Fiction Review

Down By Two
by H. G. Field
ISBN-10: 1420805894
review by Heather Froeschl

John Van Bruyk is a young man with a passion for basketball, and movies. He dreams of being the next Larry Bird and is known by his teammates to take on the roles of his star athlete heroes when on the court. He might reenact a play he'd seen on the NBA and just as likely would provide running commentary from the bench or bleachers, imagining the players were the big stars he admired. But there is more to Van Bruyk than B ball. Besides being able to hold a conversation about the cinema like a 40 year old, he has a nose for uncovering acts of injustice...things that affect his community, his school, and his bank president dad.

John Van Bruyk befriends Jimmy D'Annunzio, a goalie for the nearly outlawed local hockey team. When Jimmy knocks the stuffing out of an opposing player one game, the school board has a fit. Jimmy's dad is the hockey coach and Jimmy could get a scholarship û he's that good. But things look bad for the prospect of hockey. Things look even worse when John shares his theory of kickbacks, collusion and conspiracy between the bank, an ice rink and the school board.

Friendship bonds and the two young men find themselves helping each other out. When John takes on a job assisting in an archeological dig, an exploration into historic significance on a local piece of land, he uncovers more than he should. Being the friend that he is, he enlists Jimmy to create and execute a plan to uncover the truthàto his dad, to the historical society, to the media and to the police.

"Down by Two" is an enjoyable fast-paced read of young men coming into their own selves. The book holds scenes of raw basketball excitement as well as budding romantic thoughts. It is an insight into the minds of adolescents, jocks, and the relationship between boys and their families. The plot was well developed and reads smoothly. My only complaint is the common presence of punctuation errors. Easily fixed, and easily overlooked by the reader. I trust that high school males will enjoy the book while the girls may want to read it to see what makes guys tick. "Down by Two" is a well-done piece of work.