Winger

Smith, A. (2013). Winger. NY: Simon & Schuster.

Winger is about a fourteen year old high school boy who attends a prestigious boarding school for rich kids. The story revolves around Ryan Dean West and his complicated teenage life. He lives in Opportunity Hall where he rooms with the biggest bully on the rugby team. Ryan is in love with his friend Annie who doesn’t feel the same way about him. Being the new, youngest, smallest kid around, Ryan’s life takes a turn of events with the help of his sense of humor. With his own perception of being a loser, Ryan can’t see the positives he has going for him. He is a great runner, smart, polite and loves to draw. He is a typical teenage boy experiencing sexual frustration as he finds practically every female he comes across attractive or “hot”. The book is suitable for grades 8 and higher, but I don’t recommend it to be read in the classroom. I feel this book can be recommended for individual student reading and for reluctant readers. I believe the strengths of this book lie in its ability to connect readers and having them relate to the protagonist. Ryan had a low self-esteem of himself although others were able to see him as an overall normal guy. Teens developing emotionally may find themselves felling the same way as Ryan and always focusing on their flaws rather than on what they are good at. Reading this book can help encourage those negative minds to see themselves in a more positive light. The sequel to this book will focus on Ryan’s senior year at boarding school. I recommend this second book to readers who love a good laugh.