Loose Ends

Recent read: Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp. I picked up a copy after one of my favorite writers, Gail Giles, recommended it on her blog. Must be worth a read, I thought. Even if there is football in it, and I'm very unsporty.

She wasn't kidding. This is one of those books that sneak up on you. It starts off as a simple tale of coming-of-age jock, but Tharp chooses Hampton Green as his lead. He's the linebacker of the Kennisaw Knights, and he's not your typical bright kid with snappy one-liners. Hampton's the quiet guy, the one you always wonder about. What's he thinking?

This novel is full of small-town insights, and you don't have to live in Oklahoma to recognize Kennisaw immediately. Could've been my little Colorado town, let me tell you. And Hampton could be that jock on any football team.

There was just one thing that bugged me about this: the trophy. You'll have to read the book to know what I'm talking about, since I don't want to spoil things. Let's just say that at some point, there's a trophy that's left on the floor of a truck.

Where is it now? Is it still in the truck? This was a pretty big moment in the book, a decision that should've impacted Hampton. Inside and out--which brings me to another buggin' point. Why are there no repercussions for any of his actions?

Loved what Tharp did with this kid Hampton, and how he gave such a poignant picture of teen life in small-town America.

But where's the trophy? It's a mystery, which I normally like, but this one seemed more like a loose end. Was it left on purpose, or did Mr. Tharp just forget about it?

Go read the book. Tell me what you think. Maybe I missed something...