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Over the End Line
Kyle Saint-Claire is everything Jonny Fehey wishes to a star on and off the soccer field, a brain, and one of Millburn High s most popular students. Jonny unhappily accepts his lesser social status--but then he scores the go-ahead goal in the county soccer championship and everything changes. Jonny is invited to victory party with the in crowd, and alcohol flows freely as toasts are raised in his honor. But in his moment of glory, a classmate is raped and Jonny's world begins to unravel. Through years of friendship, Kyle and Jonny have always stood up for each another, but suddenly their friendship is tested. All their training together, pain, and dedication become meaningless; Jonny s preconceived notions are shattered; and someone is out for revenge.
Exciting sports action combines with an undercurrent of evil in a suspenseful tale of pride cometh before the fall--and an ending that Jonny never saw coming.
Exciting sports action combines with an undercurrent of evil in a suspenseful tale of pride cometh before the fall--and an ending that Jonny never saw coming.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 24, 2013
Landon Hertzler block 4
Over the End Line
By: Alfred C. Martino
In this book the main character is Jonny Fehey and he wishes to become like Kyle Saint-Claire who is his best friend that is the star soccer player, most poplar kid around, and a straight A student. This story takes place in Short Hills and they attend Millburn High. This story takes place during soccer season during the fall/summer. Also the characters in this book include the whole Millburn soccer team. Stephanie who is Kyle’s sister and is always up to no good. Then when a new student named Annalisa moves to Short Hills Jonny falls in love with her. Some people don’t find her that nice but she and Jonny have a special connection. Everyone is happy and the Millburn high school soccer team just won the county championship by Jonny scoring the most important goal of his high school career, but that night when they are partying at the “Circle” something happens to one of their classmates that can’t be forgotten and everyone’s lives are changed. This compelling story is told in first person point of view by Jonny.
This book has many strengths, it was very hard to put down. One thing the author does well is using very vivid details to further help your understanding. For example, he does this for things like when Millburn is playing a soccer game. Another, strength is that the author combines soccer and life of a high schooler without making the book confusing.
Additionally, something I liked is the book was very hard to predict what was going to happen instead it took different turns that you would not expect. For example, the ending surprised me when I read it I thought something else would happen. One weakness I thought the book had was characterization because I thought more things should be mentioned about certain characters.
Lastly, I would recommend this book to any high school student even if they don’t like soccer because it is also about what teens are like and how one thing can change a person’s life. It is a more important lesson in the story then just the things on the soccer field. I thought this book was more of a quick read because it is hard to put down. The plot in the story is very interesting and you just want to keep reading it. This book kind of reminds me of Remember the Titans because the football team has to come over so much adversity like Jonny does to become a starter on the soccer field and to be popular. Overall this was a very good book and I would recommend you read it.
Over the End Line
By: Alfred C. Martino
In this book the main character is Jonny Fehey and he wishes to become like Kyle Saint-Claire who is his best friend that is the star soccer player, most poplar kid around, and a straight A student. This story takes place in Short Hills and they attend Millburn High. This story takes place during soccer season during the fall/summer. Also the characters in this book include the whole Millburn soccer team. Stephanie who is Kyle’s sister and is always up to no good. Then when a new student named Annalisa moves to Short Hills Jonny falls in love with her. Some people don’t find her that nice but she and Jonny have a special connection. Everyone is happy and the Millburn high school soccer team just won the county championship by Jonny scoring the most important goal of his high school career, but that night when they are partying at the “Circle” something happens to one of their classmates that can’t be forgotten and everyone’s lives are changed. This compelling story is told in first person point of view by Jonny.
This book has many strengths, it was very hard to put down. One thing the author does well is using very vivid details to further help your understanding. For example, he does this for things like when Millburn is playing a soccer game. Another, strength is that the author combines soccer and life of a high schooler without making the book confusing.
Additionally, something I liked is the book was very hard to predict what was going to happen instead it took different turns that you would not expect. For example, the ending surprised me when I read it I thought something else would happen. One weakness I thought the book had was characterization because I thought more things should be mentioned about certain characters.
Lastly, I would recommend this book to any high school student even if they don’t like soccer because it is also about what teens are like and how one thing can change a person’s life. It is a more important lesson in the story then just the things on the soccer field. I thought this book was more of a quick read because it is hard to put down. The plot in the story is very interesting and you just want to keep reading it. This book kind of reminds me of Remember the Titans because the football team has to come over so much adversity like Jonny does to become a starter on the soccer field and to be popular. Overall this was a very good book and I would recommend you read it.
August 28, 2017
Very good book. I really enjoyed it because I played soccer in high school, and that is a big part of this story. It is very relatable with high school kids with problems arising that include fitting in and being apart of the status quo. Worth the read if you enjoy these things. There is action from beginning to end. The pages during the big game were especially attention getting. The plot gets more and more intriguing as you find out more about this bad incident that happened at a party.
February 13, 2018
This was a fantastic sports story with conflict on and off the field and an exciting twist at the end.
June 9, 2010
1.0 out of 5 stars I. Did. Not. Like. This. Book. 2 stars (won't work to fill in stars!), January 23, 2009
This review is from: Over the End Line (Hardcover) YA FICTION
That's right -- I didn't like this book. Reviewing it for amazon is hard because to explain my rating I'd have to describe the ending and my reaction to it. In truth, I can't recommend that teens read it except for perhaps shock value -- and still not sure what the moral of the story is supposed to be. Wrongs do not make a right in this case, no matter what the motive. There is no justification for what happened, no matter any twisted logic.
Until the end, the book was OK. Way too much description of soccer -- soccer stars, games, moves, play by play. I suppose if you like that sort of thing in your novels -- say you're a boy on a soccer team -- then you might enjoy the details. The characters were not fleshed out and seemed to be present just to represent the typical picture of jocks and the popular high school kids -- in the woods, partying, drinking and getting high. You know, the ones no one actually likes but the ones that everyone wants to be with in high school, the "in" crowd.
The story moved very slowly building to a climax that ends up being almost unbelievable. This was not a story about friendship; it was a story about misguided revenge and some young psychopaths. I can't begin to say how disappointing and frustrated I was by what the author chose to do with these characters.
I personally was left with a very bad feeling after reading this book and I would not purchase it for my school library. I like the YA literature that I read to have a purpose, and although the author belatedly tries to justify the novel, I didn't buy into it. So much more could have been done to explain what friendship is, and how it reacts in the face of events that occurred in the book. It could have been an opportunity to show teens how do deal with friends who exhibit bad behavior, but it missed its chance and thus -- the mark.
Grade: Fail
Follow up and disclaimer -- one of my students, a 17-year-old male, really liked this book!! So it might have just been me who didn't!!
This review is from: Over the End Line (Hardcover) YA FICTION
That's right -- I didn't like this book. Reviewing it for amazon is hard because to explain my rating I'd have to describe the ending and my reaction to it. In truth, I can't recommend that teens read it except for perhaps shock value -- and still not sure what the moral of the story is supposed to be. Wrongs do not make a right in this case, no matter what the motive. There is no justification for what happened, no matter any twisted logic.
Until the end, the book was OK. Way too much description of soccer -- soccer stars, games, moves, play by play. I suppose if you like that sort of thing in your novels -- say you're a boy on a soccer team -- then you might enjoy the details. The characters were not fleshed out and seemed to be present just to represent the typical picture of jocks and the popular high school kids -- in the woods, partying, drinking and getting high. You know, the ones no one actually likes but the ones that everyone wants to be with in high school, the "in" crowd.
The story moved very slowly building to a climax that ends up being almost unbelievable. This was not a story about friendship; it was a story about misguided revenge and some young psychopaths. I can't begin to say how disappointing and frustrated I was by what the author chose to do with these characters.
I personally was left with a very bad feeling after reading this book and I would not purchase it for my school library. I like the YA literature that I read to have a purpose, and although the author belatedly tries to justify the novel, I didn't buy into it. So much more could have been done to explain what friendship is, and how it reacts in the face of events that occurred in the book. It could have been an opportunity to show teens how do deal with friends who exhibit bad behavior, but it missed its chance and thus -- the mark.
Grade: Fail
Follow up and disclaimer -- one of my students, a 17-year-old male, really liked this book!! So it might have just been me who didn't!!
July 12, 2010
Impressions so far:
1) Not as good as a Chris Crutcher sports-centered novel.
2) The main character is way too interested in how to become popular. He seems to have no other friends than Kyle Saint-Claire, who is one of the most popular kids in school, yet is considered something of an untouchable himself. Not too believable.
3) I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was none-too-helpful in getting me interested in the plot. His narration is too fast, with too little inflection. His attempt at an Italian accent is atrocious (though I doubt I could do any better).
4) On second thought, none of the characters are believable.
5) Way too much concentration on "soccer action!" Too little plot and character development.
All this, and I'm only halfway through.
Upon a little more listening, I have decided that I will quit a little more than halfway through the novel. 23 chapters in, and I still don't care. I have no idea what the point of the book is. I suppose that some "serious" stuff will go down in the final third of the book, but after reading one review, I know what those are, and am not sure there will be a point to me reading it for myself.
1) Not as good as a Chris Crutcher sports-centered novel.
2) The main character is way too interested in how to become popular. He seems to have no other friends than Kyle Saint-Claire, who is one of the most popular kids in school, yet is considered something of an untouchable himself. Not too believable.
3) I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was none-too-helpful in getting me interested in the plot. His narration is too fast, with too little inflection. His attempt at an Italian accent is atrocious (though I doubt I could do any better).
4) On second thought, none of the characters are believable.
5) Way too much concentration on "soccer action!" Too little plot and character development.
All this, and I'm only halfway through.
Upon a little more listening, I have decided that I will quit a little more than halfway through the novel. 23 chapters in, and I still don't care. I have no idea what the point of the book is. I suppose that some "serious" stuff will go down in the final third of the book, but after reading one review, I know what those are, and am not sure there will be a point to me reading it for myself.
July 14, 2009
jonny is on the varsity soccer team, but spends much of the games on the bench watching his childhood best friend, kyle, being a hero on the field. but jonny's been training hard all summer and is ready to get some more time on the field, ready to be invited to the parties kyle is always going to with their popular classmates.
into the autumn, things are going as planned. jonny likes annalisa, who seems to like him back, and he gets his moment in the sun at a championship game. this leads to a party with lots of booze and...you guessed it...TROUBLE!!
up until this point, it's a run-of-the-mill coming of age teen story, with soccer as the main character's passion. but at the end, when trouble comes to find jonny & kyle, it turns into this weird made-for-tv soft-core horror movie. "huh?" you say, scratching your head. "WHAT just happened??" it didn't match the rest of the story at all. still, i think this will find an enthusiastic audience in some teens. it just didn't do it for me.
into the autumn, things are going as planned. jonny likes annalisa, who seems to like him back, and he gets his moment in the sun at a championship game. this leads to a party with lots of booze and...you guessed it...TROUBLE!!
up until this point, it's a run-of-the-mill coming of age teen story, with soccer as the main character's passion. but at the end, when trouble comes to find jonny & kyle, it turns into this weird made-for-tv soft-core horror movie. "huh?" you say, scratching your head. "WHAT just happened??" it didn't match the rest of the story at all. still, i think this will find an enthusiastic audience in some teens. it just didn't do it for me.
October 10, 2011
I thought Over the End Line was an excellent fast-paced book. Boys and girls both will enjoy the soccer games if they play the sport themselves. This isn't a happily-ever-after tale and has quite a bit of violence as well a surprisingly grim ending. As in real life, this book stresses that there are consequences for all our actions, either natural or imposed. When something horrible happens, those sitting on the sidelines looking the other way need to share the blame—especially the adults. I think the story dwells too much on high school pecking order as the main character is so obsessed by it. It would have been nice if some of the other characters had been fleshed out more or we understood what made the adults tick. It is a cautionary tale about alcohol excess and not holding athletes accountable for their behavior because winning is everything. The main character, Jonny, is likeable and I found myself rooting for him during the soccer games and happy when he developed a friendship with the new girl at school. There is the sweet with the bitter.
February 7, 2010
Jonny Fehey loves soccer. He and his best friend and neighbor Kyle are finally seniors and want to end the season with the conference title. Although Kyle is a natural and the team leader, Jonny is constantly training to improve himself and it pays off in the semi-final - he scores the winning point. Elated, Jonny realizes he has made it to the upper rungs of the "ladder" a mythical place in the eyes of Milburn High's students. He is part of the in crowd. At a party with this group Jonny witnesses an event which devastates him and causes him to question his friendship with Kyle. A surprise twist to the story makes everything he has worked for seem futile. It also causes the reader to question the way athletics and star players are regarded in our society today.
July 13, 2010
At first, I thought this was going to be a typical trashy teen novel (it seems all teen novels these days are trashy) with some soccer mixed in, but I got the audiobook for free and decided to give it a go. There was quite a bit of trash in it, but the plot rather surprised me as being much deeper (and darker) than I expected. I'm still not quite sure what to make of the ending, if it was just trying to be shocking or if there was a message behind the madness. I don't necessarily recommend it, but I might if I ever teach angsty high school boys who need sports to get them interested in a book with actual themes.
April 6, 2010
Jonny and Kyle have been best friends since grade school, but when they got to high school their paths diverged; Kyle became the star of the soccer team while Jonny could only manage second string. Kyle got accepted into the elite group that meets at "the circle" to party every weekend, while Jonny stays home. It's senior year, and all Jonny wants to do is get one chance to hang out with the popular kids. When he scores the winning goal in an important match, he finally gets invited to the circle, but what occurs there has consequences even he cannot foresee.
September 6, 2009
This book has a lot of information about soccer including descriptions of practice, training, and intense detailed plays during games. I thought it would be great for all my students that are really into sports, but I am concerned about the language. There is a lot of it along with alcohol, drugs, sex, rape, and suicides/murder. I am not sure this is one I could recommend to my students. It is definitely for a more mature audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2009
Some soccer scenes, as you'd expect, but the social stuff in the background is a huge mess and the ending almost laughably unbelievable. Raw, too. High schoolers and adults, not middle school-aged or younger. The plot is tenuous at best. In fact, the suspension bridge of disbelief doesn't extend this far... Looks like Martino will have to read more Chris Crutcher.
August 6, 2009
The synopsis makes this book sound like it would be a great young adult book about how two friends are trying to get along, and are having trouble. I expected some of the stuff that was in it, but the ending was just sick. Who even writes a book like this? I do not recommend it.
March 19, 2009
As I was reading this I kept hoping for more. Unfortunately, that more never came.
July 19, 2010
Enjoyed this. Good male protagonist. Liked the growth of characters. The ending was creepy; but not too predictable. An easy and enjoyable read.
September 9, 2010
I have this on my iPod and it's not easy for me to find time without the kids around to listen to this. The story is fine, but it is not enough to make me work to finish.
June 30, 2011
I liked this book. It was an assigment in class and this was the book I got. Although it had alot of scenes... It still shows what is going on in the world at teenage years.
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October 1, 2018I thought this book was very good for athletes who are about to enter their teenage years.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews