Payback Time by Carl Deuker 298 pages

And now a book for male readers... Deuker has specialized in teen sport novels with a little darkness. This does not start out like your typical sports story. It is told from Mitch's point-of-view. Mitch has zero interest in sports because of his size - short and round. His goal is to become a top notch investigative reporter. He loses the chance to become editor (he believes it was a popularity contest) and the new editor assigns him the sports pages. At first he thinks that he would rather resign, but then he realizes that the editor's perception is right; the sports pages are the most read sections of the school paper. She also tells him to work with a cute photographer. Before you know it, Mitch is working out trying to lose weight (to impress the cute photographer) and he thinks that he has uncovered a hot mystery about a new football player, Angel. Needless to say, I like the story a lot more than the play-by-plays; I skimmed the last "game" to reach the exciting conclusion. Mitch and Kimi are a likeable couple. The "mystery" is full of holes.