Next (D-Bow High School Hoops)

YA novelist Kevin Waltman tosses NEXT into the air at mid-court to kick off a three-part series about a rising high school basketball star, and comes smashing back to the floor with a strong first possession. In NEXT, Derrick Bowen is a 6’3” freshman at Marion East, a rough-and-tumble high school in inner-city Indianapolis where basketball reigns supreme and academics lag. As the star of his middle school team for the past two years, Derrick --- or D-Bow, as his friends and family know him --- knows the meaning of hard work, but he still expects to lock down the starting point guard spot on the varsity team.As the season begins --- and progresses --- with D-Bow still playing as a reserve point, he must make a difficult decision: stay at Marion East and continue working with a tough coach who won’t accept his potential, or transfer to Hamilton Academy, the rivalry high school with a dynamite team and a coach who’s grappling at Derrick’s feet.Waltman is in his prime while writing scenes of sports action, using powerful imagery and basketball lingo to transport the reader from the comfort of his or her respective couch to the cold, metal bleachers of the Marion East gymnasium. Although the basketball jargon and terms may not appeal to non-sports fiction fans, Waltman sets a pace for NEXT that is both compelling and addictive. As a protagonist, D-Bow is a complex and thoughtful teenager trying to juggle his love for basketball with family woes and girl problems. NEXT concludes, fittingly, at the end of Derrick’s first season on the Marion East varsity team. Throughout the course of the novel, Waltman made many plays, so to speak, to capture the reader’s attention, but his greatest tactic leaves the reader flipping the last page with an eagerness for the second book. It’s almost as if Waltman is heading into the locker room after the second quarter of a basketball game; with an impending half to go. Waltman is on top, but the reader can’t be certain which way the game will go from here.Reviewed by Heather Sieve.

This book is great book for any young athlete trying to play on any sports team with older kids, or even a kid who doesn't feel accepted on his or her team. This book is about a kid who is called D-bow, but his real name is Derrick Bowen. He is trying to make the varsity basketball team as freshman. As he is growing every body tells him he is great and even has a shot at the NBA, but his high school coach thinks D-bow has a lot to learn. D-bow is a great player but at times is way to fancy for his old time coach. Besides his coach he battles with teammates like Starks who don't want a freshman taking their spot. Throughout the book you see D-bow striving to be the best he can be and battling to make the team and even the starting lineup. Later in the book D-bow's uncle tries to push him to a private rich school across town who is known for basketball. The coach across town has guaranteed him a starting spot on the team and his whole family jobs at the school like his uncle being a assistant coach. Not only is this a sports decision but now its family and money thing. This becomes a tough decision for D-bow, stay and fight to win with the average guys around him or move schools across town to win championships, be recognized by scouts and help his family financially. See how d-bow overcomes teammate position battles and his coach in the great book next. can his team win it all? Where does Derrick Bowen Bowen end up going? Does he move ship across town for all the perks? Will he ever make it to the NBA? Read the book to find out, you wont be disapointed.

I will admit that sports books are outside of my comfort zone. I'm a vampire and alternate reality type of girl, but I will say that Waltman's Next: D'Bow's High School Hoops drew me in with great dialogue and the kind of break-neck action that has you waiting on the end of your seat and skipping to the next page to see what will happen next, and this is despite my little knowledge of basketball terminology, and that's saying quite a bit. I was four chapters in before I figured out a "bucket" was a good thing.Derrick Brown is the next rising start at Marion East High, the struggling inner city school on the wrong side of town. His coach is hard on him, mostly because he can see potential, but Derrick bristles. When Hamilton East, the preppy private school in the "nice" part of town comes calling Derrick can't help but listen, especially when they thrown in a few perks to sweeten the deal, but after a full season of sweat and tears with his team can he just transfer and turn friends into enemies?You can kind of get an idea of what Derrick will choose early on, but it's a nice ride and it's a quick pick for anyone who is interested in basketball. What's also great is that while the dialogue is completely on point there was no effort to dumb down the content for the reader. This is a mistake that I see too often with sports books and books targeted for boys, especially boys of color.Pick it up!

Characters are believable and It's as if you are right there in the action. If you love basketball you will love this book.However it is easy for non basketball fans to follow as well.Great read.