This book was the first Chris Crutcher book I have read and I found it quite enjoyable. It was fast paced and did not let up. I related to some of the problems that the characters were facging. ( )

A story of the strong friendship between four 18-year-olds, following their senior year at high school and their swimming competitions. Told by Walk, the captain of the swim team, side issues mentioned are his relationships with girls, his brother and his parents. Jeff, one of the strongest members of the team, is suddenly struck down by an unnamed illness. Although Jeff is still alive at the end of the novel, it is one of the better works about anticipatory grief. Death is an issue for most of the team members: Nortie's brother had committed suicide 12 years earlier, due to their continual abuse by their father; Lion lives alone following the deaths of his parents and younger brother in a boating accident three years earlier. During Stotan Week, a training exercise, these stories come out and their grief is supported by their friends. ( )

Yay! A swimming book! Any competitive swimmer can relate to the experiences that the guys in this book go through during their hell week. ( )