Many complicated things are going on in this book - Jacques' mom died in an accident, and his dad is drinking to forget; his grandmother is struggling to keep her shop; there are new Somali immigrants coming into his small town and his school; soccer tryouts are happening; he's experiencing pressure to assist in drug dealing and theft; girls are suddenly showing up in surprising ways. It's a lot to take in, and yet also very true to many kids' lives -- things are complicated. For all that, Jacques has a strong and kind voice. He's a solid friend and a thoughtful grandson. For all the plot complexities, it doesn't read as high drama, and I wanted it to be a little more enthralling. However, it's a heck of a debut book, and handles those many complexities well. ( )

LOVED this book. Susan Ross's debut novel about a boy names Jacques who lives with his drunk father and grandmere who owns and works at her own Bridal shop in Maine. Somali refugee families are moving in to town and there's a lot of adjustment going on, including Jacques love of soccer.
Jacques lives and breathes soccer and is on his school's soccer team with some of his classmates and while Jacques is almost a shoe-in for Team Captain, a new boy named Mohammad stirs things up a bit. Meanwhile, a bully named Duane decides to make things interesting and puts Jacques' well being in the way of his own personal agenda. How will things turn out for Jacques? Will the cute Somali girl in his class, Kiki, or the adorable Lucy catch Jacques eye? Gotta read this one to find out. Looking forward to reading more from this great new author. ( )

"Eleven-year-old Jacques, who must contend with difficult family dynamics and pressure from an older boy to help him commit a crime, is surprised to discover that he has much in common with Kiki, one of the many new Somali refugees who have immigrated to his Maine town"-- Provided by publisher. ( )