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“Forgiveness is a powerful thing. Not only for the person you’re forgiving but for yourself too,” Jason Allenbach. – Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up
Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up
by Jenn Bishop
10+
Score
4.3
304
After her parents separated, Rory March chose to move to Cincinnati, Ohio, with her dad. Rory’s dad was recently hired as the men’s basketball coach for the University of Cincinnati, a role that previously belonged to his own father. Naturally, Rory is a huge fan of basketball. As she enters eighth grade at a new school, she plans to join the school’s basketball team and become good friends with her teammates. Although Rory is terrific at basketball, she has very little experience making friends. With her dad constantly moving between colleges, Rory has never stayed in one place long enough to form a close friendship.
On her first day at school, Rory meets Abby Allenbach, a funny and talkative classmate who feels like an outcast. The two girls connect since Abby shares Rory’s love for basketball, and Abby’s dad is also the men’s basketball team coach at Xavier University. Although Rory and Abby support rival teams, they become fast friends. When Abby’s father hears about this, he tells her to stay away from the March family for her own good. Rory and Abby soon discover their fathers’ rivalry extends beyond the court. They were best friends until some mysterious falling out in eighth grade. Not wanting to keep their friendship a secret, Rory and Abby work together to uncover the cause of their dads’ split, hopeful that they will be able to repair their broken friendship.
Although the girls’ investigation initially provides a fun way for Rory and Abby to bond, fractures in their friendship begin to show as Rory repeatedly spends her time with her basketball team and Abby finds friends and a sense of belonging at a nearby school. Will these two fix the mistake that drove their dads apart, or are they bound to repeat it themselves?
Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up is a heartfelt middle-grade novel with an intriguing mystery and a pair of likable protagonists. Each chapter switches between Rory’s and Abby’s points of view, allowing the reader to understand each character’s perspective and follow the thought process that leads to each misunderstanding and miscommunication. While the story is centered on interpersonal conflict, at no point does the drama feel inauthentic or forced for plot progression. Bishop writes Rory and Abby like realistic tweens, each with unique strengths, flaws, and insecurities. By following each character’s perspective, the reader gains a strong understanding of both Rory and Abby and sees each side of the argument.
Along with its emotional maturity and humor, the book has an excellent command of mystery. Chapters set in the 1990s are interspersed throughout the book to show the friendship and eventual split of Rory’s and Abby’s dads. This non-linear story structure allows the reader to uncover the mystery along with Rory and Abby. Following the perspectives of two rocky friendships, the book shows readers the importance of openness, communication, and being supportive.
Overall, Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up is sure to delight any reader with a passion for basketball or a familiarity with Cincinnati’s landmarks and customs. As a local Cincinnatian myself, I especially enjoyed the many city-specific references in the book. However, readers outside of Cincinnati will not feel lost. If anything, they will likely become all the more attached to Rory’s character, relating to her confusion around such oddities as chili on top of spaghetti. However, if you belong to neither group, there is still plenty in the book to enjoy. In her afterword, Bishop explains that she did not grow up in Cincinnati and played little basketball in middle school. Her main intention was to tell a heartfelt story that would show the importance of friendship, forgiveness, and surrounding yourself with people who accept and uplift you. Free Throws, Friendship, and other Things We Fouled Up is certainly that story.
Sexual Content
- Rory and Abby play a game called “Kiss, Marry, Kill.”
- Abby walks in on her brother, who is kissing a girl.
Violence
- None
Drugs and Alcohol
- None
Language
- “Asshole” and “jackass” are used sparingly.
Supernatural
- None
Spiritual Content
- None