Rounding Third

Rounding Third #1

by Walter G. Meyer

Rob Wardell is a seventeen-year old who feels like he doesn't quite fit in anywhere--not at home, not at school and not on the baseball field. The small, shy boy stays on the high school baseball team only to please his father since he knows he will never get to play. He's living his life alone until he finds himself drawn into a friendship with the team's new star pitcher, Josh Schlagel. The two boys hit it off instantly; maybe it's because Josh isn't exactly welcomed by the team either. But as Rob and Josh grow closer and start spending more time together away from the field, Rob realizes this his friend is hiding something. The bruises on Josh's body and his reluctance to let Rob know about certain parts of his life have Rob suspicious. When Josh's secrets are finally revealed and become life threatening, Rob and his family must step up to the plate.

Genres: M M Romance, Sports, Abuse, Young Adult, LGBT, Gay, Romance

274 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Difficult review to write.

To Explain, Firstly I loved this book from the start. A clever and thought provoking story with some great light hearted moments mixed with some extremely disturbing realities. Meyer tells the story of 2 lovable characters who are deeply in love with each other, however Josh comes from a family who is blinded by religion and Rob by his own prejudices and fears. Both work to overcome these challenges, however Josh is frequently distant with some obvious demons that he finds powerless to exercise and unable to discuss with Rob. Things finally come to a shocking head and both are forced to confront the issue together.

The reason though I found it difficult to review this objectively was the ending. The story had been building from the first page and was at a crescendo, when all of a sudden it just felt like the air was let out of it and you are left feeling deflated and robbed of a potentially stunning conclusion. Indeed it felt as though the writer had just run out of steam and didnt quite know how to finish the story.

In the Dedication at the end of the Book the writer explains that the story is basically true, calling on his real life experiences, and maybe the ending is more to keep faithful to his experiences, but from the perspective of a reader it just felt as though the huge build up was for nothing. The Story could have been so much more if the writer had just left out the last dozen or so pages.

However, I think it would be wrong to give the Book a negative review because of this as the vast majority of the story was excellent.

[Jason White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! So much I finished it in two days. It's amazing what gay teens go through and I truly hope the world becomes more open and accepting. It really sickens me hearing of the religious bigots who try to cure their sons or daughters. The world needs more people like Rob's family, the baseball coach, Brittany, Jenny, and the rest of the students supporting Rob & Josh.

I talked to the author and he is working on a sequel that is close to being finished. He has a few chapters posted on his website, but I'm going to wait till the book is out. I'm hoping it will explain what happened to Rob and Josh.

He is also a speaker/writer on bullying, which I think is totally awesome. Its nice that this topic is getting the attention it deserves.

[Nikolas Koutsodontis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Στην queer young adult λογοτεχνία υπάρχουν και αυτά τα βιβλία που μπορεί να σου πάρουν μόνο δύο μέρες να τα τελειώσεις, με αρκετό ξενύχτι και συχνό βούρκωμα. Βιβλία σαν το Rounding Third του τρυφερού συγγραφέα και λοατ ακτιβιστή Walter G. Meyer.

Η ιστορία αφορά στη γνωριμία και τον έρωτα δύο παιχτών του baseball: ενός εσωστρεφους και μοναχικού παιδιού, του Rob Wardell, και του νέου σταρ της ομάδας, του όμορφου Josh Schlagel. Οι δύο ήρωες μαζί είναι η συμπύκνωση των εμπειριών που έχουμε τα περισσότερα άτομα στη ΛΟΑΤ κοινότητα: ακραίο bulling, βία που επιβάλλει η κοινωνία αλλά κι εκείνη που έχουμε εσωτερικεύσει, τελικά αρνούμενοι τον εαυτό μας. Φαίνεται, ωστόσο, πως το βιβλίο -φτιαγμένο από εμπειρίες προσωπικές του συγγραφέα, αλλά και εκείνες που συνέλλεξε ως ενεργός anti-bullying ακτιβιστής- πιστεύει ακράδαντα οτι ο έρωτας είναι ένα τυχαίο γεγονός που σε βρίσκει και σε θέλει, αν τελικά επιμείνεις ακούγοντας το ένστικτο σου και πάρεις θέση στη ζωή εκείνου που προτιμάς. Φαίνεται επίσης πως συμβαίνει ως έκρηξη, ως απόλυτα αναγκαία συνθήκη, κόντρα σε κάθε καταπίεση. Έτσι, ο συγγραφέας έχει ως κύριο στόχο του την ολομέτωπη επίθεση στην ενδοσχολική βία και ομοφοβία, ενώ ταυτόχρονα μας προμηθεύει με καλές σελίδες για την δύσκολη διαδικασία του coming out, για την αυτογνωσία, την οικογενειακή ζωή (θυμίζει κάπως το Love, Simon) αλλά και την ωρίμανση των λοατ νέων.

Αυτό το πετυχαίνει δίνοντας ζεστές σελίδες, δραματικά έντονες, όχι ωστόσο υπερβολικές ή υπερφορτωμένες, όπως η Yanagihara στο "Λίγη ζωή". Μεστό ανάγνωσμα, λοιπόν, με εύκολη και φυσική ροή σαφώς καλογραμμένο (από αυτά που λένε οι Αμερικάνοι page turner) και κυρίως αληθινό. Ο Meyer, ακριβώς επειδή δίνει έμφαση στην πλοκή και στα γεγονότα, έχοντας έναν στέρεο αφηγηματικό σκελετό, παρέχει δραματική ένταση και δόσεις σωτήριας παρέμβασης ή θαρραλέας υπεράσπισης του εαυτού. Δεν στοχεύει σε μια ενδοσκοπική ανάλυση του χαρακτήρα με ουσιαστικότερες παρατηρήσεις για τις γνωριμίες, τις σχέσεις, τα ανθρώπινα ελαττώματα, όπως o Aidan Chambers στο Dance on my grave, για να δώσουμε ένα παράδειγμα. Εκεί που σκοράρει αποτελεσματικά είναι οτι επιτρέπει και ανοίγει τον δρόμο ο αναγνώστης να αγαπήσει και να νοιαστεί πολύ βαθιά για τα γλυκά αυτά παιδιά που τόσο υποφέρουν, αλλά και τόσο ορθοποδούν, ενωμένοι μαζί. Στο τέλος του βιβλίου, ωστόσο, μετά από πολλές σελίδες συγκίνησης, αγωνίας, αποτροπιασμού και οργής, ο Meyer μας παρέχει μια ρεαλιστικότατη εικόνα για τις ανθρώπινες ερωτικές σχέσεις, γλυκόπικρη, αλλά είναι και βασικός λόγος που κάνει το έργο του να ψηλώνει στα μάτια του αναγνώστη.

Φυσικά να πούμε κιόλας οτι η ένταση των στιγμών που τα εφηβικά σώματα έλκονται και έρχονται σε αμηχανία ή ένωση κάνουν αυτό το βιβλίο μια μικρή απόλαυση.

Ο αναγνώστης που θα το επιλέξει ας γνωρίζει οτι το βιβλίο έχει στόχο μια άλλη κοινωνία, πιο ασφαλή για μας, αλλά στοχεύει στα σίγουρα επίσης και στην καρδιά. Είναι ένα διαμαντάκι.

[Lena Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I began reading 'Rounding Third' I started to sing the song 'It Gets Better, Better, Better' to Bobby and Josh, since it seemed their lives just kept getting worse and worse and worse. I kept thinking, Where's the cavalry? Why don't these poor boys have more support during this insanity? Surely things have got to turn around soon! Finally, about midway through the book, help arrives. It may sound as if I didn't appreciate 'Rounding Third', but nothing could be further from the truth. I was profoundly affected. At times I read with tears in my eyes, a lump in my throat and my heart pounding. I was so terribly angry, yet I simply had to know what would happen next even though the future seemed dismal.

I was especially impressed by Bobby and how he chose to face up to the abuse rather than letting it rule his life. He worked to incorporate his uniqueness, rather than reject it and listen to the inexcusable messages of distain bestowed upon him for being different.

My heart went out to Josh. He lacked Bobby's self confidence and nurturing, therefore, he had no compass to follow. He wasn't able to defend himself and it almost destroyed him. Unlike Rob who was able to slide roughly, but safely home, poor Josh had struck out before he even got up to bat.

'Rounding Third' is definitely not for casual reading; it's intense and very worthwhile. Its bold message broke my heart, but perhaps that's what's needed. Maybe more hearts need to be broken. More people need to be unsettled because that's what it will take for things to change. Although it will be most appreciated by young gay men, anyone could benefit from reading 'Rounding Third'. It's my sincere hope that many people do.


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One indicator of a fine novel is a set of characters that readers can connect with. Walter Meyer certainly succeeded in creating characters like that in Rounding Third. Rob Wardell and Josh Schlagel are the sympathetic, well-developed, realistic stars of this book, and their joy, sadness, and serious problems tug at the reader's heartstrings and worm their way into the reader's head.

In a number of ways, I found myself identifying with Rob. While I was never on the baseball team or even that into baseball in high school, I was a short(ish), skinny, nerdy kid who was bullied relentlessly for many years. Though Rob berated himself throughout the story for not being "strong enough," I knew early on that he was wrong about that because of my own experiences. Even with his flaws and his weaknesses, he was probably the strongest character in this book because he survived, he rose above abject adversity, and he retained his kindness, his sensitivity, and his clear willingness to help others in need.

The story itself is, to put it mildly, an emotional roller coaster. The traumas Rob and Josh are subjected to are maddening at best, utterly horrific at worst, and the violent bullies in the book are some of the most vile characters you'll ever encounter. A few times, I found myself so angry about what was happening to Rob and Josh that I wanted to yell out loud, and other times I almost burst into tears because the storyline was incredibly heartbreaking.

The major flaws in this book aren't found in the story itself, but rather in the writing. There were a lot of sentences and paragraphs that could have been vastly improved, and some abrupt plot shifts were distracting. Hopefully, the long-awaited sequel will be more carefully edited.

Overall, though, this is a powerful book and a fast, intense read.

[Robert Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is why we have PRIDE. This is a powerful story of love, pain, friendship, family, and growth.

Two teenage boys meet on their High School baseball team. A friendship and relationship form. There’s also hidden trauma. and Abuse, “Christian” hypocrisy, and PTSD. Oh, and a LOT of detailed baseball talk :)

If you can’t handle real gay stories, go back to Disney and Love, Simon. Those can be wonderful stories too, but this is real, and it’s wonderful ❤️🏳️‍🌈

There’s a lot(!) of trigger stuff. The author (and me) is not apologizing for it. It’s there. It’s true. And it happens. But the story is more than that. Much more.

This is a powerful and amazing book. Super well written and I couldn’t put it down. Superb!

[wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself clenching my fists, angry, all throughout the whole reading experience. I cannot seem to grasp the capability of man to harbor that much hate to last a lifetime and yet, there it is, slapped right in your face. I am just angry. No other word for it. Angry that these sort of things happen in the world right at this moment and here we are, doing nothing about it. I mean, sure, things have changed over time, but still to see bigots, ignorants, and bullies get what they want is depressing.

Sure, I've had my fair share of being bullied and publicly humiliated but not to the point of driving me to fear for my own life. I was always able to defend myself, although not physically, but rather I was always able to do and say the right thing to get these people out of my hair. It appalls me that a lot of gay teens wake up everyday feeling like shit and that they don't deserve to live at all. This book has helped me open my eyes further and fight for what's right. This book has urged me to do something that will change the state of things.

This book holds so much power. But it's so sad that it was given a sort of Romeo and Juliet kind of feel to it. A lot of issues were left unresolved and hanging. For me as well, maybe because the author wanted to encapsulate incidents happening in real life and include them in the book, I found a lot of inconsistencies with certain facts and events in Rob and Josh' lives. Transitions in between chapters left me confused at times too because so much has time has gone by already, the story now had gaps and holes that needed to be filled in. Overall, I'd give this 3 stars.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. A very depressing look at being gay in high school. This book has terrible bullying, horrifying physical violence, holier than thou parents preferring to destroy their child's and his siblings lives rather than loving them even if they are "different."

There are some bright and loving spots (the family that takes their gay son's lover in) and even a few hard truths about gays not wanting to be around others deemed to be "too gay" and falling out of love in a gay relationship because one party wasn't the strong and resilient person you originally thought he was and you're tired of the burden. It sounds cruel but its life, and life goes on no matter what. Everyone just needs to keep love and forgiveness in their hearts, not hate.

[Sheeraz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gripped me, disturbed me, and sometimes made me wanna stop because I didn't want to know about some of the bad things that happen to the characters. But I guess it's the mark of the book's success to elicit those emotions. If you think homophobia, bullying, cruel/misguided parents are some of the things you can't stomach then maybe this isn't for you. However, if you are ready to be introduced to the reality of gay youths in some parts of the nation/world, I recommend you read it. Albeit fictional, the book touches on things that happen around us, and hopefully information and awareness can lead us to a better future.

[Randomr · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a wonderful book, and up until the last few pages, I was planning on giving it a 5 star review. And then the ending punched me in the stomach. It may be more realistic than the usual HEA, but to be honest, I don't read books for their realistic ending, real life can be harsh enough as it is. So this is my own problem, I'm aware of that, and I'm happy to see that a lot of people enjoyed the ending. I just couldn't. It broke my heart, and not in a good way. I'm very sorry to say that I can't give it more than 3 stars, because it could have had such a wonderful ending (not realistic, I know, but just wonderfully heart-warming), and it didn't.

[Jon O · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book started like a fairy tale, about a boy falling for his crush and realizing that his interest was returned affectionately by his crush too. But within the happy tale, ugly secrets and disturbing events awaited. What we have here is a book that is written so well, it makes me grinned with happiness when the boys were happy, sad when the main character was in trouble and felt sick to the stomach when the ugliness revealed. A definitely must-read, and in my case, must-owned book. Simply good story-telling.

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason I didn't like this is because it didn't have a happy ending. After everything that happened in this book, I wanted a happy ending. There wasn't here. And that's on me. I know this is YA and that not every couple lasts, etc... But I do like to know beforehand. As well as that, I need a happy ending (it doesn't have to be HEA, but happy!) and when there's not and I'm not warned it's hard.

I think this book will go down better with others, and I know there's a free sequel for anyone who's interested. I just can't go there.

[Dallison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not have a HEA but it was a perfect end for me. Life does not alway have a happy ending and for these two young men, this was the best end for them. Maybe later on in life they may get back together, but Josh needed to move on to heal and Rob needed to move on to grow and live. GREAT YA BOOK.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

The ending was so cruel, made me hate Rob so much. Poor Josh he really deserved a HEA.

[Marty Adkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

powerful

Powerful story. I cried and laughed. I was not disappointed in the ending, but kind of surprised. Very good read!

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn about this novel, which is why it only received 3 stars from me. It reminds me too much of the LGBTQ films of the 80s, meaning the gay characters only suffer from the minute the movie opens until the final moments before the credits. There's no happy ending, there's no peace, and there's no joy or a bright future for the characters. I wanted a book that transcends that message that you can only have a miserable life if you are an LGBTQ teen or adult. I realize this book has some great aspects, but, overall, they weren't enough to balance the unrelenting grimness, sadness, and despair. I also understand that for some this is a reality, but I also know that for many others, it is not and there is a future worth looking forward to. Yes, the two main protagonists end the story still alive and with the potential to experience wonderful lives, but it sure didn't feel that way after 200+ previous pages.

This story is about two teenage boys who play baseball and end up falling in love. That, in of itself, would have been remarkable and would have made a terrific story. Instead, the author piles on self-loathing, religious bigotry that crosses into child abuse, bullying, rape, assault, and so much more. It just becomes too much. It's just one thing after another and, at times, I just wanted to stop reading and pick up a more happier book.

I also only gave this book 3 stars for how poorly edited it is. There are sentences with words missing or misspelled. There's punctuation errors, and other little things that routinely took me out of the story. Who proofread this thing before sending it out into the world? That's unacceptable to me as a reader.

I really tried to fall in love with the book and the characters, and I really wanted to agree with all the superlatives thrown at this book by others, but I couldn't because of the story and the final copy.

[Laura Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding Third is the story of Rob Wardell, a high school senior who feels he’s a misfit, no matter where he is: home, school, or baseball team. He’s suffered years of bullying from classmates and has done his best to make himself invisible to avoid further torment. As he develops a friendship with teammate, Josh Schlagel, a new student with a dark secret, Rob begins to outgrow his childish notions of what it means to be confident. He starts to understand that walking through one’s fear makes the difference between success and failure.

As the story takes a heart-wrenching turn, Rob is faced with a real world test of his new understanding. A life is on the line, and it’s up to Rob to decide whether to take action and damn the consequences, or do the safe thing.

Mayer’s insight into family relations, friendship, and teen angst in general give a view both warm and stark into the workings of small town life. His characters are so realistic, they are bound to make the reader cringe and laugh at turns.

The novel is a poignant demonstration that bullying takes many forms, comes from a surprising number of sources, and isn’t limited to schoolyard fights among hormone-addled youths. It’s a painful reminder of what happens when people decide to segregate a group of others and dehumanize and demonize them by labeling “Them.” In this case, “They” are gay, but could just as well have been women, blacks, Native Americans, or Japanese Americans, as in some of the more shameful points in our history. Bullying affects everyone, and the hopeful message of this novel is that we are not doomed to repeat history. Every one of us has the ability to bring change…if we only choose to use it.

[Nury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahora mismo siento como si hubiera corrido un maratón y me hubiera caído unas veinte veces en el transcurso. No tengo palabras suficientes para explicar el horror y la angustia que me ha hecho pasar Rounding Third, simplemente no puedo. Este tipo de cosas ocurren hoy en día y la idea me hace querer atravesar la pared con el puño. ¿Qué daño hace que dos personas se quieran? ¿Qué daño hace que dos personas en edad de consentir follen simplemente por el placer de hacerlo? ¿QUÉ? No me entra en la cabeza y encima me da pena que estos chicos o chicas se odien TANTO a sí mismos que se sientan merecedores de este horror. Que se odien y tengan tanto miedo que infligen ese dolor. Me parece más increíble que haya gente que vuelva la cabeza.

Esto es real, esto pasa, esto no es una exageración de un escritor queriendo ser melodramático. Los seres humanos necesitan tanto integrarse y ser aceptados que harán lo que sea si la mayoría lo hace. Es sí y críos de 17... peor.

No sé qué más puedo decir, en algunos momentos ni siquiera quería terminar el libro (encima estaba leyendo en una clase de antropología), pero creo que de vez en cuando es necesaria una patada metafórica y ver las cosas como son. Estamos en 2016, gente, es hora de dejar de meternos en quien se lleva cada uno a la cama y empezar a preocuparnos más por que la gente que amamos y apreciamos sea feliz.

He de decir que el final no me ha gustado, no porque esperara una boda de primavera sino porque ha sido muy súbito, muy rápido y no ha habido ninguna patada en los huevos a ningún hijo de puta. La venganza no es todo, pero joder como se disfruta.

[Karla · Rating 2 out of 5]

While some parts of this book were good, the sum of its parts was disappointing. First off, the plot and the story itself were interesting and very compelling. Rob and Josh are both on the HS baseball team and become boyfriends. The book was strongest in the beginning as the author sets up what appears to be a teen romance story. About 2/3 of the way through, however, the story goes in a different direction, that was hard to read. A lot of not happy things were revealed and the story ends up with a sad ending. This would have been okay with me except there were many issues I had with the writing. There were no transitions between scenes. We are dropped into a scene and I was frequently confused. The timeline was sketchy and I was never sure how much time passed. The sad events at the end didn't match the romantic tone at the beginning. The ending is rushed. The entire thing needed a strong editing.
Sadly, I cannot recommend.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the scenes in this book are very hard to read, but it is a powerful and sometimes brutal expression of what it is like to grow up gay in this country. I was not an athlete in high school, so I can’t relate to that part of the lives of the two main characters. I was never beaten up for being gay, but that’s because I was so terrified that I never did or said anything that would let my classmates know. So I can totally relate to the main character,Rob, in this novel. That his approach to surviving high school. The sadistic beatings his partner, Josh, received from his hyper-religious parents were criminal. While I was never beaten by my family [again because they did not know my truth] it was very clear from comments they made where I would probably stand if they did know.
POWERFUL BOOK

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the first half of this book. Rob was discovering truths about himself even if he did get beaten up more that I thought was realistic. But the second half was very hard to read. Josh, Rob's love interest, was terribly beaten and it is revealed that terrible things have happened to him. It was too much for one character to go through and then there wasn't even a happy ending for him. Also the setting was off, it seemed like it should have taken place in the early to late 90s but they kept talking about cell phones and the internet.

[Matt k · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old review::NO NO NO NO. It's good until you figure out that rob is gay. I don't have a problem with that but I do have a problem reading what his sex life is like with his butt-buddy josh.


New Review:: You just have to get past one very descriptive scene, then it turns into a very very very good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even cried while reading it because bad things happen to Josh. You will just have to read it.

[Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on true events, this a very sad book dealing with homophobia and the abuse a gay teen is subjected to by both his family and classmates. It's so sad that people can treat other human beings this way and that the adults who are supposed to protect them often times look the other way.

I wasn't crazy about the ending but definitely a page turner for me.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

wanted to give it 5 stars but was just to disappointed in the ending. Wont say what happens, only that it was sudden and was not given enough time or real warning for me to be able to accept the ending without feeling let down and just unhappy. Felt blind sided after everything the characters went through.

[Eric Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll remember it as a three star story.

The many baseball references and terminologies really threw me off. The midpoint of the book was fantastic but the ending was so abrupt that I thought I was missing some pages. I've been torn over this book since page one. But I feel comfortable leaving it with three stars.

[Viva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book and keeps getting better like halfway through but the ending ticked me off. No spoilers but WTH kind of ending was that?? Like, I get that it was realistic but there's a reason fiction is different from real life. Don't get me wrong, I liked the book a lot, which I think is why the ending ticked me of. But still worth reading.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth in fiction

I bought this and somehow forgot to read it. A couple years went by and I found it in my library. Glad I finally opened the book, wish I’d done it sooner. Honest story that sounds so real. Leaves you emotionally drained as the writing, plot and characters are so well drawn. I read this in one day. I think I’ll find time to re-read it many more times.

[jules0623 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was heading for five stars until about 3/4 of the way through. I wish it had stopped there - it seemed like a quite natural ending. However, it continued on only to be swallowed up by a cliche 80's movie prom moment before just fizzling out unsatisfactorily.

[Jason Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Provides important insight into the kinds of emotional abuse that gay teenagers can be exposed to. I found myself rooting for the protagonists, Rob and Josh, as well as being appalled with the "small town politics" that are harassing them.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a high school love story.

At first I thought it was but as the story progressed, it turned into something darker. It's a good read because of the thrill.