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Nodd's Ridge
One on One
Sam and Deanie, a mismatched pair of teenagers, engage in a long-shot love affair that leaves both with more than they bargained for. By the author of Pearl. Reprint.
528 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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About the author
Tabitha King
33 books642 followersTabitha King is an American author. She is married to author Stephen King and is the mother of Joe Hill, Owen King, and Naomi King.
King was born Tabitha Jane-Frances Spruce in Old Town, Maine to Raymond George and Sarah Jane White Spruce and is one of eight children. Her primary education took place at St. Mary’s Grammar in Old Town, from which she graduated in 1963. She then attended John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor until 1967, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in history in 1971 from the University of Maine in Orono.
King was born Tabitha Jane-Frances Spruce in Old Town, Maine to Raymond George and Sarah Jane White Spruce and is one of eight children. Her primary education took place at St. Mary’s Grammar in Old Town, from which she graduated in 1963. She then attended John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor until 1967, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in history in 1971 from the University of Maine in Orono.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
June 16, 2021
I think I read all of Tabby's books in the 90's, but it was before GR and I don't remember much about most, so recently ordered copies of all of them. I want to protest the fact that some of her books are out of print and were not that easy to find. This and two others were only available as "retired" library books. This is a travesty. I am actually angry on her behalf.
I want to point out, first of all, that this book was littered with typos. This is not the writer's fault. Dutton published the book and it was their job to get it copy edited. What the hell? They didn't care enough to hire someone to do a good job? I can overlook one or two. It happens. But I stopped counting at 23. TWENTY THREE typos in a professionally published book. Back to the fact that this book is out of print. This book is phenomenal. The reviews here on Goodreads support this. Clearly Dutton didn't publicize it enough. Let's forgive them that ridiculous mistake. I know that YA was not really a thing in 1993, but it damn well is now. They are missing a golden opportunity to reprint this book in an affordable Mass Media Paperback and market it as YA. They could even make use of the idea that the book was written 30 years ago and is as relevant today as it was when published. They missed a very profitable boat!
Now the story. I played a little basketball in middle and high school. Tabby knows the sport. Inside and out. Front ways and back ways. The descriptions of practices and games are breathtaking. They are realistic and accurate, do not talk down to the uninitiated and are thrilling despite being long and mostly play by plays. She infuses emotion and mood into the descriptions and I think even those who know nothing about the sport will be swept away.
The relationship between Sam and Deanie, the main characters, is beautifully built. They are one of those mismatched pairs that work not despite their differences, but because of them. There is very little sweetness and light in their story, but what is there is told in such a way that the impact is far greater than it would be if King had written a traditional romance. Knowing some of what I know about her, she is no shrinking violet herself, knows what she needs and wants, and is willing to go about the hard work of getting it. Her characters do the same. Because she is writing what she knows it comes across as very believable and genuine. Truth oozes from the pages. Even, if not especially, the ugly truth.
The book opens on a night of revelry and we are given a glimpse of Sam being reckless, a bit irresponsible and celebratory in a way that is very out of character for him. It may seem odd to introduce a character like this, but it's actually genius because King then uses the rest of the book to show us the real Sam. I love Sam. How could you not?
Deanie, AKA "The Mutant" is introduced and described throughout with very little insight. We are seldom told how she is feeling, or what she thinks, and yet King shows us in undeniable ways. Showing instead of telling is one of King's strengths. Deanie's life is hard and hurtful and instead of writing a pity party, King decides instead to tell it like it is, show us Sam's reactions and allow the chips to fall where they may. As readers we become more deeply invested because we are forced to really think about what Deanie means by her words and actions. Just like real people, Deanie and Sam seldom say what they mean, do what they really want or wax poetic about love. People rarely do and King knows this.
The one flaw, and the beauty of the rest of the book more than makes up for it, is the epilogue. I could have done without it. I am not a reader that requires a neat, tidy ending. I am happy left to ponder what I think happens after the last page. The epilogue here attempts to make straight and even edges of Sam and Deanie's lives. Almost as if King was told to add it. I didn't need it. This is a very small mistake in what is otherwise an ocean of all that is good about brilliant writing. I can skip the epilogue when I reread, and I WILL be rereading.
I want to point out, first of all, that this book was littered with typos. This is not the writer's fault. Dutton published the book and it was their job to get it copy edited. What the hell? They didn't care enough to hire someone to do a good job? I can overlook one or two. It happens. But I stopped counting at 23. TWENTY THREE typos in a professionally published book. Back to the fact that this book is out of print. This book is phenomenal. The reviews here on Goodreads support this. Clearly Dutton didn't publicize it enough. Let's forgive them that ridiculous mistake. I know that YA was not really a thing in 1993, but it damn well is now. They are missing a golden opportunity to reprint this book in an affordable Mass Media Paperback and market it as YA. They could even make use of the idea that the book was written 30 years ago and is as relevant today as it was when published. They missed a very profitable boat!
Now the story. I played a little basketball in middle and high school. Tabby knows the sport. Inside and out. Front ways and back ways. The descriptions of practices and games are breathtaking. They are realistic and accurate, do not talk down to the uninitiated and are thrilling despite being long and mostly play by plays. She infuses emotion and mood into the descriptions and I think even those who know nothing about the sport will be swept away.
The relationship between Sam and Deanie, the main characters, is beautifully built. They are one of those mismatched pairs that work not despite their differences, but because of them. There is very little sweetness and light in their story, but what is there is told in such a way that the impact is far greater than it would be if King had written a traditional romance. Knowing some of what I know about her, she is no shrinking violet herself, knows what she needs and wants, and is willing to go about the hard work of getting it. Her characters do the same. Because she is writing what she knows it comes across as very believable and genuine. Truth oozes from the pages. Even, if not especially, the ugly truth.
The book opens on a night of revelry and we are given a glimpse of Sam being reckless, a bit irresponsible and celebratory in a way that is very out of character for him. It may seem odd to introduce a character like this, but it's actually genius because King then uses the rest of the book to show us the real Sam. I love Sam. How could you not?
Deanie, AKA "The Mutant" is introduced and described throughout with very little insight. We are seldom told how she is feeling, or what she thinks, and yet King shows us in undeniable ways. Showing instead of telling is one of King's strengths. Deanie's life is hard and hurtful and instead of writing a pity party, King decides instead to tell it like it is, show us Sam's reactions and allow the chips to fall where they may. As readers we become more deeply invested because we are forced to really think about what Deanie means by her words and actions. Just like real people, Deanie and Sam seldom say what they mean, do what they really want or wax poetic about love. People rarely do and King knows this.
The one flaw, and the beauty of the rest of the book more than makes up for it, is the epilogue. I could have done without it. I am not a reader that requires a neat, tidy ending. I am happy left to ponder what I think happens after the last page. The epilogue here attempts to make straight and even edges of Sam and Deanie's lives. Almost as if King was told to add it. I didn't need it. This is a very small mistake in what is otherwise an ocean of all that is good about brilliant writing. I can skip the epilogue when I reread, and I WILL be rereading.
July 27, 2011
This is considered adult fiction, but has one of the best ever young adult love stories in it set against a backdrop of high school basketball. I read it one spring just after it came out and both the NCAA and the NBA championships were over and I was in basketball withdrawal. The hero is dyslexic and has a crazy mixed up family of a loveable sort and the heroine is one of the most complex and screwed up - think Raeanne from "My So-Called Life" but wayyyy more messed up and way more, well, pierced. I LOVE this book and wish it was still in print and more accessible. Look it up on B&N's site and request the publisher to put this book (and Tabitha's other titles) on NOOK or other ebook sites.
June 22, 2008
Among my favorite books of all time; one that lives on the "comfort reads" shelf. When I lost my copy, I got another one in hardcover.
October 26, 2011
This is one of my favorite reads. It's beautiful and haunting with the imagery that King uses in depicting how two mismatched kids fall in love against a backdrop of basketball, emotional woes, abuse, and high school. The characters are wonderfully rendered in all their imperfections and the love story is so bittersweet that the ending will leave you with a permanent ache in your heart. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to read something that's not perfect by any means, but definitely powerful and stirring.
And, as I believe a graffiti stated in another book written by another author named King: Sam and Deanie forever.
And, as I believe a graffiti stated in another book written by another author named King: Sam and Deanie forever.
September 19, 2011
A pivotal coming of age novel about the way relationships in a teen's life can be life changing -- for better & for worse. The characters are strong & significantly well developed. Tabitha King is a very good author, who builds a world that entrances the reader immediately, drawing the audience into a place where we don't even question the need to suspend any disbelief: we just run with her narrative and don't look back. I believe this is an interesting novel for teens or young adults, as the sexual elements offer some good habits to demonstrate for a life that can begin with similarly healthy sexual expression (the use of protection & caution with which the characters progress in their relationship on a sexual level). Also, the way Sam protects his girl, the abuse she suffers and the way he begins to care for her despite their formerly adversarial encounters, and although in the end he doesn't walk away unscathed & he doesn't follow the path his family expected Sam ends up happiest walking another path. This novel will make you laugh, make you hold your breath in fright for Deenie, & cry with the life-altering changes that happen to both these amazing characters.
August 11, 2021
Tabitha King is a masterful—regrettably unsung—literary author who characterizes rural Maine unlike any other, and One on One is my favorite of her books. I’m a rural Mainer myself, and the authenticity of the 90’s high school setting really hit home for me; ditto the tourney time basketball fever which drives both Sam and Deanie, the enemies-to-lovers protagonists whose dual narration weaves this tale of a basketball hero “good boy” falling for the most unlikely of heroines—Deanie, aka The Mutant, a tough, antagonistic teen girl whose abusive, neglectful childhood has left her with a razor tongue and an inability to trust anyone, even when she wants to. I’ll never forget their struggle to see eye to eye, their battles, their eventual hard-won connection over the period of one basketball season. Treat yourself to this masterpiece—you won’t be sorry.
December 31, 2011
I am so grateful for Sue D. for recommending this novel to me. As my book club was discussing a short story by Stephen King, we stumbled upon the fact that his wife was also a writer. Tabitha King has compiled an amazing story here. Would I have ever picked up a 440-page novel about basketball? Not likely...but I am so happy that I did. Obviously, this book is about far more than basketball. It is about two young high school players: Sam Styles and Deani "The Mutant". Both seniors, Sam is the reigning VIP on his team; he sets a goal to see both the boys and girls team with the state championships this year. He will, however, have to convince the girls of this goal, so he has to get the Mutant on his side. The Mutant is a rebellious, head-shaven, pierced, aggressive and crass girl, who has developed a terrible reputation, known by everyone in the small Maine town. As Sam begins his so-called quest, he is drawn to her, curious about her outlook on life and how she survives a daily existence due to an obvious lack of money and parenting. Surrounded by friends who are limited by the town, Sam yearns for a better future. The relationship that develops between Sam and Deani is heart-pounding; I could not put this book down. Tabitha King has created an amazing story here; the dialogue and character development is excellent. I believed every word I read. I believed that this story was really happening. Although this novel is perhaps geared towards a YA audience, I believe that adults should be equally exposed to this amazing book. I will be recommending this to everyone.
March 27, 2018
My favorite book of all time - I own two hardcover copies and read it at least yearly. One was to replace a well-worn paperback, and the second was an autographed copy that I could not leave on the bookshelf at my local bookstore.
This is the story of Deanie & Sam, both of which have challenges in their life. They're an unlikely couple, united intially (and reluctantly) through their love of basketball. The challenges continue through their unconventional courtship. It's often dark, gritty, and too real - I've loaned it to friends who couldn't read it due to that. But it's well-written with obvious affection for the characters, some of whom also appear in other books by the same author.
This is the story of Deanie & Sam, both of which have challenges in their life. They're an unlikely couple, united intially (and reluctantly) through their love of basketball. The challenges continue through their unconventional courtship. It's often dark, gritty, and too real - I've loaned it to friends who couldn't read it due to that. But it's well-written with obvious affection for the characters, some of whom also appear in other books by the same author.
September 2, 2008
When I first picked this book up, I was jostled by the tense that it was written in, the artistic, gritty descriptions, and the strangely different female protagonist. About 40 pages in, I found the flow of the writing and I was completely taken by the story.
It was brilliant and I'm so glad that I discovered how talented MRS. King is!
It was brilliant and I'm so glad that I discovered how talented MRS. King is!
March 24, 2018
King works together an excellent story, pinching the plot points together with ease, tightening the screws, until the pressure pops and the whole weave comes together. Tightly wound, my only complaint is that sometimes the language feels overwrought.
January 26, 2023
pretty good if you don't get offended at course language, crudeness, etc. it's actually intelligent and well-written. had to put it down sometimes due to sadness and violence, but it was definitely worth reading in my opinion.
August 6, 2014
Basketball superstar of a State Champion winning team decides to make sure the girls' team also wins a State Title but ends up lusting over (and loving) a girl called "The Mutant." Deannie, "The Mutant," comes from an awful family. Her step-dad verbally, physically, and sexually abuses her, her mother is in a drug-addled stupor, and she barely has enough to eat. She doesn't trust that Sam actually might like her, nose ring, face chains, tattoos, and all.
This book made me uncomfortable, but I think in a good way. VERY sexual, but not really in a sexy way, and very frank. Deannie was used to sex as a means to end, a punishment, something to check out during. Sam wants to please her (good for him). A lot of this book deals with sex, a lot with basketball, and a lot about family. This book made me think of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, but a far uglier and grittier version of that tale.
A bit overly long with an anti-climatic ending for me, but still an intriguing read and a great example of an adult book that would probably be marketed as YA today (originally published in the 1990s).
This book made me uncomfortable, but I think in a good way. VERY sexual, but not really in a sexy way, and very frank. Deannie was used to sex as a means to end, a punishment, something to check out during. Sam wants to please her (good for him). A lot of this book deals with sex, a lot with basketball, and a lot about family. This book made me think of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, but a far uglier and grittier version of that tale.
A bit overly long with an anti-climatic ending for me, but still an intriguing read and a great example of an adult book that would probably be marketed as YA today (originally published in the 1990s).
September 10, 2010
Mixed feeling. The story drags towards the end. Love the hero, sympathetic to the heroine. However, they're wrong for each other. No, as a matter of fact she's wrong for him. But I'm not going to complain about that. Mismatch couples happen all the time, in books and real life.
Bad things happen to them. A lot. Sometimes over-the-top bad. Everything in this book is extreme, the personality of characters, the mood swings, the language. Not a single kid in the school (or in other schools for that matter) seems mentally stable. I mean..are we this bad in HS? I think not.
The only anchor that holds the story together is Sam, and I feel bad how he ends up. I can't help but think he's got a stinking end of the bargain.
Some might feel uplifting after finishing this book. I? Nothing but sad and a little depressed. 3 and 1/2 stars
Bad things happen to them. A lot. Sometimes over-the-top bad. Everything in this book is extreme, the personality of characters, the mood swings, the language. Not a single kid in the school (or in other schools for that matter) seems mentally stable. I mean..are we this bad in HS? I think not.
The only anchor that holds the story together is Sam, and I feel bad how he ends up. I can't help but think he's got a stinking end of the bargain.
Some might feel uplifting after finishing this book. I? Nothing but sad and a little depressed. 3 and 1/2 stars
November 19, 2013
Read this years ago and still have it, and Yes, I read this first because S.King is and always will be my favorite author but, after I started this book then I forgot all about him and got sucked into this story. It is really a great book and I so enjoyed the tough girl in the book. So I now have all of Tabitha's books, ha ha! she needs to write more!!
November 6, 2013
This book was fantastic. I loved this book and it was very good. This book, in my opinion deserves a sequel to show the life of Deanie and Sam. To see if they had a family or if they truly did make it. I would recommend this book to everyone in the world. Very good work here indeed
February 25, 2009
This book is heartbreakingly well written and contains the truest, most beautiful depiction of teenage relationships I've ever read (plus some of the best love scenes).
May 7, 2011
This is one of my favourite books. I just love the interplay between the family members and that time in your life going from high school to real life.
Want to read
July 17, 2011Stephen King's wife.
December 3, 2015
Boy saves a girl from her Rapist father and they forge and unlikely relationship
August 31, 2019
I loved this book
November 9, 2022
This one grabbed me from the beginning, and part of me wonders if part of that is the present-tense telling of it. For a good part of this book, I was thinking of giving it a few more stars; it's a riveting story especially the first half and a bit; edging into the four-and-a-half star star territory.
The characters have a realistic kind of feel to them, especially Reuben and Pearl; the everyday, ordinary stuff of life, and I like that Sam, the protagonist is a decent guy, on good terms with decent people. It's a mostly-decent place that King has carved out here, with the less decent ones, and a villain or two for a deeper and richer sense of context.
I skimmed through a lot of the sex scenes and toward the end, a fair bit of the basketball scenes when there'd be long swaths of description. They didn't end up bringing much extra to the story, and I wasn't up for trying to make out the detailed choreography in either case.
For me, the book felt like it ran out of a bit of steam when Deanie had found a temporary refuge, which was a good thing, and then there was a jarring but short bit--just a few paragraphs--where Sam says she should help out with the dishes, and it felt like it was a manufactured kind of tension--oh crap, here we go and then it thankfully dissipated easily enough, and no more mention was made of it.
It started falling apart toward the end, where the various characters were getting justice meted out to them; it seemed too comically quick and complete, but I guess leaving those parts unresolved wouldn't have been good, either. (I have a sharp disdain for overly-tidy gift-wrapped resolutions, which is where this looked like it was heading for a bit.)
The final epilogue was good. Quiet and powerful, and it told you just what you needed to know.
I know I'm just an ordinary reader, and this is probably going to sound dreadfully condescending--in my defense, I don't at all mean to be--but here it is, anyway: Tabitha King wrote this a good bunch of years ago, and there's so much good stuff here, I'd love to see what she'd write like these days.
The characters have a realistic kind of feel to them, especially Reuben and Pearl; the everyday, ordinary stuff of life, and I like that Sam, the protagonist is a decent guy, on good terms with decent people. It's a mostly-decent place that King has carved out here, with the less decent ones, and a villain or two for a deeper and richer sense of context.
I skimmed through a lot of the sex scenes and toward the end, a fair bit of the basketball scenes when there'd be long swaths of description. They didn't end up bringing much extra to the story, and I wasn't up for trying to make out the detailed choreography in either case.
For me, the book felt like it ran out of a bit of steam when Deanie had found a temporary refuge, which was a good thing, and then there was a jarring but short bit--just a few paragraphs--where Sam says she should help out with the dishes, and it felt like it was a manufactured kind of tension--oh crap, here we go and then it thankfully dissipated easily enough, and no more mention was made of it.
It started falling apart toward the end, where the various characters were getting justice meted out to them; it seemed too comically quick and complete, but I guess leaving those parts unresolved wouldn't have been good, either. (I have a sharp disdain for overly-tidy gift-wrapped resolutions, which is where this looked like it was heading for a bit.)
The final epilogue was good. Quiet and powerful, and it told you just what you needed to know.
I know I'm just an ordinary reader, and this is probably going to sound dreadfully condescending--in my defense, I don't at all mean to be--but here it is, anyway: Tabitha King wrote this a good bunch of years ago, and there's so much good stuff here, I'd love to see what she'd write like these days.
May 15, 2025
Another little used book Christmas treat to myself. All in for the Nodd's Ridge saga, continuing my adventure with this one, the story of Reuben's son Sam. Can't wait to see Reuben again, hoping Pearl is there too, and also totally down to visit with my Ridge homies again!
Just finished. Damn. This one was soooo different from Pearl, and from Caretakers, and from The Trap, but still so damn good. Frickin' Tabby has so much talent, I don't care what you say, I will defend my girl to the death. Each Nodd's Ridge book has been so different in vibe and content, and all so good that it's a goddamn, full-throated toddler-tantrum, kicking and screaming and punching holes in the wall type of crying shame that she has not written more!!!! Like damn! The world has been deprived of what this lady has to offer, and like WTF.
I'm not an athlete, never even really participated in sports in any way shape or form aside from lil bits of shooting hoops with my brothers in the driveway, or my 3 years of elementary school softball league before I had a say in my participation in such, or, like, that one triumphant gym class volleyball spike I did back in 7th grade, lmfao, so yea. Also never liked when sports stuff was on the family TV, because I would literally rather watch the History channel or HGTV or whatevs. Still true to this day, although socialising and etc has at least given me basic understandings of the popular sports and their rules and scoring methods, lol, so I can at least manage small talk, lol. Therefore, the basketball, sports focus in this one was definitely not the draw, or even the high point for me, but the writing actually had me feeling like I was there for the games, like another townie fan supporting the home kids, like I actually kinda maybe knew what was going on and could follow the plays. Like, maybe, just maybe, I could grab up a basketball and shoot hoops for a lil fun some afternoon when I feel loose...
Anyway, yea, the main characters are very sport focused, but, there was soooo much more to them than that. Lots of time was spent on their games, and practices, and talking about their games and practices, but it was not overwhelming or off-putting. It simply was just, character building. That was them, their drive, their motivation. Making them all seem that much more real, and fragile and determined.
Deanie, oh man... that girl... I at times wanted to shake her, knock some sense into her, tell her to calm the f down and think straight, and yet at times I wanted to wrap her up in bubble wrap and take her away to some nice, soft, gentle place where she could rest and heal. That girl went through so damn much, was so tough, and made herself into 'the Mutant' as a form of armour, literally spiking up a defense, a thorny hedge, between herself and anyone who would even vaguely consider trying to be friendly, or helpful to her. The first breath of someone being concerned for her health and safety would trigger the most vicious snarl and growling, if not straight-up violence, like some abused, feral animal who has never known kindness or help. And, honestly, that's kind of what she was. With her upbringing, the mother who gives zero fucks, the mother's boyfriend who has been abusive for years, the supposed friend who takes advantage for his own use and gain, the teammates who grudgingly tolerate, but don't dare attempt to befriend, hell even the teachers and coaches who should be supportive... Like, can't blame the girl for being spikier than a very pissed-off, Cocaine-Bear-esque version of a porcupine. And as a former angry-at-the-world teenage 'goth kid' myself, like, yea, I had a massive soft spot for Deanie. Sure, she irritated me sometimes, and downright made me pissed off at some of her choices and actions, but I always could understand where she was coming from. And, like, damn. The chains... and Sam's lil... attraction to said jewelry, and all that, like... Kinda hot?
Sam! Ol' Samgod, or as Deanie abbreviates, just 'god. Ooof. He's just as much a studly cutie as his dad, Reuben, and like... just oof. I love this kid. I love how actually kind and sensitive he is. Obvs, he's still a teenage boy full of stink and horseplay and nonsense, but he was still a gem of a boy. He was like a campfire marshmallow, like, a lil tough and crispy on the outside, but a gooey lil sugar on the inside. Such a stand-up kid, and definitely very much like his dad. Like... Reuben did good with that boy. Karen, Sam's sister, who had more screen-time in the previous book though... IDK. Poor girl. I was a lil bummed to learn she had done a big-ass backslide from where we had left her in 'Pearl'. In that one, it had seemed like she was ready to grow up, come around and mature, and her and Pearl had such a good relationship, and the one with her father was on the mend, and then in this one, it appears she has done a big relapse back to bad behaviour, and that's a lil bummer. I really want things to turn out ok for her, and at this point, I don't know that they will.
This was a great book. Different perhaps than what I might have been expecting, but now I'm coming to learn that always expect the unexpected with a Tabitha King story, because, so far, ain't a single one ever been the same. Again, quick lament that there is not more from her to read, quick lil hope against all hope that maybe we'll get a lil surprise something or other maybe at some point in the future from her pen, and a big sigh before I move onto the last Ridge book, which, while I'm super-psyched, because it's all about Reuben... I'm still a lil sad because it's the only other one of this lil world for me to read.
Other little, teeny-weenie note... Hello, Castle Rock and Derry!! Total fan-girl squeakings erupted when our main characters and their teams were playing teams from our beloved, familiar towns. (And, the author note a the end saying this basketball tournament happened in the spring right before 'Leland Gaunt opened shop in Castle Rock', like, Hey! mother-futher Needful Things, like what! Woop, woop! :D)
Long story short, this story hit me in the feels, and I loved the relationship between Sam and Deanie, the push-pull, the mistrust, the 'why the heck do I feel like this?!' teenage-ness of it all, the way they actually ended up being quite complimentary to each other, the interactions between the teams, the growth of literally every kid involved... So many moments that struck me in the feels. Sweet, angry, vengeful, funny, cute, worrying... It was all here.
I'ma hush now, because I just gotta get into the Book of Reuben. I feel a lil lost when I'm away from this world for too long right nowadays, so I gotta get back quick :p
Just finished. Damn. This one was soooo different from Pearl, and from Caretakers, and from The Trap, but still so damn good. Frickin' Tabby has so much talent, I don't care what you say, I will defend my girl to the death. Each Nodd's Ridge book has been so different in vibe and content, and all so good that it's a goddamn, full-throated toddler-tantrum, kicking and screaming and punching holes in the wall type of crying shame that she has not written more!!!! Like damn! The world has been deprived of what this lady has to offer, and like WTF.
I'm not an athlete, never even really participated in sports in any way shape or form aside from lil bits of shooting hoops with my brothers in the driveway, or my 3 years of elementary school softball league before I had a say in my participation in such, or, like, that one triumphant gym class volleyball spike I did back in 7th grade, lmfao, so yea. Also never liked when sports stuff was on the family TV, because I would literally rather watch the History channel or HGTV or whatevs. Still true to this day, although socialising and etc has at least given me basic understandings of the popular sports and their rules and scoring methods, lol, so I can at least manage small talk, lol. Therefore, the basketball, sports focus in this one was definitely not the draw, or even the high point for me, but the writing actually had me feeling like I was there for the games, like another townie fan supporting the home kids, like I actually kinda maybe knew what was going on and could follow the plays. Like, maybe, just maybe, I could grab up a basketball and shoot hoops for a lil fun some afternoon when I feel loose...
Anyway, yea, the main characters are very sport focused, but, there was soooo much more to them than that. Lots of time was spent on their games, and practices, and talking about their games and practices, but it was not overwhelming or off-putting. It simply was just, character building. That was them, their drive, their motivation. Making them all seem that much more real, and fragile and determined.
Deanie, oh man... that girl... I at times wanted to shake her, knock some sense into her, tell her to calm the f down and think straight, and yet at times I wanted to wrap her up in bubble wrap and take her away to some nice, soft, gentle place where she could rest and heal. That girl went through so damn much, was so tough, and made herself into 'the Mutant' as a form of armour, literally spiking up a defense, a thorny hedge, between herself and anyone who would even vaguely consider trying to be friendly, or helpful to her. The first breath of someone being concerned for her health and safety would trigger the most vicious snarl and growling, if not straight-up violence, like some abused, feral animal who has never known kindness or help. And, honestly, that's kind of what she was. With her upbringing, the mother who gives zero fucks, the mother's boyfriend who has been abusive for years, the supposed friend who takes advantage for his own use and gain, the teammates who grudgingly tolerate, but don't dare attempt to befriend, hell even the teachers and coaches who should be supportive... Like, can't blame the girl for being spikier than a very pissed-off, Cocaine-Bear-esque version of a porcupine. And as a former angry-at-the-world teenage 'goth kid' myself, like, yea, I had a massive soft spot for Deanie. Sure, she irritated me sometimes, and downright made me pissed off at some of her choices and actions, but I always could understand where she was coming from. And, like, damn. The chains... and Sam's lil... attraction to said jewelry, and all that, like... Kinda hot?
Sam! Ol' Samgod, or as Deanie abbreviates, just 'god. Ooof. He's just as much a studly cutie as his dad, Reuben, and like... just oof. I love this kid. I love how actually kind and sensitive he is. Obvs, he's still a teenage boy full of stink and horseplay and nonsense, but he was still a gem of a boy. He was like a campfire marshmallow, like, a lil tough and crispy on the outside, but a gooey lil sugar on the inside. Such a stand-up kid, and definitely very much like his dad. Like... Reuben did good with that boy. Karen, Sam's sister, who had more screen-time in the previous book though... IDK. Poor girl. I was a lil bummed to learn she had done a big-ass backslide from where we had left her in 'Pearl'. In that one, it had seemed like she was ready to grow up, come around and mature, and her and Pearl had such a good relationship, and the one with her father was on the mend, and then in this one, it appears she has done a big relapse back to bad behaviour, and that's a lil bummer. I really want things to turn out ok for her, and at this point, I don't know that they will.
This was a great book. Different perhaps than what I might have been expecting, but now I'm coming to learn that always expect the unexpected with a Tabitha King story, because, so far, ain't a single one ever been the same. Again, quick lament that there is not more from her to read, quick lil hope against all hope that maybe we'll get a lil surprise something or other maybe at some point in the future from her pen, and a big sigh before I move onto the last Ridge book, which, while I'm super-psyched, because it's all about Reuben... I'm still a lil sad because it's the only other one of this lil world for me to read.
Other little, teeny-weenie note... Hello, Castle Rock and Derry!! Total fan-girl squeakings erupted when our main characters and their teams were playing teams from our beloved, familiar towns. (And, the author note a the end saying this basketball tournament happened in the spring right before 'Leland Gaunt opened shop in Castle Rock', like, Hey! mother-futher Needful Things, like what! Woop, woop! :D)
Long story short, this story hit me in the feels, and I loved the relationship between Sam and Deanie, the push-pull, the mistrust, the 'why the heck do I feel like this?!' teenage-ness of it all, the way they actually ended up being quite complimentary to each other, the interactions between the teams, the growth of literally every kid involved... So many moments that struck me in the feels. Sweet, angry, vengeful, funny, cute, worrying... It was all here.
I'ma hush now, because I just gotta get into the Book of Reuben. I feel a lil lost when I'm away from this world for too long right nowadays, so I gotta get back quick :p
August 19, 2018
I've been reading all of Tabitha King's novels in order of publication and I'm very impressed. I've enjoyed the last 4 most of all because she is setting them all in the same small (imaginary) town in Maine. Because of this the reader gets to know intimately all the characters of that town and how they interact. She also sprinkles in some of husband Stephen King's imaginary towns and characters which is what I've always enjoyed about his work. This particular book is very sexually intense PLUS it's a sports high school basketball book. My husband used to love those kinds of books. I felt she accurately captured the way teenagers feel, think and act with their raging hormones and need for independence. Good book!
November 3, 2022
King makes interesting characters in this book, and in outline, the plot is good. I like the ideas of this story and the plot points. Unfortunately, it is just too slow. It took FOREVER for this story to progress from one point to the next. Part of me wanted to root for these characters, and another part of me was bored with them and wanted to yell, “Get on with it!” There is a great deal of time wasted on highly detailed sex scenes between two high schoolers. Now, I realize that plenty of high schoolers do, in fact, have sex with each other. But I did not feel entirely comfortable reading such precise descriptions of sex between minors. The pacing of this book is off, and the emphasis on sexual detail is off-putting.
August 19, 2025
A very interesting book from 1993, so over 30 years old. I don't think I've read such a graphically sexual book ever. It was a bit intense at times. The story feels like it could have been written today in 2025. I loved the character development, the girl, who doesn't fit in and the basketball star who takes her under his wings. I enjoyed the basketball and the Maine setting. I especially liked Sam's father and stepmother and their relationship with each other and with Sam.
June 5, 2025
It’s fine. There’s enough oddity to keep you turning pages, albeit sometimes begrudgingly. I figured I’d give it a shot since I’ve been meaning to try her work and since I like basketball so much. Left me feeling very (shrugs). Maybe it was just too slow. Maybe it lacked some authenticity in the places I check the most. Maybe it’s me. Cant imagine her backlist is in my future.
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April 2, 2022Probably my favorite book of all time. I wore out the paperback years ago and had to replace it with a hardcover. I try to read it every January. It kinda of sets the post-Christmas,
winter mood for me.
winter mood for me.
January 22, 2023
This book needed a better editor. It was at least 100 pages too long. It reminded me of writing a paper for a Writing Class and one would need to pad it to get to the minimum number of pages or word count.
December 14, 2023
Devastating almost tragedy of Grecian proportions that reminds me of what I thought Normal People would be like. Can’t believe I cared so much about basketball state championships! Will definitely be reading more Tabitha if I can get my hands on them.
September 14, 2025
Read this tome on my beach vacation, and while it was a little too heavy for my liking in some parts (note: sexual assault, drug abuse, domestic violence), I overall enjoyed it and liked the two teenagers at the helm.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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