Force Out

Joey and Zach have been best friends since forever. As two of the best players in their baseball league, they’ve always dreamed of playing together on the Center State select team, and they will do anything to help each other get there. 

So when Zach is forced to go on an extra-credit field trip that could ruin his chances of being picked for the all-star team, Joey comes up with a risky plan to bail him out. As long as no one finds out what they did, all will be fine. Then the unthinkable happens: They learn there’s only one spot left on the team. Suddenly Joey and Zach go from being best friends to fierce rivals, and Joey must figure out his next move. He has two options: play the biggest game of his life or use their secret to force Zach out. But is Joey really willing to put everything on the line to win? 

Since Joey and Zach have been best friends forever, they don’t even consider the possibility that they won’t be picked to be part of the Center State team. However, to make their dream come true, Joey and Zach come up with crazy schemes in order to force other players out. While Joey feels guilty for his bad actions, Zach never shows remorse. When it becomes clear that only one of them will advance, Zach begins to ignore Joey. In addition to their drama revolving around baseball, the two also have girl drama. Joey is trying to navigate his crush on Leah, but in a surprise twist, Zach steals her. In the end, all is forgiven and Joey and Zach are best friends again. However, readers will be left wondering why Joey would want to be friends with Zach. 

Many middle-grade readers will relate to Joey’s conflicts—friendship trouble, girl trouble, parent trouble, and baseball trouble. However, the story’s message is cloudy and the boys’ bad behavior is never punished. To make matters worse, Joey’s parents do not emulate positive attributes. Joey’s mom is a police officer who believes that bad people belong in jail because they can’t be rehabilitated. Because of her strong beliefs, she is often preachy and pushy. This leaves Joey’s father in a difficult position of trying to smooth over difficulties between Joey and his mom. Unfortunately, Joey’s family dynamics are not healthy and readers will easily understand why Joey was dishonest until the very end. 

Despite the story’s flaws, Force Out’s baseball action will entertain sports-loving readers. Baseball games are expertly interwoven into the story and the games highlight the pressure that many players are forced to endure. While Joey makes some bad decisions, he is eaten up by remorse and eventually tells the truth. Readers will relate to Joey who often struggles with problem-solving, yet he is still a good kid who tries his best. If you’re looking for a baseball book with a more positive message check out Change Up by Derek Jeter, Soar by Joan Bauer, and Heat by Mike Lupica 

Sexual Content  

• While at the playground, Joey talks to Leah, whom he has a crush on. “. . . He dared to touch his lower leg against hers. She didn’t take it away, and the thrill of the contact poured through him like a molten liquid.” 
• Joey and Leah go for a walk. When they return, a girl asks, “What took you so long? You didn’t stop to kiss, did you?” 
• Zach says, “Girls like to be kissed.” The narrator explains: “Everyone knew Zach had kissed Sheila Tibioni in the entrance to the food court at the mall. She was in eighth grade. Zach did it on a dare and had grown famous for it.” 

• After school, Joey leaves and Leah follows him. “Before Joey even knew what happened, she kissed him. As she moved toward him, he turned his head just a bit so their lips brushed before the kiss landed squarely on his cheek.” Then Joey runs away.

Violence  

• Joey and Zach sneak out of the house late at night. They ride their bikes to a teacher’s house and put a clamp around his fuel line so he can’t get to school the next day. In order to do this, Joey puts Valium in a meatball and feeds it to the dog; the dog is uninjured but goes to sleep. The teacher is late to school and must cancel a field trip. 
• Joey’s mother has a difficult time dealing with her brother Martin’s death. Joey’s dad explains that, as a kid, Martin was bullied by other kids. One day, the other kids were jumping off a bridge. “Martin had no business being up there. . . they were all jumping off the bridge into the river. He didn’t want to, but they tormented him. . . He jumped and then tried to change his mind and ended up hitting his head.”  

• Zach thinks about putting human poop in a kid’s food. Zach hopes that this makes the kid sick enough that he can’t play baseball, and then Joey would be able to take his place.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

• Joey’s mom takes Valium for headaches. Joey steals one of her pills and puts it into meat so a dog would eat it. 

Language  

• There is some name calling such as bonehead, butthead, dork, jerk, freak, and witch. 
• Oh my God is used as an exclamation twice. 
• Joeys says, “This is the crappiest day of my life.” 
• Joey gets an email that says CRD. Joey tells his mom that it means “Caucasian rhythmic disorder, CRD. It’s because I can’t dance.” The book doesn’t say what CRD really means. 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• During a game, Joey “prayed for all he was worth not to get pulled.” 
• Before meals, Joey’s family says a blessing; however, no specific blessing is said in the book. 
• When Joey and his family go to church, “The message he got there didn’t leave him feeling warm and fuzzy. There was a bit too much teeth gnashing, burning of chaff, and choked-off vines planted among weeds and thistles for Joey’s liking, and he found himself silently asking, ‘Where is the love?’” 
• Before dinner, his mother prayed and “ended with a special addition, asking God to give Joey the strength of character he needed to do well.”