anticipation. Who will win this Final Four game between the Michigan State Spartans (Malcolm McBride and Michael Jordan) against the Troy University Trojans (Roko Bacic and Crispin Rice)is anyone's guess as we follow the story through the four main characters, (and there are so many more other me...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I am not a huge sports fan, though watching my daughter play has taught to me about sports and made me a more avid fan. I could not put down Paul Volponi's novel The Final Four. Its characters intrigued me, the storyline was riviting, and his story organization between personal accounts and commentator discussions drew me in further.

His characters grapple with right and wrong, leaving the reader to decide what really triumphs good or evil. This is an account of two teams and their players lives...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Newengland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-in-2012, ya

Volponi is good at two things: sports and hardscrabble lives out of the city. In The Final Four he shows that practice (a lot of other books) is helping him to step up his game. This entire book takes place in four overtimes at a Final Four semi-final game pitting real-life Michigan State against make-believe Troy University. Fictional coaches and players, of course, are part of both teams in this book.

Though the time-span covered is short, the book garners added interest from extensive flashbac...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, spotlight-books

"Not your typical sports book," is the phrase that comes to mind when describing Final Four. This is a story of basketball, yes, but it's also the story of four players, two each from Michigan State and Troy University, who are playing each other in the semi-finals of the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament. The book starts when there is only 6.9 seconds remaining in regulation and ends up going into four overtimes and is a see-saw affair throughout. The action on the court is intense and real...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Teen Librarian Brandi marked it as to-read

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, sports, realistic-fiction

Volponi's story rotates among members of two basketball teams playing in the NCAA Final Four semi-final game. On one side, there is the superstar Malcolm, who due to NCAA rules, finds himself forced to play one season of college ball before he can go on to the NBA. There's MJ...whose real name of Michael Jordan is a bit of a joke given his not so stellar basketball skills. On the other side, is Roko Bacic, a Croatian immigrant who believes succeeding is a team effort.

Alternating between the pla...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Brandi Rae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction

Volponi's story rotates among members of two basketball teams playing in the NCAA Final Four semi-final game. On one side, there is the superstar Malcolm, who due to NCAA rules, finds himself forced to play one season of college ball before he can go on to the NBA. There's MJ...whose real name of Michael Jordan is a bit of a joke given his not so stellar basketball skills. On the other side, is Roko Bacic, a Croatian immigrant who believes succeeding is a team effort.

Alternating between the pla...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! It is a fascinating and exciting read--I couldn't put it down! Being a huge basketball fan, I enjoyed the parts that Volponi included about all aspects of the game--the players, coaches, announcers, media, and families. I wanted to root for the characters, even though they were on different teams. The only disappointment was who won the game. I had been rooting for the opposite side. (Although I would have felt bad either way because I liked a character that would have lost if...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Young adult - This is the book for reluctant teen readers. A "cinderella" team has made it to the final four basketball tournament, the nirvana of college basketball. The book alternates between players of each team - starting with play by play then going into thoughts of players. Each chapter starts with a homily "Life is about growth. People are not perfect when they're they're twenty-one years old" Bill Walton. "I've failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed." Michael J...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

3.5/5 stars

This year The Final Four is my March Madness book. It's a tradition that I started last year (shush that's long enough to be a tradition) because I couldn't get enough basketball during March and decided to read Ball Don't Lie by Matt de la Pena. I loved the book and it pushed me to read more sports-centric YA.

The Final Four is an enjoyable fast-pace quick read. It's not as brilliant as Ball Don't Lie (which for the record is on my favorite list) but it was a fun read. It's a book abo...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Neriah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Aaaaah, I'm not even familiar with half of the rules in Basketball but the suspense created with powerful words is exhilarating as the reader is taken through the difficult lives of four different basketball stars. Set in the present time during a semi-final game where the two teams are put into three over-times, each chapter rewinds to allow the reader to understand the players' backgrounds and how basketball can change lives.

I personally didn't enjoy all the jargon, it narrowed the audience d...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Ellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was very realistic to the actually Final Four scenario. It was very good because it was about the sport of basketball and I like sport books. The chapters were in the style of the characters point of view and I like how authors do that because it some how keeps me intrigued in the book. The book was not hard to read, but I just didn't really like how it suddenly changed from present to past and from interview form to newspaper form. I really like sport books because I can relate to the...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Aaron rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was disappointed by this book. I liked the format (being set throughout one basketball game) but four overtimes got to be a little much, and afterwards, it seemed like the writer was at a loss so he shoehorned in 15 anticlimactic pages, which messed with the previous flow. The characters were very cookie-cutter, and I found it annoying that the announcers did not have names. Even a generic "John Smith" or "Mike Johnson" would have made it less awkward. If you want to read a book about the Fina...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Ty Maxwell rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The Final Four" By Paul Volponi was a great book. It is about the lives of 2 star basketball players and the game that they play against each other. They both are poor and live in the bad part of town. They are trying to get their parents out of there by playing college basketball. In the game they both put the games on their backs, ignoring everyone else. They arent trying to win the game, its become personal. I like this in a book because it becomes intense and it makes the reader keep readin...more

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May 15, 2013 Danny Edmonds added it

This was a great book for reading. Its main idea was the hype created by insane things that occur during the Final Four, which is an NCAA tournament that occurs yearly. It happens between teams in Division I that are the best in the country. The majority of the games are televised and this time during the tournament is called March Madness. It is referred to this because crazy things occur during games, such as monumental upsets and ridiculous buzzer beaters. I would recommend this book to every...more

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