The Decisions That Form Destiny

Parker Stanley

Foul Trouble By John Feinstein

     What path would you choose when given an opportunity that many desire? This high school basketball phenom and college recruit ---Terrell Jamerson--- has the basketball ability, but not the proper mindset to make decisions which may hold him back from achieving his dream of playing basketball in his future. In this novel, Terrell Jamerson and his best friend Danny Wilcox are invited to play at a basketball summer camp where the top high school basketball players from all over the country spend their summer playing basketball and competing. At the basketball camp during the tournaments, Danny and Terrell represent their hometown: Lexington, Massachusetts. As a result of Terrell’s outstanding performances, he is always bombarded by reporters and businessmen who are trying to take advantage of him. For example, Terrell and Danny’s coach “jumped backward, as if the card was electrified” (14), when an agent attempts to gain their attention. Coach Wilcox does all he can to keep his players on the right track, but Terrell eventually falls deep into their trap. Terrell will face major consequences for numerous “merciful actions” (62).

     This novel can portray what many high school star athletes go through. Foul Trouble is a novel for those who wish to understand or learn what problems and obstacles athletes face to become successful. While reading, you will find that all the of the characters involved are developed in depth, so you have a detailed understanding of what is happening during each moment. The detail that is provided allows you to picture what the characters look like and how they act as people. It seems as if you are building relationships with these people. Feinstein leaves his reader eager to find out what decisions Terrell and Danny make while on their path to their destiny. I would recommend this story to those who enjoy evaluating the characters on their actions because there are a lot of questionable decisions that are made by a number of characters. Feinstein leaves you unable to put the book down while leaving you thinking one step ahead about what is going to happen on the page.

     In addition to the detailed characters, I personally enjoyed the importance of setting and location that is portrayed through the whole book. Since the beginning of the novel, Danny and Terrell had to be at the right place at the right time. For example, they had time restrictions in the locker room, hotel room, basketball court, and more. If Coach Wilcox’s players were not where they were supposed to be, then they would face consequences with him. For example, when Terrell was with an agent and friends at a party, skipping the team dinner, he was suspended from the tournament for one game. Coach Wilcox told Terrell, “You aren’t playing because you broke the law --for starters--” (76). This shows that basketball is a business, and if you want to be successful, then you must follow schedule and protocol. Overall, I would give this book 5/5 stars and highly recommend reading this novel. In conclusion, if you feel interested in this novel, check out John Feinstein’s website, where he has books for all ages and novels similar to this one.