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Game Seven
My name is Julio Ramirez Jr. and baseball is my whole life.
Since he was ten, Julio has lived in the shadow of his famous father. Not just because Julio Senior is a pitcher for the Miami Marlins, but because he fled Cuba to play professional baseball, leaving his Julio and his mother and sister branded as the family of a traitor.
Now sixteen, Julio dreams of playing for Cuba’s national team—until he finds out his father's defection may destroy his chances. When he’s given the opportunity to flee Cuba, he has to make the toughest choice of his life. Can he abandon his family, just like his Papi did? Will freedom be worth the perilous journey and risking prison if he’s caught? Will his Papi be waiting for him on the other shore—or, with the Marlins in the World Series against the Yankees, has Julio Senior forgotten about his son?
Set against the backdrop of the Series on which everything depends, Game Seven is a suspenseful story of loyalty, survival, and baseball.
Since he was ten, Julio has lived in the shadow of his famous father. Not just because Julio Senior is a pitcher for the Miami Marlins, but because he fled Cuba to play professional baseball, leaving his Julio and his mother and sister branded as the family of a traitor.
Now sixteen, Julio dreams of playing for Cuba’s national team—until he finds out his father's defection may destroy his chances. When he’s given the opportunity to flee Cuba, he has to make the toughest choice of his life. Can he abandon his family, just like his Papi did? Will freedom be worth the perilous journey and risking prison if he’s caught? Will his Papi be waiting for him on the other shore—or, with the Marlins in the World Series against the Yankees, has Julio Senior forgotten about his son?
Set against the backdrop of the Series on which everything depends, Game Seven is a suspenseful story of loyalty, survival, and baseball.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2015
36 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
July 23, 2021
Pre-reading for my 12 yr old. Extremely relevant content considering the current border crisis and also what is happening in Cuba. Excellent segue to important discussion for pre-teens/teens. The baseball plot was quite interesting and I found myself anxious to see what would happen. Complicated father/son relationship, and a couple of sexual references that were completely unnecessary to the plot, but otherwise a thought-provoking read. One that I will let my son read, but will be sure to discuss with him afterwards.
November 28, 2023
Overall, I thought this was a really good book. I like how it tied together sports, history and culture. I feel like this is a very age appropriate book for middle school students. I would definitely recommend this book to a lot of middle school boys. I loved following the plot. The author constantly kept me engaged and on my toes.
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May 22, 2019Game Seven by Paul Volponi is amazing, one of the best books written by Paul Volponi. I give this book a 5 out of 5. I had to flip every page just to read what happens next. It all felt so real making me feel like I was a part of the story. I could feel every emotion such as love, hate, and excitement which is what the main character felt.
Game Seven by Paul Volponi is a book about Julio Ramirez and his journey to seek his father, who had defected from Cuba to play for the Florida Marlins, leaving Julio and his family behind. Julio’s dreams were to play for Cuba’s national team but finds out that his father’s defection may have ruined his chances. Julio is given the opportunity to flee Cuba with his uncle and cousin but may have to abandon his mom and sister like his Papi did. Will Julio risk everything to see his father? Does his father still remember his family? Julio will do whatever it takes to see his father
Game Seven by Paul Volponi is a book about Julio Ramirez and his journey to seek his father, who had defected from Cuba to play for the Florida Marlins, leaving Julio and his family behind. Julio’s dreams were to play for Cuba’s national team but finds out that his father’s defection may have ruined his chances. Julio is given the opportunity to flee Cuba with his uncle and cousin but may have to abandon his mom and sister like his Papi did. Will Julio risk everything to see his father? Does his father still remember his family? Julio will do whatever it takes to see his father
May 29, 2019
This book is outstanding. I could feel everything that I was reading and the author wrote. At the end of every chapter the cliff hangers were priceless. It left me speechless, I felt like I was in the book itself. This book made me stay up way later than I should have.
Game Seven written by Paul Volponi is an amazing book about a kid who has a dream to play for Cuba’s national team. It wasn’t just to be on the team it was to be undefeated champions. Julio’s father who had been defected to Florida from Cuba to play for the Miami Marlins in Florida, which is one of the most south cities, leaving Julio and his family in the dust. Julio was given the wrenching opportunity to flee Cuba but may have to abandon his family like his Papi did. Will he do that? You won’t know until you read this outstanding book.
Game Seven written by Paul Volponi is an amazing book about a kid who has a dream to play for Cuba’s national team. It wasn’t just to be on the team it was to be undefeated champions. Julio’s father who had been defected to Florida from Cuba to play for the Miami Marlins in Florida, which is one of the most south cities, leaving Julio and his family in the dust. Julio was given the wrenching opportunity to flee Cuba but may have to abandon his family like his Papi did. Will he do that? You won’t know until you read this outstanding book.
January 17, 2018
Game Seven is a very well crafted story. Julio is arguably the best shortstop in Cuba and he dreams of playing for their National team. But, there's a problem, he may never get the chance because of his superstar pitcher/father who defected and is now playing for the Miami Marlins. When faced with the choice to stay in Cuba and be held back by the government or to possibly attempt defecting to join his father in America, Julio needs to sort through his very mixed emotions and make a decision that will certainly shape his future, for better or for worse.
Set with the Wold Series as the backdrop, a series in which Julio's father is playing a prominent role, this story is a mix of athletics and adventure. There are the highs and lows of the Series and there are highs and lows for Julio and his family. This is more than just a simple "sports story". Volponi makes you root for the human beings beneath the jerseys as well!
Set with the Wold Series as the backdrop, a series in which Julio's father is playing a prominent role, this story is a mix of athletics and adventure. There are the highs and lows of the Series and there are highs and lows for Julio and his family. This is more than just a simple "sports story". Volponi makes you root for the human beings beneath the jerseys as well!
December 27, 2021
Pre-read as a possibility for my son’s literature class. For such complicated themes as political asylum and communism the baseball story line helped bring balance and made it feel like a good beginning for middle schoolers to be introduced to such challenging realities. A few instances of strong language that were unnecessary but overall good.
April 9, 2017
I thought this book was really good and I recommend you read it or give it a try. The book takes place in Cuba and the U.S. the main character's name is Julio Ramirez Jr. and it about is journey in baseball and his life. This book really gets you hooked from the start and it a good read.
April 9, 2019
One theme in this book is that family is more important than fame. Julio's dad leaves Cuba to play baseball in America and Julio doesn't like his dads decision. Julio's dad is considered a traitor by some.
February 8, 2015
#WeNeedDiverseBooks PERSONAL CHOICE.
WOW! I've only attended a 1/2 dozen baseball games in my life, but this book made me fall in love with the game. That's brilliance. The intense action and fast pace is perfect for reluctant readers, and the subject matter will appeal to boys, but is certainly accessible to and will hold the interest of girls.
Paul Volponi is an exceptional writer who creates scenes so realistic that you'll feel the boat rocking and tumbling, the heat pounding, and a baseball smacking right into your glove. Get ready to escape Cuba in a '59 Buick car converted into a boat, catch a baseball at 101 mph, steal a base, kiss the Miami beach as you reach freedom. FREEDOM, I realize, that many of us Americans so easily take for granted.
This is a novel is SO MUCH MORE THAN BASEBALL! It's about a family in Cuba left behind by their father and husband, who defected to the United States while playing for Cuba's national team. For six years the family suffers without Julio Sr., living in poverty, barely making ends meet. Julio Sr,, aka El Fuego, is living the high life as a relief pitcher for the Miami Marlins, a source of pain and pride for young Julio aka Junior.
The younger Julio plays baseball too. Coached by his uncle and cheered on by his cousin, a fellow teammate, Julio is a remarkably gifted ballplayer clearly following in his father's footsteps. But being El Fuego's son has its huge disadvantages, making life painfully difficult. When an incredible opportunity comes to Julio and his family to leave Cuba as defectors/traitors, each person has to decide what they want to do.
There are many surprises and tear-jerk moments in this novel. The descriptions, especially about life in Cuba are so vivid that readers will have no problem envisioning the scenes and understand the antiquated life most Cubans live. (The exception: government officials.) The action is intense and I couldn't read fast enough to find out what was going to happen next, often what was unexpected.
I can't recommend this novel enough. It's a must read, even if you can't stand baseball. It's a must for every library. This is the novel that will keep the attention of those who LOVE SPORTS and HATE TO READ. GAME SEVEN is a game changer in that department.
Without a doubt, this novel is just one more in a line of outstanding novels by Paul Volponi that solidifies his title as the King of Urban YA Fiction.
Thank you to the publisher Viking for providing an ARC to review this novel in exchange for an honest review.
WOW! I've only attended a 1/2 dozen baseball games in my life, but this book made me fall in love with the game. That's brilliance. The intense action and fast pace is perfect for reluctant readers, and the subject matter will appeal to boys, but is certainly accessible to and will hold the interest of girls.
Paul Volponi is an exceptional writer who creates scenes so realistic that you'll feel the boat rocking and tumbling, the heat pounding, and a baseball smacking right into your glove. Get ready to escape Cuba in a '59 Buick car converted into a boat, catch a baseball at 101 mph, steal a base, kiss the Miami beach as you reach freedom. FREEDOM, I realize, that many of us Americans so easily take for granted.
This is a novel is SO MUCH MORE THAN BASEBALL! It's about a family in Cuba left behind by their father and husband, who defected to the United States while playing for Cuba's national team. For six years the family suffers without Julio Sr., living in poverty, barely making ends meet. Julio Sr,, aka El Fuego, is living the high life as a relief pitcher for the Miami Marlins, a source of pain and pride for young Julio aka Junior.
The younger Julio plays baseball too. Coached by his uncle and cheered on by his cousin, a fellow teammate, Julio is a remarkably gifted ballplayer clearly following in his father's footsteps. But being El Fuego's son has its huge disadvantages, making life painfully difficult. When an incredible opportunity comes to Julio and his family to leave Cuba as defectors/traitors, each person has to decide what they want to do.
There are many surprises and tear-jerk moments in this novel. The descriptions, especially about life in Cuba are so vivid that readers will have no problem envisioning the scenes and understand the antiquated life most Cubans live. (The exception: government officials.) The action is intense and I couldn't read fast enough to find out what was going to happen next, often what was unexpected.
I can't recommend this novel enough. It's a must read, even if you can't stand baseball. It's a must for every library. This is the novel that will keep the attention of those who LOVE SPORTS and HATE TO READ. GAME SEVEN is a game changer in that department.
Without a doubt, this novel is just one more in a line of outstanding novels by Paul Volponi that solidifies his title as the King of Urban YA Fiction.
Thank you to the publisher Viking for providing an ARC to review this novel in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2020
I personally think that the book Game Seven was a great book, but the ending could have been way better. The ending wasn't bad as in, it wasn't how I wanted the book to end. The ending was bad as in, it didn't sum everything up. It was almost as if the author put all the focus on the wrong part of his journey. If the author would have focused more on the relationship with his dad after he arrived to America, it would have made it more interesting. Instead of focusing most of the book on how his time was so miserable going across the ocean. The storyline was amazing though, I really enjoyed how he had to fight against not only Cuba but certain characters trying to stop him from his dream as well. This made the book fun to read and a book I would definitely recommend to others.
October 23, 2020
Game Seven tells us the story of Julio Ramírez Jr., a teenage shortstop from Cuba. His father has already defected the country by playing in an exhibition game in Baltimore and leaving the team to get signed by the Miami Marlins. Julio is given the choice to leave Cuba like his father, to find freedom in the United States or stay in Cuba with his mother and sister. It is the hardest choice that he will ever have to make.
Let’s start out with the characters. At first, Julio really annoyed me and I felt like all he did was complain. I had to remind myself that he is sixteen years old and going through crazy life changes. That really put it into perspective for me. I think the characters in this book are greatly realistic and relatable even though they are not all likeable. I really liked Luis, Julio’s cousin, though! Characters get a four out of five.
The atmosphere was like nothing I had ever read before. It was very fascinating and different. I would give it once again a four out of five.
The writing in this novel was not anything great. First off, I am not a huge fan of first person perspective, please keep it in third person. The next thing, I felt like it was very much, “I did this and then I did that.” Just telling and not showing. The writing gets a three out of five.
A story of baseball in Cuba and how difficult it is to go from there to play in the MLB in America? The perfect plot. So many of the players we love and watch have gone through quite similar situations. I just cannot imagine being in a refugee situation. I think more people need to see how hard it is to come into this country, especially from one like Cuba. The plot makes this very much worth the read. That being said the plot gets a five out of five.
There is a downfall in this book though and that is the logic. I find it unrealistic a player around the age of forty would get a contract in MLB and be one of the great pitchers. There were a few other things but I won’t go into all of them here. The logic gets a two out of five.
Intrigue, definitely important. ‘Game Seven’, had me like most baseball series, wanting to know what was going to happen next. Maybe there was a little too much intrigue though. I was not really satisfied with the ending of the book. I think there should have been maybe another thirty to forty pages. Intrigue gets a four out of five.
I did enjoy Game Seven and I think that most fans of the game will too. However, I think you should at least be a casual fan of the sport so that you have a better understanding of what you are reading and know all the calls and positions on the diamond. What is your favorite sports book?
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Check out my blog: https://izzyreads.blog/2020/10/23/gam...
Let’s start out with the characters. At first, Julio really annoyed me and I felt like all he did was complain. I had to remind myself that he is sixteen years old and going through crazy life changes. That really put it into perspective for me. I think the characters in this book are greatly realistic and relatable even though they are not all likeable. I really liked Luis, Julio’s cousin, though! Characters get a four out of five.
The atmosphere was like nothing I had ever read before. It was very fascinating and different. I would give it once again a four out of five.
The writing in this novel was not anything great. First off, I am not a huge fan of first person perspective, please keep it in third person. The next thing, I felt like it was very much, “I did this and then I did that.” Just telling and not showing. The writing gets a three out of five.
A story of baseball in Cuba and how difficult it is to go from there to play in the MLB in America? The perfect plot. So many of the players we love and watch have gone through quite similar situations. I just cannot imagine being in a refugee situation. I think more people need to see how hard it is to come into this country, especially from one like Cuba. The plot makes this very much worth the read. That being said the plot gets a five out of five.
There is a downfall in this book though and that is the logic. I find it unrealistic a player around the age of forty would get a contract in MLB and be one of the great pitchers. There were a few other things but I won’t go into all of them here. The logic gets a two out of five.
Intrigue, definitely important. ‘Game Seven’, had me like most baseball series, wanting to know what was going to happen next. Maybe there was a little too much intrigue though. I was not really satisfied with the ending of the book. I think there should have been maybe another thirty to forty pages. Intrigue gets a four out of five.
I did enjoy Game Seven and I think that most fans of the game will too. However, I think you should at least be a casual fan of the sport so that you have a better understanding of what you are reading and know all the calls and positions on the diamond. What is your favorite sports book?
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Check out my blog: https://izzyreads.blog/2020/10/23/gam...
November 22, 2016
I think the purpose for Paul Volponi writing this book was to tell all the readers who read this book about how much Julio Ramirez Jr. loves the game of baseball. This story talks about Julio living in the shadows of his father until he was ten. In the story “Game Seven” we are told that Julio’s dad left Cuba to play in the Major Leagues for the Miami Marlins. Before he plays for them he is playing in Cuba for the Cuban National Baseball Team as one of the best pitchers of all time. This story is told from Julio’s point of view.
The theme of this book is that you should not worry about what other people do, but what you can do. Another theme is you don’t have to do everything someone else does. Julio is so worried in this book about how much better he can be than his Dad. He wants to play baseball just like his dad, but he is also mad at his dad for leaving his family behind and not taking them with him to America. Julio also wishes to play baseball for the Cuban National Team, but finds out that his dad may have ruined his chances for fleeing the country. Julio has a chance to flee the country to go talk to his dad about it, but feels if he does this he will be just as bad as his father.
The style of the book is narration. Julio tells the story throughout the whole entire book. Julio describes his actions and what he is thinking throughout the the story, which makes the story that much better. I learned a lot more about following your heart and not doing what everyone wants you to do all the time. There’s a point in life when you get to pick what happens next. Before reading this book I really knew I was going to like this book because there was baseball on the front. Baseball is very important to me. I have been playing since I was 4 and have loved it ever since.
Overall, I think this was a really cool book to read. I would highly recommend this book to all sports fans, but definitely to all the baseball lovers. This book reminded me to think about yourself and not worry about what other people think. At times I really felt like I could understand where Julio was coming from in his actions and speaking. This book was really similar to a book I read called “Mudville.”
The theme of this book is that you should not worry about what other people do, but what you can do. Another theme is you don’t have to do everything someone else does. Julio is so worried in this book about how much better he can be than his Dad. He wants to play baseball just like his dad, but he is also mad at his dad for leaving his family behind and not taking them with him to America. Julio also wishes to play baseball for the Cuban National Team, but finds out that his dad may have ruined his chances for fleeing the country. Julio has a chance to flee the country to go talk to his dad about it, but feels if he does this he will be just as bad as his father.
The style of the book is narration. Julio tells the story throughout the whole entire book. Julio describes his actions and what he is thinking throughout the the story, which makes the story that much better. I learned a lot more about following your heart and not doing what everyone wants you to do all the time. There’s a point in life when you get to pick what happens next. Before reading this book I really knew I was going to like this book because there was baseball on the front. Baseball is very important to me. I have been playing since I was 4 and have loved it ever since.
Overall, I think this was a really cool book to read. I would highly recommend this book to all sports fans, but definitely to all the baseball lovers. This book reminded me to think about yourself and not worry about what other people think. At times I really felt like I could understand where Julio was coming from in his actions and speaking. This book was really similar to a book I read called “Mudville.”
May 4, 2017
My name is Ethan Puffer and this is my book review on the book called “Game Seven.” This book was about a sixteen year old, Julio Ramirez Jr., trying to make it big, this would definitely be hard considering what his father did. His father made it onto the Cuban National Baseball team and was able to travel to America for some games, while in the United States he ditched his team and country to find a better life in the Americas. This is the reason it is so hard for Julio to make it the national team. They did not want to put Julio on the team because they were scared what his father had done. It is a hard choice to defect from Cuba and leave your family, newly named traitors, on the hard life of Cuba.
This book for me was not very hard to read, only because it falls in the category of things that I will read; sports, mysteries, and horror. This book was not bad at all. I would recommend this to baseball players any age and people who enjoy sports and reading. I would give this book a 3.5. I wasn’t falling asleep while reading this like I usually do and i was not wanting to skip the reading. I liked how the main character was pretty much the same age as me. I could relate to him in some ways but most of the time I could not.
Julio ends up defected too and leaves his family behind. I agree with Julio and his father on their decisions. I would definitely leave Cuba as fast I could. Cuba is not the best play to live and is definitely not a dream home. Cuba is very cruel and dangerous and probably scary. This is not about the story but my grandpa went to Cuba for vacation once and while in the car on a mountain a bunch of natives tried to attack them with machetes, in the car and were pulling hair and shirts. Finally my Grandpa's friend just ran them over and all was good. This is one reason that I never want to go to Cuba.
Overall, this book was good and I recommend it to a certain audience. I would recommend this to baseball players, sports enthusiasts, and just people who enjoy to read good books. I would give this book a 3.5 star. This book was well written and had a great story line. It was realistic and fun to read. I enjoyed reading this book, I hope you do too.
This book for me was not very hard to read, only because it falls in the category of things that I will read; sports, mysteries, and horror. This book was not bad at all. I would recommend this to baseball players any age and people who enjoy sports and reading. I would give this book a 3.5. I wasn’t falling asleep while reading this like I usually do and i was not wanting to skip the reading. I liked how the main character was pretty much the same age as me. I could relate to him in some ways but most of the time I could not.
Julio ends up defected too and leaves his family behind. I agree with Julio and his father on their decisions. I would definitely leave Cuba as fast I could. Cuba is not the best play to live and is definitely not a dream home. Cuba is very cruel and dangerous and probably scary. This is not about the story but my grandpa went to Cuba for vacation once and while in the car on a mountain a bunch of natives tried to attack them with machetes, in the car and were pulling hair and shirts. Finally my Grandpa's friend just ran them over and all was good. This is one reason that I never want to go to Cuba.
Overall, this book was good and I recommend it to a certain audience. I would recommend this to baseball players, sports enthusiasts, and just people who enjoy to read good books. I would give this book a 3.5 star. This book was well written and had a great story line. It was realistic and fun to read. I enjoyed reading this book, I hope you do too.
December 7, 2018
The story "Game Seven" By Paul Volponi, is a story about a sixteen year old from Cuba. Cuba is still under control of Castro at the time and is a strict regime. Julio (The Main Character) dreams of becoming an "Nactionál" and being the Cuban national baseball team just like his father. "The Cuban National team traveled to play an exhibition in the U.S. I was so excited. Papi promised to bring back lots of presents, like blue jeans for Mama and my younger sister Lola. And Papi said that if he could find a way, he'd bring me a brand-new ten-speed racing bike. I would have gladly settled for a pair of new tires and a chain for my old bike-more than most of my friends' fathers could get for them.Every night Papi was gone. I dreamed about that bike while the stone sat tied inside my glove...The day the team arrives back in Cuba, i was waiting for Papi at home with Mama and my sister. We'd put up red, white and blue streamers-the colors of the cuban flag-along with a big congratulations banner that read, Felicidades! Mama even made papi's favorite dish, fish casserole with sweet onions, green peppers and yellow rice, for our victory feast. But hours dragged past with no Papi and no celebration...It was one of Papi's teammates. Mama let him in, and I could tell by the way his eyes were focused on the floor the news was bad...'In Baltimore, the hotel lobby.' he said, 'El Fuego walked out the revolving door ad git into somebody's car and never came back', 'Defected? Mama asked" (3-4). This passage shows Julio's drive throughout the book. His father ended up becoming a pitcher for the Miami Marlins. With his father defecting it could affect his chances on becoming a Natcionál because they don't want to risk Julio getting away like his father. This passage is powerful because it is relatable to so many people who might not be able to be apart of something because somebody ruined it for them. Julio doesn't want to be the stone tied inside his glove just because someone is scared he might defect.
May 20, 2020
Julio is the best shortstop in Cuba. His father Julio Senior is a pitcher the MLB team, the Miami Marlins. Julio Senior fled Cuba leaving behind Julio, Julio's sister, and his wife. While Julio Senior is pitching in the world series, Julio is trying to prove himself on the field back in Cuba. Julio is currently on the verge of making the Cuba national time, (a very competitive team). The head coach tells Julio how he doesn't know if he trusts Julio because of what his father did (fled the country). Later on Julio and his coach , coaches kid, and a friend of the coaches all flee to America. They successfully made it to America. Julio then gets to meet his father, Julio Senior. Julio is a little disappointed in his Dad for leaving them behind and not sending any money or love to them at all. Julio and the others go to the World Series too see Papi (Julio Senior) play. The Marlins end up winning and Julio is the son of a world series champion.
The author uses a lot of foreshadowing to predict what Julio will do. For example they foreshadowed him fleeing Cuba and meeting up with his Dad. The author also used the literally device, point of view. The whole book was written from the eyes, mind, and experiences from the character, Julio Jr. Julio Jr. was taking us through his journey of baseball, family, and change.
I really loved this book because of how important the game of baseball is in Cuba and how much it is worshiped there. I really enjoyed reading about the up and downs of Julio's journey and how hard he worked to be the best shortstop in Cuba. There wasn't much in the book that i disliked except the fact that they should have went into a little bit more information on the Dad.
The author uses a lot of foreshadowing to predict what Julio will do. For example they foreshadowed him fleeing Cuba and meeting up with his Dad. The author also used the literally device, point of view. The whole book was written from the eyes, mind, and experiences from the character, Julio Jr. Julio Jr. was taking us through his journey of baseball, family, and change.
I really loved this book because of how important the game of baseball is in Cuba and how much it is worshiped there. I really enjoyed reading about the up and downs of Julio's journey and how hard he worked to be the best shortstop in Cuba. There wasn't much in the book that i disliked except the fact that they should have went into a little bit more information on the Dad.
June 1, 2018
Since Julio was ten years old, he has been living in the shadow of his famous major league baseball pitcher father. It is not because his father is a pitcher for the Miami Marlins, it is because he fled Cuba to play professional baseball, leaving his son Julio and his mother and sister together behind in Cuba. Julio is now 16 years old and dreams of playing for Cuba's national team, until he finds out that his father's defections may ruin his chances of even being able to play. Julio gets the opportunity to flee the country, but he hesitates and has to stop and think about his decision that he is about to make. He has to make a choice on whether he should risk it all and illegally flee the country and go to the United States to pursue a professional baseball career, while leaving his family behind in Cuba, or he should stay with his family and support his mother and sister as being the father of the household. If he chooses to flee the country, he risks going to prison for illegally sneaking in to the United States border. He does not know if his father will be waiting for him in the United States, or if he will just get thrown into jail. He thinks his father will forget about him because his father is playing with the Marlins in the World Series. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read sports related books and who enjoys a thriller about a kid that wants to play professional baseball but has to leave his family behind.
January 22, 2019
Sixteen-year-old Julio Ramirez, Jr. is in a delicate position in his Cuban homeland. As the most talented shortstop being scouted, he should be a shoo-in for a coveted position on the Junior Nacionales team, but as the son of a defector to the U.S., who’s now pitching for the Miami Marlins in the World Series, he’s likely to be shut out of his opportunity. Julio and his mother have heard nothing from Papi, nicknamed El Fuego, since he sought asylum in the U.S. six years ago, but now Papi’s brother, Uncle Ramon, breaks the news that Papi has set up a contact who can get Julio, cousin Luis, and himself to Florida and freedom, but they have to leave immediately. With his mother’s hasty blessing, Julio and his two relatives climb aboard an aging Buick converted into a boat and take their chances with the contact, Gabriel, whom they have just met. As they make their way through three days at sea, followed by processing in Miami and transfer to a comfortable apartment complex, they follow the tight World Series on the radio and television, but Julio hears nothing from Papi himself. Julio takes the initiative to finagle his way into the stadium for Game Seven, where he confronts his father and demands answers about Papi’s new life and three-year-old son, even as El Fuego attempts to give total focus to the game. I would recommend this book to people if you like adventure and sport this book takes you on an unforgettable adventure.
April 8, 2020
Baseball is “practically a religion” in Cuba, and Julio’s father was like a Cuban god, an all-star pitcher for the Cuban National Team.But would later on leave Cuba and abandon his family for his own future. He’s a star pitcher for the Miami Marlins. But instead of pride, Julio feels resentment towards his father for abandoning his family to a life of poverty while his dad El Fuego, lives the high life in Miami with his multimillion-dollar contract. Julio’s baseball dreams may not come true because won’t he do the same? Leave like his father did. In a tense and slightly comic scene, he drives to Florida in a green ’59 Buick that’s been converted into a boat. Julio’s reconciliation with his father is handled deftly in its poignant awkwardness, and baseball action is appropriately exciting, though the notion that Julio is allowed to hang out with his father during Game 7 of the World Series is seriously implausible. Volponi wisely shies away from a inspirational ending but does leave room for hope for reconciliation.
In my opinion this was a great book. I really enjoyed reading this because I enjoy reading about things that make me happy in life, and one thing that makes me happy in life is baseball. And what this kid went through with his father is awful and how he overcame it was incredible and inspirational. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys baseball and a good story.
In my opinion this was a great book. I really enjoyed reading this because I enjoy reading about things that make me happy in life, and one thing that makes me happy in life is baseball. And what this kid went through with his father is awful and how he overcame it was incredible and inspirational. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys baseball and a good story.
April 4, 2021
My name is Julio Ramirez Jr and baseball is my whole life. I live it. I breathe it.
Imagine making millions of US dollars to play. Money. Freedom. Baseball. That's the life.
Living in a country without freedom is like being stuck at the birthday party of someone who believes he's much better than you. It doesn't matter that the aorty stinks and you;re having a bad time. You can't leave because there are guys guarding the doors with guns And you'd better sing happy birthday with a smile when the cake comes out, even though you can't have a piece, or else you would wind up in prison.
I stared at the Northern horizon, that distant point where the water and sky touch. I thought about what it would take to reach it. To be in a place where the higher ups in Cuba did not have control over me. Would it be worth maybe never seeing Mama and Lola again? Would it be worth risking my life?
I didn't know what I wanted or where I belonged. I just knew that I had enough.
That's what I want more than anything. To control my own life and not have it dictated by what other people do.
I just hope my next learning curve is about life in the US, not how to shower in prison
Life's always into the future. Never backward.
Imagine making millions of US dollars to play. Money. Freedom. Baseball. That's the life.
Living in a country without freedom is like being stuck at the birthday party of someone who believes he's much better than you. It doesn't matter that the aorty stinks and you;re having a bad time. You can't leave because there are guys guarding the doors with guns And you'd better sing happy birthday with a smile when the cake comes out, even though you can't have a piece, or else you would wind up in prison.
I stared at the Northern horizon, that distant point where the water and sky touch. I thought about what it would take to reach it. To be in a place where the higher ups in Cuba did not have control over me. Would it be worth maybe never seeing Mama and Lola again? Would it be worth risking my life?
I didn't know what I wanted or where I belonged. I just knew that I had enough.
That's what I want more than anything. To control my own life and not have it dictated by what other people do.
I just hope my next learning curve is about life in the US, not how to shower in prison
Life's always into the future. Never backward.
October 21, 2024
The kid Julio Jr, his dad Julio Sr. was a normal dad when Jamie was younger and the dad played baseball. He got so good that he got offered a Major League Baseball contract to play for the Red Sox and now he has a big name for the Ramirez family. Julio has to make a name for himself by following his dad's legacy and footsteps. He started baseball but he wasn’t very good so his dad helped him whenever he could if he was home from playing in the MLB.
So Julio also has a tough time at school since his dad is in the MLB and everyone expects Julio to be also really good at baseball, and after school when Julio gets home his mom is a single mom since Julio Sr. is always gone playing the MLB. When Julio Sr. gets older, his dream is to play shortstop for Cuba's national team until he can go to the U.S. just like his dad did.
Some things I liked about the book was it wasn’t boring from the start like some books get off to a slow start but this book got really interesting really fast, also baseball is my favorite sport so this book was very interesting to me, I also liked how Julio Jr’s dad was a really good player so julio Jr could follow in his footsteps just like Ken Griffey Jr and Sr. I also like how before Julio Sr was in the MLB, Julio Jr’s dream was to play baseball.
So Julio also has a tough time at school since his dad is in the MLB and everyone expects Julio to be also really good at baseball, and after school when Julio gets home his mom is a single mom since Julio Sr. is always gone playing the MLB. When Julio Sr. gets older, his dream is to play shortstop for Cuba's national team until he can go to the U.S. just like his dad did.
Some things I liked about the book was it wasn’t boring from the start like some books get off to a slow start but this book got really interesting really fast, also baseball is my favorite sport so this book was very interesting to me, I also liked how Julio Jr’s dad was a really good player so julio Jr could follow in his footsteps just like Ken Griffey Jr and Sr. I also like how before Julio Sr was in the MLB, Julio Jr’s dream was to play baseball.
October 2, 2016
J. Drew Washam
Mrs. Barnes
English 132
2 October 2016
Mrs. Barnes
English 132
2 October 2016
Paul Volponi "hit one out of the park" when he wrote Game Seven. The book is about 16 year old Julio Ramirez Jr. (aka Jr.) and his journey from Cuba to America to find his father, Julio Ramirez Sr. (aka "Papi"), who is playing in the American World Series. The main conflict in the story is Julio having to leave his mother and sister in Cuba so he may have a better life in America and find his father. The reader can easily tell that Volpani's theme is to entertain. Game Seven contains both humor and a heart-warming ending that pulls at the readers' heart strings.
The central theme Paul Volponi wishes to portray in Game Seven is to forgive someone no matter what horrible thing they could have done. Jr. never really forgave his father for leaving his Cuban family behind to play baseball, and throughout the story he struggles with how he will express his feeling to his Papi. Also, Jr. tells himself and his family he will never forgive Papi because he was in the United States living his dream and making millions of dollars, but forgot about his family back in Cuba. In the end, Julio learns Papi feels guilty for his actions, and Julio forgives him.
The style Paul Volpani uses is description. By doing this, he used time, place, and events to help the reader visualize the situations like they're real life. An example of the use of time in Game Seven is the 2012 World Series, which is approximately mid-October. Example of place that Volpani uses include Matanzas (a city in Cuba where the Ramirez family used to live), the Atlantic Ocean, and Miami. The major events that occur in Game Seven are Julio sailing on the boat to America, Julio falling off the boat and swimming to the shore, him reuniting with his father after six years, and the Marlins winning the World Series.
In my opinion, Game Seven was a great book. I really liked that it was about baseball, as the sport has always been a huge part of my life. I didn't like that so much happened at one time at the end of the book. It seemed like Volpani was rushed to finish the last few chapters. If I had to change one thing, I would have spaced out some of the events in the end. To me it seemed like Julio reunited with his father, and a few pages later the book ended. I was expecting at least some sort of denouement. On the contrary, this was a very unique book that was different than anything I've ever read. All around, this was one of the greatest book I've ever read.January 24, 2018
I very thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I very closely relate to the main character Julio Ramirez Jr. in the way that he is practically addicted to baseball and in love with the game. In the book, Julio's father "El Fuego", the closer for the Florida Marlins, defects from Cuba, meaning he left and moved to America. This sometimes gives Julio obstacles to overcome, because owners of different Cuban baseball teams think he will defect just like his father. Even though he resents his father for leaving, he follows in his footsteps and defects along with his cousin, uncle, and friend of his dad, Gabriel, in a 1957 green Buick. Julio reunites with his father and just like he'd thought, it was a very awkward and tense situation. Julio forgets about his father leaving him and his mom and sister and goes to game seven of the World Series to watch him pitch against the New York Stankees I mean Yankees.
October 18, 2022
The book game seven is a really good book and i would definetly recomend it to anyone that plays baseball. The reason that Game seven is such a good book is because of how realisticly the author described everything. It was a fast pasted book with a lot of details of how Julio lived in Cuba and how bad it was. So he played baseball and was really good like his dad(Wich was a MLB player for Miami). Now he had mixed emtoions on his dad because he left him at birth for the MLB. But he still really wanted to see him so he set sail with his family on a makeshift boat car and made it to America alive.
January 13, 2020
Julio Ramirez is a teenager living in Cuba. He loves the game of baseball and is an amazing player. His dream is to play shortstop for the Cuban national team. Although his talent is there his fathers reputation is the only thing standing in the way. His father defected to America and plays pitcher for the Miami Marlins who are in the world series. When Julio is given the opportunity to play overseas in America he has a hard time making a decision because he doesn't want to betray his family. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who enjoy sports especially baseball.
October 23, 2018
I really liked this book. It was a good mix of sports and real life. The first 70 pages or so were a bit boring, kind of just going over everyday life. Once it go through that it was very attention getting. I thought it was amazing how risky and how awful the journey was for them to get to Florida from Cuba, even though they said it was a great executed plan. It shows how hard it is for people in Cuba to defect. All in all though this was a really good book.
December 11, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Game Seven. There are many themes throughout the book that relate to real life in many ways. Julio, struggling with very mature things as a teenager, including baseball, political issues, poverty and family truly show the hardship that many young people endure growing up. This book is a page turner and I always felt like I NEEDED to know what happened next. Great read and I would recommend!
June 6, 2017
This book full of many twist and turns about a real Cuban scenario kept me interested all the way through. When many of the characters talk about the things that we hear about on the news and see in articles is very catchy. When Julio has to overcome his life long dream with a wild adventure over seas and start a new life he finds out many things that he isn't sure that he wants to know.
November 28, 2023
This is a well-written story about some very relevant topics. After being betrayed by his father who left Cube to follow his dreams, will Julio do the same? The author did a great job with imagery in the book and painting pictures of Julio and Cuba. This book was fast-paced making it an easy read. I will recommend this book to my students who love sports but hate to read.
December 4, 2023
Being an avid sports fan, I had a great feeling about this book before I began. I am very glad it held up to it's standard because this was a great read for sports fans and non sports fans. I loved the intense and fast pace action in this book that really kept me intrigued throughout and loved anticipating what might happen next!
October 9, 2018
This book was the best book ive read in a while. I love to play baseball so this book fits me good. Also I like the story and what it's all about and it is worth it to read the whole book because when he finally gets to his papi it is a cool moment:)
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