Fast Break

by Mike Lupica

Forced to live on his own after his mom dies and her boyfriend abandons him, 12-year-old Jayson does whatever it takes to get by. He will do anything to avoid the foster care system. Besides, his real home has always been the beat-up basketball court behind the projects in the North Carolina hills, and his family has always been his friends and teammates. He manages to get away with his deception until the day he gets caught stealing a new pair of basketball sneakers. Game over. Within a day a social worker places him with a family from the other side of town, the Lawtons. New home, new school, new teammates. Jayson, at first, is combatative, testing the Lawtons' patience at every turn. He wants out, yet the Lawtons refuse to take the bait. But not everyone in Jayson's new life is so ready to trust him--and even Jayson's old friends give him a hard time now that he's attending a school full of rich kids. It's on Jayson to believe that he deserves a better life than the one he once had. The ultimate prize if he can? A trip to play in the state finals at Cameron Indoor Stadium–home to the Duke Blue Devils and launching pad to his dream of playing big time college ball. Getting there will be a journey that reaches far beyond the basketball court.

Genres: Sports, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Basketball, Childrens, Fostering

272 pages, Hardcover

Published November 3, 2015

About the author

Michael Lupica is an author and American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.

Reviews

[Keller_E1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast Break

I really like this book Fast Break, it is about a boy named Jayson whose mother dies and is left to fend for himself. Jayson is eventually found and sent to a home. I cannot relate to a lot of this but in the basketball camp I went to many of these kids lives were like this. A lot of them had young moms and never knew their dads. One roommate story my roommate told me was when he got in fights on the way back from school. There were also many stories about gangs and which one their parents were in. I think the book can relate a lot to these kids in rough areas.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the journey that Jayson went on in this one. He was basically a good kid, one who was in a bad situation doing the best he could. I fully believe that he wouldn't have stolen anything had his family life been better. It was nice that he had basketball to escape in, it ended up being his saving grace.

I didn't really like the Jayson that found himself at the Lawton's, he had a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder. It was only as that chip shrunk that Jayson became more interesting. I liked how he let people in, how he realized that just because his life changed, it's still his life and he shouldn't feel bad for his past because it's in the past.

[PaulL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always have trust and in the end trust will have you

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Review
I really enjoyed reading Fast Break by Mike Lupica. It showed how someone, like Jayson, can go through so much hardship at such an early age and still make it and be happy. I also liked the basketball side of things and how Jayson's team didn't just accept him right away because he was good. The only part of the book I thought was kind of fake was when Jayson had a new family only a couple hours after he tried to steal the shoes.

Plot Summary
The book starts with Jayson living alone after his mom had died, and her boyfriend left. Jayson needs to steal stuff from stores just to have food everyday. One day, he decides to try and steal some basketball shoes. He gets caught stealing and is sent to child services. He finds a new family right away and moves in with them. At first, he doesn't like his new family or new school. However, over time he starts to fit in more, and his basketball team makes it to the championship at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Characterization
Jayson changed a lot throughout the book. At first, he was very independent and didn't trust anyone. As the book progresses, he slowly lets his guard down and actually talks to his parents. He ends up telling his friends everything that happened to him, something that he would not do when he first moved to his new school.

Recommendation
I would recommend this book to a lot of people. First, I would recommend it to any basketball fan because a lot of the basketball stuff in this book is similar to what playing basketball on a team is like. I would also recommend this book to anyone in general. I think this is a good book for anyone to read because it shows how you can be at such a hard part of your life and still make it out okay.

[Anna Walston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a boy named Jayson who loved the game of basketball. He had been living by himself for a while because his mom had died and her boyfriend left him. He was caught stealing shoes and was sent to stay with a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lawton. He had to change schools, friends and the town he lived in. I think the theme of this book is to be thankful for what you have. Jayson had lived a very tough life when he was young. He had no one to care for him and he lived off of stealing food. Then he moved in with the Lawtons and they cared for him. For the most part, Jayson was very ungrateful for all that they did for him. By the end of the story, Jayson noticed how lucky he was and was so grateful for them.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is very uplifting and it will help you think about how thankful you are for your friends. It will also help you feel for all of the kids who have lost everything and both of there parents. This book is about a boy who loses his family and is in the middle of the Projects. He is a basketball player. Then one day he tries to steal shoes from a store the guy from the store catches him and takes him in. At first he hates then he doesn't care for it because his new family is rich. I rated this book five stars because it has all the aspects of a good book uplifting, problem, and new sitiuation

[Nicholas Horcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Fast Break the main character is 12-year-old Jason he is forced to live on his own after his mom dies and her boyfriend abandons him. He will do whatever it takes to not go into a foster care system. He gets away with living alone until one day he gets caught stealing a pair of sneakers. That same day he was sent to a new family on the other side of town the Lawtons. With his whole world now upside down he must turn to the only thing he knows basketball. With his new school, family and team will Jason be able to make it and win the state finals at Cameron Indoor Stadium and start his huge college career.

[Jake Voss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast Break was an amazing book on how the main character, Jason changes his viewpoint on life, while two parents named the Lawsons take Jason in to their home to help him grow and get back on the right track after living alone, his mom having died towards the beginning of the book. Jason wants his ticket out of his poor life to be his incredible talent at basketball. He is constantly working to improve his game, but plays angry at the world. His new team helps him grow to be a better team player, and not to play angry. I personally liked this book, and I would recommend it to others.

[Caden Bernardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was about a kid named Jayson who had a passion for basketball but was sent across the town in North Carolina to play for a rival team while living with new foster parents. He tries out for this team and when he gets notified he has made the team he ends up not enjoying the team as well as his coach and new foster parents. He then makes a friend named Zoe, who is a star soccer player. Jayson handles his adjusted life and new schedule very well, and it taught me a lesson on how to keep composure and give it time to make new friends with a new change to his life

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75

Very glad I finally picked up another Mike Lupica book. I really liked the storyline of this book, it was one of the more interesting one from Mike Lupica’s. However, my problems lie in the fact that the main character was very unlikable (unlike Lupica’s other protagonists) and an important aspect of the story was left very unresolved in my opinion. Still, I had a good time reading this—I started and finished it in one day!!

Update-I read another review on this book and realized another aspect of the story was completely forgotten about. I’m kind of annoyed about that.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an okay book. I don't really have anything else to say. :)

[Jaelyn Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

its about basketball so of course this book was litty

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book, not just about sports. Actually quite emotional.

[Cody_G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any Sports Lovers Dream
Mike Lupica’s novel Fast Break is about a poor basketball player who has to survive on his own while doing the only thing that makes him happy. After his mom dies, he is forced to live on his own and will do anything to avoid foster care systems. With little food, he has to steal bread and peanut butter to not starve.
12-year-old Jayson Barnes, also known as “Snap” lives in a run-down building called the Pines, in a poor part of Moreland, North Carolina. Jayson was embarrassed and “wanted things back to how they were before.” Jayson’s mom died at the start of 7th grade, and his dad left, saying he would never come back.
Everyone knew Jayson was an amazing basketball player and that he lived in the Pines, but no one knew his biggest secret… He depends on basketball to forget about his life, especially his mom. Jayson was embarrassed to wear his worn-out shoes that are so small he has to cut a hole in the toe and thought he could steal some nice basketball shoes. Jayson has always laid low and never gotten caught, until he, “feels a big hand on his shoulder.” Will he get what he never wanted… A new family, new home, new life?
I think that this book is trying to say that no matter how hard life is, you can still do what you love to do. Also, I think it is saying that family is really important. Lupica blends real-life emotion and drama with actual sports action, which makes me like this book so much. Kids and young adults would like this book, especially basketball players like me. Not only is this book filled with action-packed basketball, but it makes me feel grateful for what I have.
The author, Mike Lupica, is the author of many sports books like this one. He has been called, “The greatest sports writer for middle school readers.” I would give this book 5 stars because it is the best sports book I have ever read and it was very meaningful to me.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast Break by Mike Lupica is about a twelve year old boy named Jayson. His mother died and he's been living on his own in a rundown apartment in a rough part of town. He spends his days playing basketball until one day he gets caught trying to steal a pair of sneakers from Foot Locker. After the incident, Child Protective Services sends him to a foster home where he tries to adapt to being with a new family and school. At first, he has a hard time with the foster family because they have money and give him whatever he wants. They are trying to make him feel welcomed and loved but, he just wants them to treat him the way he is used to living.

I personally enjoyed the book because it is very realistic. The details are very informative about what Jayson is experiencing in his life. I can relate to Jayson when he says he feels at home on the basketball court because I feel the same way about the soccer field. I don't like the fact that a twelve year old boy was living by himself because his mother died. It was quite sad that she died from the use of drugs. I would change the part of the story where he lives alone. I am a year older than him and can't imagine living alone. It is a lot of responsibility for such a young kid.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sports related books. I also liked the author's style of writing and would recommend Mike Lupica to others as well. The story is also good for those who like a dramatic story of loss and perseverance.

[Brett Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that I read was Fast Break by Mike Lupica. It is about a kid named Jayson whose mom has just passed away and her boyfriend left him out to dry. Jayson is twelve years old and he is living on his own. He is trying to avoid the foster care system because he does not want a new family. This book is good for sports fans because it is a sports themed book. The book is basketball themed so any sports fans that enjoy basketball would love this book. The author's theme of the book represents a kid in hard times growing up without parents and having to go to multiple foster care homes. He is referencing kids who have to live their lives with different families and constantly moving to new schools and meeting new people. He depicts the struggles a kid can have when moving to a new city and a new school. He describes the hardships of Jayson always being the "new kid" at school and how a new kid can usually be bullied. The author writes about how a new kid can make a comeback by joining a sports team, and in the case of this book, a basketball team. Jayson would get a chance to play on his new school's basketball team. Jayson represents kids across the country who start on the bottom and battle their way up the popularity chain by always grinding it out and practicing what they love. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves basketball and a good story about a kid who grinds his way to the top.

[Benjie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a boy name Jayson who likes to play basketball and his good at it. His mom died and his mom's best friend Richie left him and now his living alone. He steals food to live because he doesn't have money. He tried to steal a pair of basketball shoes but someone caught him stealing and Ms.Moretti got him and sent him to a parent to take care of him. He plays with his new team in a new school and he met a lot of people mostly his basketball teammate and met a girl that he likes. He still goes to his old friend but on a basketball game, he treated them like an opponent. He doesn't really want to live with his new parents and his new school but he made a choice to live with them and his trying to want to live with his new parents. I think this book is good because it makes me feel how hard jaysons life is and i like it because it makes me feel sad about his life. I think this book is good because i like playing basketball too as well as jayson like playing basketball. I think i like this book because I can feel how he is having a hard time living with a parent that he doesn't know.

[Anthony Huerta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book, I really like how in the beginning it talks about how Jayson Barnes doesn't have much money and can't afford to get a haircut or new shoes because the ones he has shoes that don't fit him anymore but he is still a really good at basketball. "He just needed to get away from his life, from going to bed hungry, from keeping his hair long because he couldn't afford to go get it cut, from wearing sneakers that shames him- because sneakers could, in basketball, when they were too old and too dirty and too small. And his friends wondered why he played mad, why he was always up in somebody's chest," (Lupica, pg.4). So it is showing how you don't need fancy shoes to be good at something as long as you work hard and are good there is no shame in having less money than others because if you are talented you don't need anything fancy. This would be a great book if you like reading about sports and if you believe money isn't everything.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to an audio version of this book. It was well read with the representing each character well. This was a well written story of a boy who is from the more impoverished side of town and is a gifted basketball point guard. His mother dies and he ends up in a Doctor and his wife's home under Foster care in a affluent neighborhood. He is a conflicted soul as he misses the familiar and feels trapped in his new life. Soon his two worlds collide on the basketball court as his new team plays his old team. His new coach handles him well. His Foster parents also help him through his turmoil. But in the end he must decide where he will best fit as he brings his team to victories and blames himself for defeats.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jayson is a young boy who lives in Moreland where his mom just died and he lives by himself in a very bad part of his town. Jayson is really good at basketball and he plays every day with his friends at a court they call the Jeff. Jayson is so poor that he needs to steal food to live off of, his basketball shoes don't fit him either so he tries to steal new ones. When he steals them he gets caught and has to tell his story and then has to go and live with new foster parents. He goes to a new school and meets a few basketball friends but nothing else. He helps the team and gets them all the way to the city championship.

[NicoS. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast break is a great book about how basketball could be the key out of Jayson's struggling life. Jayson starts off poor, living in the hood. His mom dies early and he is forced to live alone. He always admired playing basketball. One day he went to footlocker and got caught steeling a pair of Lebrons. He was caught living alone and sent to go live with Ms and Mr Lawson on the other side of town. It was a hard transition for him but he changed schools and meet a girl named Zoe that he liked and he was fitting it. I suggest this book if you like basketball books or if you like intense life books. I enjoyed this book

[Kyle Muhlenkamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave "Fast Break" a 4 out of 5 star rating because it was a very good book but it could get confusing at some times. I would recommend this book to kids from 5th to 8th graders. This book is about a kid named Jayson and his mother died and he now has to live on his own. Jayson is the best basketball player on his team. Jayson and his teammates are expected to win their tournament and go to Cameron Indoor Stadium and play. This is until Jayson gets caught stealing shoes and is stuck living with foster parents. Now Jayson has to play on a new team and a new town. Jayson hates being here and wants to move back. Maybe Jayson will change and he and his new team will find a way to win.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lupica always does a great job of balancing sports and life in his books, which means his stories appeal to a wide variety of readers. This one combines basketball with issues of poverty, foster care, anger management, and being good teammate. I was a little disappointed that several story lines never went anywhere (what happened with the Lawton's son, Jayson's friendship with Zoe)--I think I would have enjoyed the book more if they had come to some sort of resolution.

[Vian Selvanathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Jayson who is an orphan who is the best basketball player in North Carolina. One day he gets caught by child protective services and is moved to a new home on the other side of town. New friends, New basketball team. Jeffrey needs to put his past behind him to survive on the court.

[Jericho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Barnes mom died and he had to live with his step dad but moved out. He stole shoes because he couldn't afford a pair of shoes, he always suffer to find his own food everyday. I liked reading this book because it's so intense every chapter. It fluences me to work hard and practice to suceed.

[Preston Pfeiffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was good , it was about a kid who was really poor and his mom went from boyfriend to boyfriend after his dad left and then something happens that had to make him live on his own. If you really like books about basketball then this would be a great book for you.

[Harmony Key · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for you if you like basketball and drama. Jayson is a very strong and independent character. Throughout the book Jayson has to learn how to work with others and accept help. I really recommend this book. I hope you like it!

[AlmightyKayv]

itsa great book

[Giovanni 8/9]

I thought that this book was really good. It got me intrested into what would happen next. It was about basketball and how the main charactor was good but his mom died and it changed his world.

[Brayden 8/9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for basketball people because when you start reading about Jason and about his life problems it catches your attention as soon as you start reading it book.