The YA Book Log

Have you ever pictured living a life as a high school dropout whose only job is working in a grocery store? Well, in the novel THE CONTENDER by Robert Lipsyte, this is the life of a 17 year old African American named Alfred Brooks. Alfred has no parents and is living with his sweet old Aunt Pearl and her three daughters Charlene, Sandra, and Paula. His best friend James Mosley is sinking further and further into drug addiction. One day when Alfred is beat up by a gang, he decides to go up to Donatelli’s Gym and become a champion boxer. Brooks goes through a lot of training in order to become a hardcore boxer. He wakes up every morning and goes for a long run. Then after his job, he goes and works out at the gym. After a while of training, Alfred quits but then he joins the gym again and this time he got to be a real boxer. While training in the gym, Alfred makes a lot of new friends, Mr. Vito Donatelli, Henry Johnson, Bill Witherspoon (Spoon), Dr.Corey, Horace Marshall Davenport, Jr. (Jelly Belly), Angel, Jose, and Bud Martin. Brooks also has some inspiration from his boss, Lou Epstein, who once was a fighter called “Lightning Lou Epp”.
This amazing novel was a definite inspiration and this book will be loved by all you realistic fiction lovers out there. I would personally rate this book as a nine on a scale of one to ten. I think this will be most suitable for boys ages 10-18 and I am sure a couple girls like me will enjoy this book too.
Annet Kuruvilla
Grade 8
Woodland Middle School