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On the Devil's Court
What would you give to be your school's superstar? After reading Dr. Faustus , Joe considers the merits of selling his soul to the devil. Suddenly, he finds himself changing from a lousy basketball player and a C student to the star athlete he always dreamed he could be. Even though he isn't sure if he actually made a deal with the devil, he can't help but enjoy the benefits that come with his newfound abilities. But is achieving his dreams worth what he may have given up?
In this coming of age sports novel, Joe learns the power of belief and that the only goals worth attaining are the ones that you earn -- on your own.
In this coming of age sports novel, Joe learns the power of belief and that the only goals worth attaining are the ones that you earn -- on your own.
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
September 4, 2019
The most boring book I've ever read about a kid who sells his soul to a Satanic basketball to become the best player on his high school team.
November 3, 2017
book is awesome
March 2, 2014
OK...I am not a "sports literature" guy...nor am I a basketball fan...but this book is really about engaging characters...and don't let the title fool you...it really ISN'T about a face off with Satan (I don't want to spoil...but a lot of what drives the book is paranoia and anxiety).
What I loved most about this book...and the reason I am giving it 5 stars...is because it is the BEST YA BOOK I HAVE READ TO DATE. Drugs? no! Rape? no! Swearing? no! (I'm not a prude...but I HATE IT that so many YA authors have rough language, sex, and drugs in their books...it makes my job as the teacher much, much, much harder...those books have their place...but c'mon...every book doesn't have to be about depressed babies having sex and drugs, whining about how gauche they feel because mom's lesbian lover only has a 2 car garage)
This book is about AMBIGUITY...right to end there isn't a sense of good guy / bad guy. ON THE DEVIL'S COURT makes for compelling reading and conversation. Don't judge it on it's cover and first page (both are hokey). Hang in for the wonderful narrator...fuzzy friendships...and polarizing parenting.
What I loved most about this book...and the reason I am giving it 5 stars...is because it is the BEST YA BOOK I HAVE READ TO DATE. Drugs? no! Rape? no! Swearing? no! (I'm not a prude...but I HATE IT that so many YA authors have rough language, sex, and drugs in their books...it makes my job as the teacher much, much, much harder...those books have their place...but c'mon...every book doesn't have to be about depressed babies having sex and drugs, whining about how gauche they feel because mom's lesbian lover only has a 2 car garage)
This book is about AMBIGUITY...right to end there isn't a sense of good guy / bad guy. ON THE DEVIL'S COURT makes for compelling reading and conversation. Don't judge it on it's cover and first page (both are hokey). Hang in for the wonderful narrator...fuzzy friendships...and polarizing parenting.
Want to read
February 17, 2017The book I am reviewing is “On the Devil’s Court” and is written by Carl Dueker and this book is more sports based with a little bit of family base pulled in with it.
This book takes place in present day Seattle. Joe Faust the main character moved from Boston to Seattle because of his dad's work and is not quite settled in yet in fact he feels out of place. He is big into basketball but did not make the varsity team, but still tries his hardest yet nothing is working until he makes a deal that might destroy or make his career and life.
Joe’s tone continues to change consistently through the story whether he is excited, scared, nervous, shocked, or angry. The story is fast paced, straightforward, and something's come out of nowhere that you might not expect to happen until you read more about it.
All in all this is one of my favorite books to read. I didn’t want to put this book down after I started reading it. I love sports and I understand a lot more and become more in sync with sport books, so if you love competing or playing a sport I highly suggest reading this book.
This book takes place in present day Seattle. Joe Faust the main character moved from Boston to Seattle because of his dad's work and is not quite settled in yet in fact he feels out of place. He is big into basketball but did not make the varsity team, but still tries his hardest yet nothing is working until he makes a deal that might destroy or make his career and life.
Joe’s tone continues to change consistently through the story whether he is excited, scared, nervous, shocked, or angry. The story is fast paced, straightforward, and something's come out of nowhere that you might not expect to happen until you read more about it.
All in all this is one of my favorite books to read. I didn’t want to put this book down after I started reading it. I love sports and I understand a lot more and become more in sync with sport books, so if you love competing or playing a sport I highly suggest reading this book.
December 13, 2022
4.5 Stars Out Of 5
“Give me a full season, give me twenty-four games of this power, and my soul is yours.”
“The devil is clever. He acts like a servant, and the whole time he’s the master.”
“It was a basketball game, and basketball is a sport I play well.”
This was a book I read in middle school and really enjoyed. Almost 30 years later, I still enjoyed it. Deuker’s writing is great and he knows basketball. His basketball scenes are explosive and realistic. His scenes with family dynamics also read authentic. I liked how he used the old tale of Doctor Faustus and weaved a modern morality novel around it. Throughout the book, you wonder if Joe really sold his soul to the devil to be a better basketball player or if he thought he did and it made him play better. My only complaint is that I wish there would have been more of a transformation of Joe at the end which I think would have made the book near perfect.
“Give me a full season, give me twenty-four games of this power, and my soul is yours.”
“The devil is clever. He acts like a servant, and the whole time he’s the master.”
“It was a basketball game, and basketball is a sport I play well.”
This was a book I read in middle school and really enjoyed. Almost 30 years later, I still enjoyed it. Deuker’s writing is great and he knows basketball. His basketball scenes are explosive and realistic. His scenes with family dynamics also read authentic. I liked how he used the old tale of Doctor Faustus and weaved a modern morality novel around it. Throughout the book, you wonder if Joe really sold his soul to the devil to be a better basketball player or if he thought he did and it made him play better. My only complaint is that I wish there would have been more of a transformation of Joe at the end which I think would have made the book near perfect.
November 29, 2016
On the Devil’s Court is a book written by Carl Deuker. It tells a story of a 17 year old boy named Joe Faust whom happens to be the grandson of a notorious legend about a scientist and his hunger for power. Joe loves to play basketball, attends a private school, and his dad is a world famous scientist. The setting of the book is in Seattle, Washington.
There are many reasons to like a book like this one, from basketball to the devil (which brings about mystery in how this ties into basketball) there are many parts that tie this book together like a neatly wrapped Christmas present. I like how Joe is striving for straight A’s because he wants to make his dad proud, but at the same time he has interests that his dad doesn’t seem to understand about. I like how I can sort of relate because as a child I am always striving to make my parents proud.
I would recommend this book because it is symbolically important to anyone that strives for good grades and plays sports. I like this book a lot and it would be a fantastic read to anyone.
There are many reasons to like a book like this one, from basketball to the devil (which brings about mystery in how this ties into basketball) there are many parts that tie this book together like a neatly wrapped Christmas present. I like how Joe is striving for straight A’s because he wants to make his dad proud, but at the same time he has interests that his dad doesn’t seem to understand about. I like how I can sort of relate because as a child I am always striving to make my parents proud.
I would recommend this book because it is symbolically important to anyone that strives for good grades and plays sports. I like this book a lot and it would be a fantastic read to anyone.
April 26, 2016
I am currently reading the book On Devil's Court by Carl Deuker. Where I am at in the book the son just moved to a new town and his father is letting him try a public school for once, this has always been his dream. He had made some new friends at the park who share the same love for basketball as he does. As the days pass he is always playing basketball at the park, improving so he can hopefully try out for the team. I really enjoy this book so far. The book really gives off The feeling of you can do anything as long as you work hard at it. The author really portrays the feeling of everyone. I have never really been into reading sports books, but this one is very different due to how the author writes. This book continues to hold my interest because everything is continually changing and makes you want to know what happens in the end. This book is also nothing like I have ever read and it's quite interesting to read something new.
January 19, 2021
I rated On the Devils Court, by Carl Deuker five stars, because I love basketball books, and it displays realistic problems that are relatable. Basketball books have always been exciting to me, and this one really captures the best parts of basketball and puts them into words. I also like how the main character talks about how they are feeling before games, during games, and when they are playing good or not, because I think of this a lot when I play sports. He really gets into his head when he plays basketball, and I think the whole, sold my soul thing was a spoof and he was really good at basketball from all his practice. One part of the book I didn´t like, was when was hanging out with Ross, because Ross had very little part in the most of the book after this scene. This book is really relatable and I enjoyed reading it for sure.
December 14, 2017
This book is a good one if you know about basketball. You don't need to have basketball knowledge, but it will make the story more enjoyable to read, and it will make more sense.
November 20, 2020
Simply wasn't what I expected.
I wanted Satan and soul selling and I got bad parenting and basketball.
I wanted Satan and soul selling and I got bad parenting and basketball.
December 7, 2017
On the Devils Court is about a young teenage boy who is struggling with school and basketball, even life. But one day, he sells his soul to the devil - well at least he think he did. When this process is over, his grades improve extremely and he is is moved up to the varsity team. I think the book grabs a hold of you with the instant chain of events out of nowhere. I connected to the main character because he started to second guess himself about his basketball skill and is just looking for a outlet to become better. I recommend this book to people who love basketball and intense thrillers .
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January 23, 2018Did you ever want to be good at something, but you're not? Well in on the devils court Joe the main character makes a deal with devil to be extremely good at basketball. He then becomes a star on the basketball team. I would recommend this book to any one who likes basketball or just sports in general it is a very good read.
March 6, 2017
On the Devil’s Court
The book, “On the Devil’s Court” is by Carl Deuker. I would give this book four out of five stars. The book is about a boy named Joe. Joe is seventeen years old and he lives in Boston His father's name is Professor Joseph Faust. Joe’s dad works as a professor at Genetics Scientist. Joe’s mother is an artist who paints naked men in her house. Joe is a basketball player. He plays on private school teams. He hates private schools and he wishes he was on a public school team, which to him are better and more challenging. The beginning of the school year his basketball skills start to become terrible. By his house he finds an old building and does something to sell his soul to the devil. What he does in the old boys and girls club is for you to find out, and what happens after that.
The book, “On the Devil’s Court” is by Carl Deuker. I would give this book four out of five stars. The book is about a boy named Joe. Joe is seventeen years old and he lives in Boston His father's name is Professor Joseph Faust. Joe’s dad works as a professor at Genetics Scientist. Joe’s mother is an artist who paints naked men in her house. Joe is a basketball player. He plays on private school teams. He hates private schools and he wishes he was on a public school team, which to him are better and more challenging. The beginning of the school year his basketball skills start to become terrible. By his house he finds an old building and does something to sell his soul to the devil. What he does in the old boys and girls club is for you to find out, and what happens after that.
Read
May 6, 2016In the book I read called “On the devil’s court,” by Carl Deuker, there is a boy named Joe Faust. He has attended private school all his life, and has always lived in the shadow of his father Joseph Faust who is a Professor at The University Of Washington. He is a scientist that recombines genes. Joe is 17, and suffers a slump when everything goes wrong in his life. He moved from Boston, to Seattle. Joe can't remember him and his dad ever seeing eye to eye. His dad easily breezes through school getting A’s, and Joe has to sweat for B’s. If he gets a C, his dad gets extremely angry with him. After they move to Seattle, Joe practices basketball at a public schools basketball court. There is a game going, and one of the people playing named Ross asks if Joe wants to join in. As Joe is playing with them, he learns their names. One of them has also gone to private schools like Joe. Joe doesn't know it yet, but Ross is a bad influence. He throws a party, and get Joe drunk. Joe tries out for the basketball team, but couldn't make it. After that, he goes to a abandon basketball court in an abandon gym. He considers to sell his soul to the devil, like the book he is reading in English. The book is called Dr. Faust, and he sells his soul, giving Joe the idea. Joe sells his soul for a perfect season of basketball. Joe goes from being a lazy basketball player, and a B average student, to a straight A student, and the star athlete he always dreamed of. His basketball team went undefeated. 25-0 was how they ended the season. His dad won the Nobel Peace Prize, and was interviewed by tons of reporters. One reporter, interviewed Joe. Joe told the reporter how he felt about his dad. He told her that his dad never came to any of his games, and that he was always working. He always gets mad if he has a C, and they never seen eye to eye. After the long interview, the report put it into the newspaper. After people see this, Joe’s life takes a turn. People start to vandalize his house at night. One night, Joe is lying in bed awake. He is lying there silently, when he hears car doors shut. He looks out his window and see’s these boys putting up a cross in his yard. As he was watching, they pour gas on it and burn it. Just before the boys turn to go back to the car, he see’s one of there faces. It was Ross.
September 29, 2011
Curtis Powell
Mrs. Romaniuk and Mr. Moyer
Book Review #1
30 September 2011
ON THE DEVIL’S COURT:
On the devil’s court is a good book. The book is by Carl Deuker. This book when I read the back of the book, the book got me thinking like I should read this book. In the book the characters is Joe, his mom who is an artist, his dad who is a scientist, john who’s good at basketball. Is Joe’s teammate. Joe is a senior in high school .He is moving to Seattle and he wants to fit in. So he joins the varsity basketball team. Joe makes a decision that he will regret. He sells his soul to the devil. Joe said Give me a full 25 games of power and my soul is yours. He wants to become this star basketball player, just like at his old school.
I think that Joe is an idiot for selling his soul to the devil. Isn’t he a good player? He should be able to show his athletic ability. Not make a stupid deal like that to the devil. The plot is about his dad. His dad is a famous scientist he has just won the lasker award. The lasker award is like winning an award for your great achievements through out the year. His dad keeps having heart attacks for no reason. But when Joe finds a smelly old gym, he said give me a full season of power and my soul is yours.
On the devil’s court was an interesting book. I liked the book. I would rate these book four out of five stars. But I think that Joe shouldn’t have made that deal with the devil in the first place. I think that he should have at least tried to get through the realugalar season without making that deal with the devil in the first place. Because he is a good player. He just has to show it.
I would recommend this book for anybody who likes sports. I think that if you like sports you should read this book. This book is a good book. I think that other people should read this book. I think that it might be a good book for them to read.
Mrs. Romaniuk and Mr. Moyer
Book Review #1
30 September 2011
ON THE DEVIL’S COURT:
On the devil’s court is a good book. The book is by Carl Deuker. This book when I read the back of the book, the book got me thinking like I should read this book. In the book the characters is Joe, his mom who is an artist, his dad who is a scientist, john who’s good at basketball. Is Joe’s teammate. Joe is a senior in high school .He is moving to Seattle and he wants to fit in. So he joins the varsity basketball team. Joe makes a decision that he will regret. He sells his soul to the devil. Joe said Give me a full 25 games of power and my soul is yours. He wants to become this star basketball player, just like at his old school.
I think that Joe is an idiot for selling his soul to the devil. Isn’t he a good player? He should be able to show his athletic ability. Not make a stupid deal like that to the devil. The plot is about his dad. His dad is a famous scientist he has just won the lasker award. The lasker award is like winning an award for your great achievements through out the year. His dad keeps having heart attacks for no reason. But when Joe finds a smelly old gym, he said give me a full season of power and my soul is yours.
On the devil’s court was an interesting book. I liked the book. I would rate these book four out of five stars. But I think that Joe shouldn’t have made that deal with the devil in the first place. I think that he should have at least tried to get through the realugalar season without making that deal with the devil in the first place. Because he is a good player. He just has to show it.
I would recommend this book for anybody who likes sports. I think that if you like sports you should read this book. This book is a good book. I think that other people should read this book. I think that it might be a good book for them to read.
January 22, 2020
On the Devil’s Court Book Review
I chose On the Devil’s Court written by Carl Deuker because it seemed interesting. It’s a story of how a young boy my age made a deal with the devil to have a perfect season of basketball. It’s more than that though. It’s about Joe’s father expecting him to follow in his footsteps -- becoming a scientist. Joe’s father believes that’s going to happen, but Joe doesn’t. School isn’t easy for Joe and he has to try very hard to succeed -- this is the opposite of his father.
Joe Faust was a great basketball player at his school. He was one of the best on the team. When Joe had to move to Seattle everything changed. He faced hard challenges. He felt out of place, disoriented. One of those challenges was being told he didn’t make the varsity basketball team. He was willing to give up all that he had to have a perfect season, that’s how much the game of basketball meant to him. He gave everything up to the “devil”. He soon had the perfect senior basketball season and his grades improved. He was given the opportunity to prove his abilities to the coach. A player on the team got injured and a spot opened for Joe to play. Joe was playing amazing, proving to everybody that he is a great player. His season came to an end early due to his head injury. He had to sit out in the playoffs. His father also had a heart attack. The question is, did he unknowingly give up those things so he could have a perfect season?
I learned from this book that in one place you can be amazing, the best at your craft -- but in another place you could be horrible. So always stay humble and work your hardest. Joe wished for something too big, which resulted in his early end of the season and his dad having a heart attack.
I chose On the Devil’s Court written by Carl Deuker because it seemed interesting. It’s a story of how a young boy my age made a deal with the devil to have a perfect season of basketball. It’s more than that though. It’s about Joe’s father expecting him to follow in his footsteps -- becoming a scientist. Joe’s father believes that’s going to happen, but Joe doesn’t. School isn’t easy for Joe and he has to try very hard to succeed -- this is the opposite of his father.
Joe Faust was a great basketball player at his school. He was one of the best on the team. When Joe had to move to Seattle everything changed. He faced hard challenges. He felt out of place, disoriented. One of those challenges was being told he didn’t make the varsity basketball team. He was willing to give up all that he had to have a perfect season, that’s how much the game of basketball meant to him. He gave everything up to the “devil”. He soon had the perfect senior basketball season and his grades improved. He was given the opportunity to prove his abilities to the coach. A player on the team got injured and a spot opened for Joe to play. Joe was playing amazing, proving to everybody that he is a great player. His season came to an end early due to his head injury. He had to sit out in the playoffs. His father also had a heart attack. The question is, did he unknowingly give up those things so he could have a perfect season?
I learned from this book that in one place you can be amazing, the best at your craft -- but in another place you could be horrible. So always stay humble and work your hardest. Joe wished for something too big, which resulted in his early end of the season and his dad having a heart attack.
October 30, 2022
I read this book in 6th grade and it has stuck with me ever since. It taught me about Faustian deals and was just the right amount of dark. I recommend this to middle school readers all the time
April 8, 2012
If you can imagine a hybrid of Marlowe's Dr. Faustus and Teen Wolf, you've about captured the essence of this book. Sadly it has none of quality of Faustus or the sheer stupid fun of Teen Wolf. If you're looking for a sports title, you've got to be able to find something better than this.
April 29, 2018
Quite nice. Kuroko no Basket reminder xD
October 13, 2017
Summary-At the beginning of On The Devil’s Court, Joe , the main character, started out at a school that didn't have sports.He was very good at alot of sports but most of all he was beast at basketball but he never got the chance to play on a basketball team. He went to that school for a while and then moved to Loyal High where he meet a friend named Ross. They go to parties all the time and Joe’s parents don't know about it. One time they went to the golf course and vandalized it and almost got caught by the security guard. He was invited to a drinking and weed party and he went and passed out in the middle of the yard and got arrested but for 1 day. After that his parents moved him to a different school. This is where he gave his soul to the devil for a perfect season. He was doing great in his season. He was beating everyone and was making almost every shot. They were winning every good team they were facing. In the Semi-Finals The team made it to the Championship and they played Loyal High where Ross was and he didn't play and he said to himself, Without me, my team will lose. That did not happen. They won without him and that is where the devil stepped in. The Devil stepped in and Joe had bad luck for a long time and realized that the devil was bad.
Characters-The main Characters are Joe and Ross. They have been best friends since they meet each other until Joe turned him in and he sent to another school. In Joe's basketball Championship Game, He played Loyal High where Ross goes. They played defense on each other that game. Ross scored a few points on Joe but Joe scored a lot on Ross. After the gamer, they both talked to each other and congratulated each other.
Plot- The story might sound bad to some people but you learn very good lessons in this book like not to go to drinking parties when under age. Also never smoke Weed or drugs or you will be caught by the police at some point and you will go to jail when you get older and the nif you do when you're young, you will be moved to a different school away from your friends. Never trust the devil at any point. He will do some rotten things to you. If you do try to see a teacher and church and learn about god. He is good guy and jesus is to. Never vandalize a building either.
Conflict- The most Conflict would be that the devil would take his life and that Joe would be in the Devil’s hands which that actually happens. Joe has made a bad decision because he chose the Devil for a perfect season and the Devil does bad things to hm in return that Joe doesn't even know that the devil did it. Joe says without him his team will lose, well the devil makes sure that the team will win without him. Joe gets mad because they win without him.
What I learned-I learned a lot about the devil’s evilness. He will rot you. He was the one who told Joe to go the party because Joe says he will give his soul. Never trust a friend that will get you in trouble either. If he would have told his mother about Ross , Joe wouldn't get in trouble with the Cops and probable]y sta at the same school. If you believe in God, I would not recommend this to you. I didn't like it because Joe lied to almost everyone in the book. He lied to his mom, dad, coach and his best friend Ross. The reason I rated the story 2 stars was because I liked the story about basketball and winning the championship against his old friend and Joe showed Ross who was Boss.
Characters-The main Characters are Joe and Ross. They have been best friends since they meet each other until Joe turned him in and he sent to another school. In Joe's basketball Championship Game, He played Loyal High where Ross goes. They played defense on each other that game. Ross scored a few points on Joe but Joe scored a lot on Ross. After the gamer, they both talked to each other and congratulated each other.
Plot- The story might sound bad to some people but you learn very good lessons in this book like not to go to drinking parties when under age. Also never smoke Weed or drugs or you will be caught by the police at some point and you will go to jail when you get older and the nif you do when you're young, you will be moved to a different school away from your friends. Never trust the devil at any point. He will do some rotten things to you. If you do try to see a teacher and church and learn about god. He is good guy and jesus is to. Never vandalize a building either.
Conflict- The most Conflict would be that the devil would take his life and that Joe would be in the Devil’s hands which that actually happens. Joe has made a bad decision because he chose the Devil for a perfect season and the Devil does bad things to hm in return that Joe doesn't even know that the devil did it. Joe says without him his team will lose, well the devil makes sure that the team will win without him. Joe gets mad because they win without him.
What I learned-I learned a lot about the devil’s evilness. He will rot you. He was the one who told Joe to go the party because Joe says he will give his soul. Never trust a friend that will get you in trouble either. If he would have told his mother about Ross , Joe wouldn't get in trouble with the Cops and probable]y sta at the same school. If you believe in God, I would not recommend this to you. I didn't like it because Joe lied to almost everyone in the book. He lied to his mom, dad, coach and his best friend Ross. The reason I rated the story 2 stars was because I liked the story about basketball and winning the championship against his old friend and Joe showed Ross who was Boss.
April 15, 2025
Carl Deuker’s book On the Devil’s Court is a very compelling and thought provoking book because it makes you imagine what you would do if you were put into the main character's situation. His point of view connects with the reader very well. The author really gets into the characters struggles in life and lets the reader live inside the book.
This passage is very relatable to basketball players because most players have days where they struggle. At the start of the book Joe doesn’t struggle at all at playing when basketball. Once he moves to a new town and meets new friends he starts playing basketball with them. After a few weeks Joe’s game started to deteriorate. The plot is especially relatable to me because I love playing basketball. A turning point in the book is when Joe says “I didn’t swish anything. “But it wasn’t just my shooting that was off, it was my whole game”.
Round characters in this novel enhance the ready engagement by providing depth and complexity. For example Joe said “It felt like I didn’t belong on a basketball court anymore”. That's just one of the many examples in this book on how the author exemplifies the roundness of his characters. Another example would be when Joe who is normally a very good kid ends up getting drunk at a party. There are multiple occurrences like this when you start to think Joe is just a regular kid who does the right thing and then all of the sudden he slips up and does something that a good kid wouldn’t do. This unpredictability is what makes the characters round and keeps the reader intrigued.
On the Devil’s Court is a great book to read if you love sports and unpredictable characters. This book had a great way of touching me by showing me that even if you play a bad game or practice it will still work out for the best in the end. It does a great job relating to the reader and showing them how life works.
This passage is very relatable to basketball players because most players have days where they struggle. At the start of the book Joe doesn’t struggle at all at playing when basketball. Once he moves to a new town and meets new friends he starts playing basketball with them. After a few weeks Joe’s game started to deteriorate. The plot is especially relatable to me because I love playing basketball. A turning point in the book is when Joe says “I didn’t swish anything. “But it wasn’t just my shooting that was off, it was my whole game”.
Round characters in this novel enhance the ready engagement by providing depth and complexity. For example Joe said “It felt like I didn’t belong on a basketball court anymore”. That's just one of the many examples in this book on how the author exemplifies the roundness of his characters. Another example would be when Joe who is normally a very good kid ends up getting drunk at a party. There are multiple occurrences like this when you start to think Joe is just a regular kid who does the right thing and then all of the sudden he slips up and does something that a good kid wouldn’t do. This unpredictability is what makes the characters round and keeps the reader intrigued.
On the Devil’s Court is a great book to read if you love sports and unpredictable characters. This book had a great way of touching me by showing me that even if you play a bad game or practice it will still work out for the best in the end. It does a great job relating to the reader and showing them how life works.
December 20, 2017
"On the Devil's Court" is about a senior in highschool named Joe Faust he wants to have a good season of basketball. He also wants to go to a public school for once but he is forced to go to private school for the last year of high school.
I would rate this book 4 ½ stars because I liked the description and the imagery that Carl deuker used. The imagery made it way more suspenseful and exciting. I didn't like how they didn't tell you for sure if he actually sold his soul to the devil. The most they ever show of the devil is the mist in the gym but they don't specify on it. So throughout the entire book he's second guessing his success in basketball games and after a while it gets annoying.
Overall the book had a pinch of science fiction along with a handful of realistic fiction. Usually I don’t like books that have science fiction at all but I think this book put just the right amount and the realistic part balanced it out. If the book was a little longer so they could fit more of the story into it I would’ve for sure rated it 5 stars.
The relation to basketball then relating it to the devil made it a good book because I love reading about sports and I love reading about my favorite sport even more. I think it could be improved by making Joe a multisport athlete and relating how athletic he was in his other sports.
I would read this book again because it kept me on the edge of my seat and I just love reading about sports. If you want a short and entertaining book to read this book is for you. I would also recommend this book to people who like athletics especially basketball and are in the mood for a plot twist.
I would rate this book 4 ½ stars because I liked the description and the imagery that Carl deuker used. The imagery made it way more suspenseful and exciting. I didn't like how they didn't tell you for sure if he actually sold his soul to the devil. The most they ever show of the devil is the mist in the gym but they don't specify on it. So throughout the entire book he's second guessing his success in basketball games and after a while it gets annoying.
Overall the book had a pinch of science fiction along with a handful of realistic fiction. Usually I don’t like books that have science fiction at all but I think this book put just the right amount and the realistic part balanced it out. If the book was a little longer so they could fit more of the story into it I would’ve for sure rated it 5 stars.
The relation to basketball then relating it to the devil made it a good book because I love reading about sports and I love reading about my favorite sport even more. I think it could be improved by making Joe a multisport athlete and relating how athletic he was in his other sports.
I would read this book again because it kept me on the edge of my seat and I just love reading about sports. If you want a short and entertaining book to read this book is for you. I would also recommend this book to people who like athletics especially basketball and are in the mood for a plot twist.
November 4, 2017
On The Devil’s Court, by Carl Deuker, is a very interesting book. The main character, Joe Faustus, is the son of the famous scientist, Dr. Faustus. During the summer, Joe’s family moved from Boston to Seattle.With his father being a very successful person, going to Stanford and getting straight A’s, Joe feels too much pressure on himself to get good grades and go to a good college. He just wanted to play basketball, and that’s what he did for the rest of the summer. Almost everyday, he would walk down to the basketball courts and join a game of pickup basketball, trying to show kids that he was good, and trying to make friends. Then one day, he met a kid named Ross. Ross was a laid back kind of guy. But the dude was a monster at basketball. He would fly down the court, dribbling past people, and even sometimes dunking. Ross was basically Joe’s first friend. Later on one night, Joe would realize that Ross wasn’t the best or safest kid to be around. They went out to a golf course, and Ross told Joe to stop the car. He quickly got out of the car, and started spray painting, and they were seen by the watchman. They took off in their car, barely escaping him. “Don’t do it again.” said Joe, feeling stupid he got blackmailed into something stupid. Once school started, Joe was excited about eh basketball season. When he tried out, he missed almost every single shot, just not performing at all. This caused his coach, Coach Rabile, to bring Joe down to Junior Varsity, even though he was a senior. With him on Junior Varsity, he knows that he needs to step up his game. One day, Joe went into town, and snuck into an empty old gym. He misses a lot of shots, and remembered something he read in school. How his father sold his soul to the devil. Since he’s not performing in practice, he thought about selling his own soul to the devil. Selling his soul would have a greater outcome in the future for him. “Give me a full season of power, and my soul is yours.”
I thought this book was very interesting and constantly made me think about it.
I thought this book was very interesting and constantly made me think about it.
March 27, 2019
The book I read was ON THE DEVIL’S COURT by Carl Deuker and it takes place in a small town in Seattle where basketball is thought of as everything to everyone. The main characters throughout the book are Joe Fraust and Terrence Ross who is Joe’s best friend since moving to Seattle. I’m interested in sport books and that’s how I found this book.
The main part of the book is how Joe is trying to develop his game of basketball and no matter how hard he try’s and practices he never develops into a good enough player to make varsity. Eventually Joe sells his soul to the devil to be the greatest basketball player in his town. Even though Joe loves how good he’s become at the game and the attention he soon regrets the decision he made with the devil. It’s not the fact that his soul now belongs to the devil but the fact that he realizes he pretty much cheated in obtaining his ability to play the game instead of using hard work and practice.
I liked how the book ended because it was just an uplifting moment and it was so unexpected. My favorite quote from the book is “Give me a the power to be the best, and my soul is yours.” This is my favorite quote because it sums the whole book up in just one sentence.
My personal opinion is that this is a great book and a great read. Similar books would include any book that belongs to the sport category. I recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a good book that will have you on the edge of your feet and full of suspense.
The main part of the book is how Joe is trying to develop his game of basketball and no matter how hard he try’s and practices he never develops into a good enough player to make varsity. Eventually Joe sells his soul to the devil to be the greatest basketball player in his town. Even though Joe loves how good he’s become at the game and the attention he soon regrets the decision he made with the devil. It’s not the fact that his soul now belongs to the devil but the fact that he realizes he pretty much cheated in obtaining his ability to play the game instead of using hard work and practice.
I liked how the book ended because it was just an uplifting moment and it was so unexpected. My favorite quote from the book is “Give me a the power to be the best, and my soul is yours.” This is my favorite quote because it sums the whole book up in just one sentence.
My personal opinion is that this is a great book and a great read. Similar books would include any book that belongs to the sport category. I recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a good book that will have you on the edge of your feet and full of suspense.
December 17, 2018
As a basketball player myself, I can understand the struggles of being able to balance life off the court and life on the court. The main Character, Joe Faustus, is a normal 17-year-old kid who is trying to make it big as a superstar basketball player. On his journey, he notices some struggles along the way. whether it's his grades or just his overall skill on the basketball court, he can't seem to become the star he always wanted to be, until one day, he discovered that his grandfather, a notorious scientist who wanted power and acknowledgment, made a deal with the devil to obtain that power in exchange for his soul. This made Joe become curious and eager to learn more about making deals with the devil. He researched and researched until he finally decided that he wanted to sell his soul. Joe became more skilled on and off the court which was getting him more recognition. He was putting on a show every night he played and made it look effortless. One day, he noticed that his struggles were coming back to him and his coach benched him for a whole game. The championship game! he thought that because he was not in the game, that his team was going to lose. But, that was not the case, his team won and proved him wrong. This book taught me that things do not come easily and you have to work for everything you want. For that reason, I highly recommend this book.
April 5, 2019
My personal opinion of this book is that it’s a really good book if you like basketball it tells that everybody has struggles and that you have to use those struggles to make you better. Similar books are Safe At Home,Backroad Boys,and There’s No Place Like Home. If you like sport books or Basketball then this book is for you.My book is called On The Devil’s Court, It’s by Carl Deuker It’s about the story of Joe Faust and his family that moves from boston to Seattle They never say his mom or dads name. The main reason i picked this book is because its about basketball and i really like basketball it’s my favorite sport. I Found this book when one of my good friends said "Hey you should read this book."
The plot of this story is that Joe was on the bench for 3 seasons and then he prays that there shooting guard gets hurt and the next day in a game he tears his ACL. So then Joe has to go in and play for him and Joe chokes it he has 6 turnovers and 3 fouls and is 20% from the line. Then Joe starts working harder then the next game has 1 turnover 19 points and goes 80% from the line.
I believe the ending was great they tell us what he grows up to be but I'm not going to spoil that for the people who want to read this book. My favorite quote from this book was “Play this game like it’s your last.”
My personal opinion of this book is that it is a really good book I really like how they made each part of the book important so that you would never want to put the book down. The connection I made was even if you fail at something the first time doesn't mean you should give up. I recommend this book for people who like basketball.
February 27, 2019
I read "On the devils court" by Carl Deuker. Joe is a teenage boy that wasn't the best in the sport he loved which was basketball. Basketball was something he enjoyed because that's when he felt he was apart of something. It was Joe's senior year and he was gonna do whatever it took to be one of the starting five. He done just that when one day he went to an old abandoned gym on a gloomy day. Joe was just shooting around when he started hearing a voice and it kept trying to make deals with him that if he would give him his soul he could be as good as he ever wanted to be. Joe didn't know who was talking until he realized it was the devil and on that very gloomy evening he gave his soul to the devil and he don't know if he will ever get it back.
This book was pretty good I like sports but don't read many sports books, but it was good and I think most people will like it.
This book was pretty good I like sports but don't read many sports books, but it was good and I think most people will like it.
December 15, 2020
On the Devil's court is a great book for basketball fans like me. Joe, the main character in this book, considers selling his soul to the devil. Through basketball Joe was able to become a star and get his grades up and overall become a better person. Joe dad at this time Doctor Faustus is a world renowned scientist. But, Joe doesn’t want to be a scientist like his dad.This book shows kids how their dreams can be achieved all you have to do is work for it. Author Carl Deuker states,” Out there in space was a burning sun. Its light has traveled millions of miles, bounced off the moon, and come into my room.” Can Joe achieve his dreams of being a basketball player?
February 1, 2017
In the novel fiction book, On the Devil's Court, by Carl Deuker, The reading of the book was interesting and ongoing an explain a lot about the characters life in the book. Their was some conflicts that appeared in the book like, joe meets a guy like Ross but his parents doesn't thinks he's a friend he wants to hang around. Joe is the main character and just moved into a new city and feels lonely. I recommend people to read this book because it's a awesome book and can really relate to some of the people that plays a certain sport.
By Mykel Bingham
By Mykel Bingham
September 28, 2017
I read, “The Devil’s Court”, by Carl Deuker. This book was about a boy named Joseph who grew up going to a private school, where he was pretty good, in comparison to the other students. However, when his family moved to Seattle he started to attend public school and realized just how average he truly was. He begins to wonder is selling his soul to the devil would help, and suddenly he becomes the star basketball player that he always want to be. Overall, I thought the book was very interesting and was very different than what I imagined when picking it out.
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