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Checked out
Due 2024-05-21
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Publication
Random House Large Print (2021), Edition: Large type / Large print, 460 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Thriller. HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER �?� John Grisham takes you to a different kind of court in his first basketball novel. Samuel �??Sooley�?� Sooleymon is a raw, young talent with big hoop dreams�??and even bigger challenges off the court. �??Hard to put down ... the pages turn quickly ... building to a climax that won�??t leave readers doubting whether this is a John Grisham novel.�?� �??Associated Press In the summer of his seventeenth year, Samuel Sooleymon gets the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the United States with his South Sudanese teammates to play in a showcase basketball tournament. He has never been away from home, nor has he ever been on an airplane. The opportunity to be scouted by dozens of college coaches is a dream come true. Samuel is an amazing athlete, with speed, quickness, and an astonishing vertical leap. The rest of his game, though, needs work, and the American coaches are less than impressed. During the tournament, Samuel receives devastating news from home: A civil war is raging across South Sudan, and rebel troops have ransacked his village. His father is dead, his sister is missing, and his mother and two younger brothers are in a refugee camp. Samuel desperately wants to go home, but it�??s just not possible. Partly out of sympathy, the coach of North Carolina Central offers him a scholarship. Samuel moves to Durham, enrolls in classes, joins the team, and prepares to sit out his freshman season. There is plenty of more mature talent and he isn�??t immediately needed. But Samuel has something no other player has: a fierce determination to succeed so he can bring his family to America. He works tirelessly on his game, shooting baskets every morning at dawn by himself in the gym, and soon he�??s dominating everyone in practice. With the Central team losing and suffering injury after injury, Sooley, as he is nicknamed, is called off the bench. And the legend begins. But how far can Sooley take his team? And will success allow him to save his family? Gripping and moving, Sooley showcases John Grisham�??s unparalleled storytelling powers in a whole… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Sooley, John Grisham, author; Dion Graham, narrator
This book is not like the legal thrillers by Grisham that I prefer. Instead of an exciting book about crime and injustice, it is about basketball, almost a text about basketball. By way of that sport, it is also about class, race, immigration,
Samuel Sooleyman is a teenager in Lotta, a small village in the South Sudan where he lives happily, often dreaming about a possible life in America. He has been spotted by a scout, Ecko Lam, originally from South Sudan. He is searching for ten kids that might qualify as prospects to be brought to the United States to play for the Sudan under 18 team and then hopefully to be chosen to attend a college there. In Sooley’s case, it was Central in North Carolina. He receives a full scholarship, funding, housing and a job he loves to give him excess cash for what he will need and an opportunity for endless practice.
Grisham refers to Central as “the other school”, since Duke is the more famous school located there. Central is a largely black school. This opportunity for Samuel is the ticket to freedom, fame and fortune, if only he can qualify. Samuel lives, eats and breathes basketball. At 17, he is 6 feet 2 inches and is still growing, but his skills have to grow as well. Ecko has to determine if they will. He makes a gut decision and selects Sooley for the team, believing he will improve and become a star. Samuel jumps like a gazelle, high and graceful and only needs to work on his form and his accuracy. Samuel is all in for the job.
When violence comes to Sooley’s hometown, death and destruction follow. His family is homeless and in dire straits. He wants to go home to help, but he cannot return because it is too dangerous, and he has no place to go anyway. The rebels fighting this Civil War are vicious and relentless, they have destroyed his village completely. He remains in the United States, at first only motivated by the need to save and to work to rescue his family from afar, bringing them to the United States too. He is not motivated by money at all, but by the altruistic thought of saving them. Sooley’s mother has the same kind nature as he evidences. Will he be able to maintain his values as the world of sports begins to corrupt him? Ecko promises to help him and is true to his word. He brings back information from Africa, and helps to ferry messages to and fro.
Alternating between Sooley’s family’s trauma and Sooley’s inevitable progress in basketball, the book moves on until his ultimate goal is reached. He has improved so much, he is being looked at as an early draft for the NBA, even though he is too young to really make mature decisions. He is motivated by money and the hope of freedom for his remaining family. He is encouraged to give up his education and to choose the millions that will be offered to him. The book has a twist at the end, so don’t look ahead, but otherwise, the plot is quite obvious and often tedious. There were too many characters to follow, and therefore it was not easy to become invested with any of them, except perhaps for his dear friend Murray and Sooley. Often it was difficult to follow each thread carefully. There were also too many descriptions of basketball plays and moves, and so someone not totally immersed in the sport, like Sooley, might soon give up on the book and choose to read something else.
There are few unknowns in the novel. One wonders, only occasionally, about whether or not Sooley is going to be influenced by greed, tragedy and other opinions. There is little encouragement by the author to do this, and so there is really no hurry to reach the end of the book. It is slow moving and way too involved in the nitty gritty of the sport and tends to be utterly boring at times with the necessary inclusion, by liberal authors today, of their politics about race, sex and white privilege. If Central beats Duke, what is the subliminal message intended?
The most important message, however, is the one I found least stressed. Education is important for the future of our youth and our country. If students are well rounded, taught good citizenship, and are allowed to mature, they will make more intelligent decisions. However, if they are spoiled by the bright lights and money always being advertised, they might not choose education which has a longer lasting value than a sport that can only be played for a short period of time in life and also involves the possibility of grave injuries.
The book reinforced the idea of the importance of money as a means to happiness and success, not the importance of education and worthwhile contributions to society.
Greed leads to foolish decisions, but this is a theme that the book does not truly embrace. Although it is there front and center, it is not discouraged. This book could have reinforced the idea that drugs are dangerous. It could have reinforced the stupidity of paying ridiculous sums of money to teenagers who are encouraged to give up any other future on the chance that they will be superrich playing for a big name team. It is shortsighted. It could have reinforced the idea that kids need to follow the advice of adults that care about them, family, not friends who are not wise enough to make any better decision than they are. It could have encouraged the young not to experiment in wild sex and drinking explaining that sometimes women, alcohol and other toys, like fancy cars, drugs and partying into all hours of the night are dangerous pastimes. These kids have stars in their eyes that blind them.
I think Grisham missed the opportunity to stress education over athletics, in this book, but that did not seem to be the prominent theme. Instead of encouraging students to work toward improving the world in some way as they improved themselves, it encouraged greed, which, more often than not, leads to tragic ends because it is too much, too soon. It is too hard for immature kids to manage all the “toys” that come with the prize of success in sports.
In no way did this book encourage better behavior. It encouraged “go fund me pages”, but not working for the betterment of America or any country in which one lives. It encouraged greed and selfish pursuits. Winning above all was the major theme of the book. Perhaps, if the theme had been more altruistic, a theme it would have been easy to implant within these pages, I would then have rated the book higher than the two stars I gave it. To me, the book’s main message is self-centered greed. It tried but failed to show how the lights of fame corrupt, how it might be dangerous to pursue only sports, but that was presented as the ultimate goal. There was no moral, no lesson though that would have made the book far more worthwhile for the group it is intended to reach, the group that sees sports only as a ticket to money, not to any other worthwhile pursuit to improve the world.
There were really only two redeeming features of this book, for me. It encouraged me to do some research on South Sudan, and the narrator was excellent, using tone and accent perfectly. Each of the characters was well defined, and most often the emotion expressed was on point and authentic. Is there strife in the world, are our athletes overpaid? Yes, do these themes come through adequately? I didn’t think so, but other readers will decide that for themselves if they can make it to the end of the book.
This book is not like the legal thrillers by Grisham that I prefer. Instead of an exciting book about crime and injustice, it is about basketball, almost a text about basketball. By way of that sport, it is also about class, race, immigration,
Show More
violence in some tribal African countries, particularly in the South Sudan, and drugs, as well. Samuel Sooleyman is a teenager in Lotta, a small village in the South Sudan where he lives happily, often dreaming about a possible life in America. He has been spotted by a scout, Ecko Lam, originally from South Sudan. He is searching for ten kids that might qualify as prospects to be brought to the United States to play for the Sudan under 18 team and then hopefully to be chosen to attend a college there. In Sooley’s case, it was Central in North Carolina. He receives a full scholarship, funding, housing and a job he loves to give him excess cash for what he will need and an opportunity for endless practice.
Grisham refers to Central as “the other school”, since Duke is the more famous school located there. Central is a largely black school. This opportunity for Samuel is the ticket to freedom, fame and fortune, if only he can qualify. Samuel lives, eats and breathes basketball. At 17, he is 6 feet 2 inches and is still growing, but his skills have to grow as well. Ecko has to determine if they will. He makes a gut decision and selects Sooley for the team, believing he will improve and become a star. Samuel jumps like a gazelle, high and graceful and only needs to work on his form and his accuracy. Samuel is all in for the job.
When violence comes to Sooley’s hometown, death and destruction follow. His family is homeless and in dire straits. He wants to go home to help, but he cannot return because it is too dangerous, and he has no place to go anyway. The rebels fighting this Civil War are vicious and relentless, they have destroyed his village completely. He remains in the United States, at first only motivated by the need to save and to work to rescue his family from afar, bringing them to the United States too. He is not motivated by money at all, but by the altruistic thought of saving them. Sooley’s mother has the same kind nature as he evidences. Will he be able to maintain his values as the world of sports begins to corrupt him? Ecko promises to help him and is true to his word. He brings back information from Africa, and helps to ferry messages to and fro.
Alternating between Sooley’s family’s trauma and Sooley’s inevitable progress in basketball, the book moves on until his ultimate goal is reached. He has improved so much, he is being looked at as an early draft for the NBA, even though he is too young to really make mature decisions. He is motivated by money and the hope of freedom for his remaining family. He is encouraged to give up his education and to choose the millions that will be offered to him. The book has a twist at the end, so don’t look ahead, but otherwise, the plot is quite obvious and often tedious. There were too many characters to follow, and therefore it was not easy to become invested with any of them, except perhaps for his dear friend Murray and Sooley. Often it was difficult to follow each thread carefully. There were also too many descriptions of basketball plays and moves, and so someone not totally immersed in the sport, like Sooley, might soon give up on the book and choose to read something else.
There are few unknowns in the novel. One wonders, only occasionally, about whether or not Sooley is going to be influenced by greed, tragedy and other opinions. There is little encouragement by the author to do this, and so there is really no hurry to reach the end of the book. It is slow moving and way too involved in the nitty gritty of the sport and tends to be utterly boring at times with the necessary inclusion, by liberal authors today, of their politics about race, sex and white privilege. If Central beats Duke, what is the subliminal message intended?
The most important message, however, is the one I found least stressed. Education is important for the future of our youth and our country. If students are well rounded, taught good citizenship, and are allowed to mature, they will make more intelligent decisions. However, if they are spoiled by the bright lights and money always being advertised, they might not choose education which has a longer lasting value than a sport that can only be played for a short period of time in life and also involves the possibility of grave injuries.
The book reinforced the idea of the importance of money as a means to happiness and success, not the importance of education and worthwhile contributions to society.
Greed leads to foolish decisions, but this is a theme that the book does not truly embrace. Although it is there front and center, it is not discouraged. This book could have reinforced the idea that drugs are dangerous. It could have reinforced the stupidity of paying ridiculous sums of money to teenagers who are encouraged to give up any other future on the chance that they will be superrich playing for a big name team. It is shortsighted. It could have reinforced the idea that kids need to follow the advice of adults that care about them, family, not friends who are not wise enough to make any better decision than they are. It could have encouraged the young not to experiment in wild sex and drinking explaining that sometimes women, alcohol and other toys, like fancy cars, drugs and partying into all hours of the night are dangerous pastimes. These kids have stars in their eyes that blind them.
I think Grisham missed the opportunity to stress education over athletics, in this book, but that did not seem to be the prominent theme. Instead of encouraging students to work toward improving the world in some way as they improved themselves, it encouraged greed, which, more often than not, leads to tragic ends because it is too much, too soon. It is too hard for immature kids to manage all the “toys” that come with the prize of success in sports.
In no way did this book encourage better behavior. It encouraged “go fund me pages”, but not working for the betterment of America or any country in which one lives. It encouraged greed and selfish pursuits. Winning above all was the major theme of the book. Perhaps, if the theme had been more altruistic, a theme it would have been easy to implant within these pages, I would then have rated the book higher than the two stars I gave it. To me, the book’s main message is self-centered greed. It tried but failed to show how the lights of fame corrupt, how it might be dangerous to pursue only sports, but that was presented as the ultimate goal. There was no moral, no lesson though that would have made the book far more worthwhile for the group it is intended to reach, the group that sees sports only as a ticket to money, not to any other worthwhile pursuit to improve the world.
There were really only two redeeming features of this book, for me. It encouraged me to do some research on South Sudan, and the narrator was excellent, using tone and accent perfectly. Each of the characters was well defined, and most often the emotion expressed was on point and authentic. Is there strife in the world, are our athletes overpaid? Yes, do these themes come through adequately? I didn’t think so, but other readers will decide that for themselves if they can make it to the end of the book.
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LibraryThing member Nancyjcbs
I enjoy John Grisham's writing and often find myself lost in his books whether it's a legal thriller, nonfiction, or sports novel. I also often find myself let down at the end. Sooley fit the mold to a T (basketball pun).
The story is of a young South Sundanese basketball player but it's also the
And there's basketball. Lots and lots of basketball. I am a basketball fan so I enjoyed the play by play of many games, the craziness that is March Madness, and the sports reporting that can be so over the top.
The story is of a young South Sundanese basketball player but it's also the
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story of his family living in danger in Africa while he is living well on a North Carolina college campus. In many ways the novel felt formulaic, lots of predictable outcomes and all of the emotions in play: joy, success, pride, failure, grief, and loss. Sooley's support system is incredible from coaches to friends to other adults.And there's basketball. Lots and lots of basketball. I am a basketball fan so I enjoyed the play by play of many games, the craziness that is March Madness, and the sports reporting that can be so over the top.
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LibraryThing member Twink
John Grisham writes legal thrillers. But he also writes stand alone sports novels that are just as wonderful. The latest is the newly released Sooley.
Samuel's home in is South Sudan, a war torn country beset with violence. Samuel dreams of someday playing basketball in the US - and bringing his
Oh, I love a good underdog story! Sooley's story is one of those. The listener will fall in love with him and have their fingers crossed that he fulfills his dreams. Grisham has done a fantastic job building his characters. The supporting cast of coaches, teammates and supporters drew me in just as much as Sooley did. There are some real life people woven into the story as well.
Sooley is told in alternating settings - with Sooley in the US and then cutting to the Rhino Refugee Camp in Uganda where Sooley's family is.
I thought the plot was fantastic, believable and possible. I was caught off guard with an unpredictable development that I must admit, made me a little angry. But it was indeed a believable turn. Grisham hits many social issues in this book.
All in all - I loved it!
I chose to listen to Sooley. The narrator was Dion Graham and he was the perfect choice. His voice is rich and full and really pleasant to listen to. He provided different voices for every character - they suited the mental images I had of the characters and it was easy to discern who was speaking. The voice for Sooley was so very good. Graham easily interprets Grisham's book with his expressive voice. And extra points for 'calling' the basketball games. It sounded just like we were in the stadium. I've said it before and I'll say it again - listening immerses me in a book and I feel like I'm part of the story. Even more so in this case.
Samuel's home in is South Sudan, a war torn country beset with violence. Samuel dreams of someday playing basketball in the US - and bringing his
Show More
family with him. And through a series of events...he makes it to the US....Oh, I love a good underdog story! Sooley's story is one of those. The listener will fall in love with him and have their fingers crossed that he fulfills his dreams. Grisham has done a fantastic job building his characters. The supporting cast of coaches, teammates and supporters drew me in just as much as Sooley did. There are some real life people woven into the story as well.
Sooley is told in alternating settings - with Sooley in the US and then cutting to the Rhino Refugee Camp in Uganda where Sooley's family is.
I thought the plot was fantastic, believable and possible. I was caught off guard with an unpredictable development that I must admit, made me a little angry. But it was indeed a believable turn. Grisham hits many social issues in this book.
All in all - I loved it!
I chose to listen to Sooley. The narrator was Dion Graham and he was the perfect choice. His voice is rich and full and really pleasant to listen to. He provided different voices for every character - they suited the mental images I had of the characters and it was easy to discern who was speaking. The voice for Sooley was so very good. Graham easily interprets Grisham's book with his expressive voice. And extra points for 'calling' the basketball games. It sounded just like we were in the stadium. I've said it before and I'll say it again - listening immerses me in a book and I feel like I'm part of the story. Even more so in this case.
Show Less
LibraryThing member waldhaus1
From Africa to March madness. Certainly atypical for Grisham but well worth the read/listen. A young Sudanese man who has a natural talent for basketball. He leaves Africa and then his village is over run by terrorists. His father is killed and his mother, brothers, and, sister end up in a refugee
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camp in Uganda. There are several surprising twists. Show Less
LibraryThing member andsoitgoes
Was enjoying this book until about 3/4 way in. The main character makes a decision that is totally out of character for what Grisham has presented and it didn't make sense to me. Although it did make me more aware of South Sudan and the refuge struggle. I believe that Grisham does a fantastic job
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leaving his court/law stories and enjoyed Playing for Pizza, Calico Joe, etc. but he gets too wrapped up in the basketball games for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member Judiex
Samuel Sooleymon was a seventeen year old boy living in a village in South Sudan whose favorite pastime was playing basketball on a dirt court when he had the opportunity to travel to the United States to play in a showcase basketball game.
Soon after he arrived, he learned that rebels had invaded
Even though he misses more shots than he makes, he is fast quick, and has amazing height during his leaps. One of the scouts convinces the coach from North Carolina Central to offer him a scholarship, partly our of sympathy.
Sooley, as he is now called, practices constantly while working to get money to bring his mother and brothers to the US. He doesn’t play in any games, though, until midseason when some of better players are unable to take the court.
Sooley proves to be the person who can turn the team around, even getting to play in some of the national playoffs. Eventually, other scouts notice him (hard not to do with his huge popularity) and the question becomes should he continue his college career, eventually becoming a doctor, or go professional with a NBA team.
Sooley and his roommate, Murray, become very close and Sooley moved into their home to avoid all the popularity distractions on campus.
But while Sooley is adored, he is also neglected. His main focus is saving his family and finding the quickest way to do so. No one seems to take to time to prepare him for the life of a celebrity.
If you are a huge basketball fan, especially college basketball, SOOLEY primarily covers both the games, in detail, and the life behind the scenes. The Sudan situation is secondary but the picture of life as a refugee does come through.
John Grisham played basketball in high school. His hopes of going further did not materialize. I hope he goes back to his usual format now.
Soon after he arrived, he learned that rebels had invaded
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his village, killed his schoolteacher father and kidnapped his younger sister. His mother and two younger brothers were able to escape, traveling hundreds of miles, often without sufficient food or water, until they arrived in a refugee camp in Uganda.Even though he misses more shots than he makes, he is fast quick, and has amazing height during his leaps. One of the scouts convinces the coach from North Carolina Central to offer him a scholarship, partly our of sympathy.
Sooley, as he is now called, practices constantly while working to get money to bring his mother and brothers to the US. He doesn’t play in any games, though, until midseason when some of better players are unable to take the court.
Sooley proves to be the person who can turn the team around, even getting to play in some of the national playoffs. Eventually, other scouts notice him (hard not to do with his huge popularity) and the question becomes should he continue his college career, eventually becoming a doctor, or go professional with a NBA team.
Sooley and his roommate, Murray, become very close and Sooley moved into their home to avoid all the popularity distractions on campus.
But while Sooley is adored, he is also neglected. His main focus is saving his family and finding the quickest way to do so. No one seems to take to time to prepare him for the life of a celebrity.
If you are a huge basketball fan, especially college basketball, SOOLEY primarily covers both the games, in detail, and the life behind the scenes. The Sudan situation is secondary but the picture of life as a refugee does come through.
John Grisham played basketball in high school. His hopes of going further did not materialize. I hope he goes back to his usual format now.
Show Less
LibraryThing member repb
This book was just awful. Basically about a South African kid who makes it to the big time in basketball and falls and burns. Very boring play by play takes up half the book and Grisham's tirades against poverty, immigration, human weakness, etc. takes up the rest. I had to force myself to finish.
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Grisham should forget writing about sports. Best thing about the book was the cover. Show Less
LibraryThing member DrApple
Grisham created a lovable character then killed him off. I felt like it was a real let-down after taking us along on Sooley's journey to success.
LibraryThing member maryreinert
I enjoyed the first half of this book then got delayed in reading and had a hard time getting back into it.
Samuel Sooleymon is a young man in South Sudan with incredible basketball skills. This story takes him from the Sudan to the United States where he becomes a famous basketball player. Along
The entire book seems to provide a narrative of behind the scenes of not only collegiate basketball but professional basketball as well. Not always a pretty picture.
The most interesting parts of the book, I felt, were about his family in the Sudan - soldiers, killings, etc. and life in a refuge camp. The book is a strange juxtaposition of extreme wealth and extreme poverty.
Samuel Sooleymon is a young man in South Sudan with incredible basketball skills. This story takes him from the Sudan to the United States where he becomes a famous basketball player. Along
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the way, he is "handled" by agents, befriended by an American family, and deals with the pressures of fame and money. Much of this book (especially in the second half) tells of specific games.The entire book seems to provide a narrative of behind the scenes of not only collegiate basketball but professional basketball as well. Not always a pretty picture.
The most interesting parts of the book, I felt, were about his family in the Sudan - soldiers, killings, etc. and life in a refuge camp. The book is a strange juxtaposition of extreme wealth and extreme poverty.
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LibraryThing member clue
This new book by John Grisham is disappointing some of his readers because as the publisher exlpains, it is about "a different kind of court." Grisham is a sports fan and has written Sooley around college basketball. Sooley is a seventeen year old brought from South Sudan with other young players
When Sooley arrives in the U.S. he is 6'2" and excels at moving the ball and jumping. At making baskets he needs work. Like other young African players he is accustomed to playing on a dirt court in his village and has never been coached.
South Sudan is in civil war. While playing a game at the end of the tour Sooley learns his village has been sacked by rebel troops. His father is dead and his older sister has been taken. His mother and younger brothers have found their way to a refugee camp in Uganda. A good son, now Sooley just wants to go home. The period the book covers is one year of Sooley's young life.
I haven't read all of Grisham's books but of those I have this is probably my favorite. It is defintely driven by issues. Those in college and pro sports, those of immigration, and those of war and displacement. There is also enduring friendship, strong female characters, and a young African man/boy it's easy to love.
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to play in showcase games. He may catch the attentiion of college scouts or he may not. No promises made. If he doesn't, he goes back to his home. When Sooley arrives in the U.S. he is 6'2" and excels at moving the ball and jumping. At making baskets he needs work. Like other young African players he is accustomed to playing on a dirt court in his village and has never been coached.
South Sudan is in civil war. While playing a game at the end of the tour Sooley learns his village has been sacked by rebel troops. His father is dead and his older sister has been taken. His mother and younger brothers have found their way to a refugee camp in Uganda. A good son, now Sooley just wants to go home. The period the book covers is one year of Sooley's young life.
I haven't read all of Grisham's books but of those I have this is probably my favorite. It is defintely driven by issues. Those in college and pro sports, those of immigration, and those of war and displacement. There is also enduring friendship, strong female characters, and a young African man/boy it's easy to love.
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
I haven't read John Grisham in awhile and I am definitely not a basketball fan. Well, I absolutely loved this book!! I literally stayed awake last night until 2:00 am to finish it!
LibraryThing member LivelyLady
A good story of a Sudanese teen who becomes a US basketball star. Good Grisham writing, but since I know zip about basketball, the sports parts were wasted on me. The parts of living in a refugee camp, etc., was eye opening.
LibraryThing member bblum
South Sudan civil war and the daily fear of rebels taking young men and killing and destroying villages comes to Samuels village when he was in Florida as a hopeful high school basketball player. Story cuts back and forth between Samuel searching online for his family and his mother and two younger
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sons ultimately finding a refugee camp. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jthierer
Full disclosure: I like sports, but basketball is probably my least favorite of the Big 4. Someone who is a hoops superfan might like this one significantly more.
I think this book's biggest problem is Grisham couldn't decide if he was telling a story or educating the reader on the horrors of the
I think this book's biggest problem is Grisham couldn't decide if he was telling a story or educating the reader on the horrors of the
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South Sudanese Civil War. When he was telling the story of Sooley and his family the book moved along pretty quickly, but, especially in the first half, several chapters start with an info dump about the situation in South Sudan that bogged the momentum down. Honestly, I think if Grisham was wanting to bring attention to the situation in South Sudan he would have been better served to simply tell his story and add some of the historical information in an afterword or author's note. Show Less
LibraryThing member FormerEnglishTeacher
John Grisham has been known for more than three decades for his legal thrillers. This book, Sooley, isn’t in that genre. It’s a sports book, a book about a South Sudan basketball phenom who finds a new life in the U.S. while his family suffers in Sudan and later in a refugee camp in Uganda.
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Grishom is obviously a student of the game of basketball as evidenced by his use of every basketball cliche in the book. Much of the book is recounting play by play of the games Sooley plays in, and, candidly, a little of that play by play goes a long way. To my way of thinking, Grisham could have reduced that part of the book to a few games before the NCAA tournament and then a couple of games during the tourney. That said, at least Grisham wasn’t trying to pull off a description of a sport he didn’t know. It was obvious that he knows basketball well. In fact, my guess is that only basketball fans will enjoy this book because of the copious play by play narrative. Show Less
LibraryThing member buffalogr
Grisham has been known for legal thrillers. This book isn’t one of those. It’s a sports book; one of the few he's written. Grisham writes a lot about the game, using every basketball cliche in the book--boooring. In the end, Grisham can't resist a legal finis'. Upon reflection, one can't help
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but wonder if the book is about basketball or about third world poverty and conflict? Show Less
LibraryThing member sriddell
A feel-good story about a young man from war-torn South Sudan who comes to America to play basketball.
Sooley (short for Samuel Sooleymon) is an endearing character and I found myself cheering him on every step of the way.
This is not one of Grisham's classic legal/courtroom dramas. Instead it's a
No need to be a basketball expert to enjoy this book. There's a really heartwarming back story about Sooley's family, village, country and an overarching story about refugees.
And classic Grisham, there are tons of twists and turns. I won't spoil the story, but you already know before you even open one of Grisham's books that things are never smooth and rarely go as planned.
Sooley (short for Samuel Sooleymon) is an endearing character and I found myself cheering him on every step of the way.
This is not one of Grisham's classic legal/courtroom dramas. Instead it's a
Show More
sports story, clearly inspired by Grisham's love of basketball. I have no strong feelings about basketball one way or the other, but I felt like I was right on the court experiencing the games first hand. No need to be a basketball expert to enjoy this book. There's a really heartwarming back story about Sooley's family, village, country and an overarching story about refugees.
And classic Grisham, there are tons of twists and turns. I won't spoil the story, but you already know before you even open one of Grisham's books that things are never smooth and rarely go as planned.
Show Less
LibraryThing member terran
Wonderful story and character.
LibraryThing member creighley
In the summer of his seventeenth year, Samuel Sooleyman gets the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the US with his South Sudanese basketball team to play in a showcase of tournaments. He has never been away from home, nor has he ever been on an airplane. The opportunity to be scouted by dozens of
Samuel is an amazing athlete, with speed, quickness, and an astonishing vertical leap. The rest of his game needs work, making the American coaches less than impressed.
During the tournament, Samuel receives word that a civil war is raging and has destroyed his village leaving his father killed and his mother and siblings in a refugee camp. Samuel desperately wants to go home, it it’s just not possible. Out of sympathy, the coach from North Carolina offers Sooley a scholarship.
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college coaches is a dream come true.Samuel is an amazing athlete, with speed, quickness, and an astonishing vertical leap. The rest of his game needs work, making the American coaches less than impressed.
During the tournament, Samuel receives word that a civil war is raging and has destroyed his village leaving his father killed and his mother and siblings in a refugee camp. Samuel desperately wants to go home, it it’s just not possible. Out of sympathy, the coach from North Carolina offers Sooley a scholarship.
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LibraryThing member JenniferRobb
It's between 3 and 4 stars for me (rating shown may vary by site).
I had an idea in my head of how Grisham would end this book--not all of what I expected came true--or it did, but in a different way than I'd envisioned. I had tears in my eyes at the end.
It did bother me that Murray and Sooley were
There are some lessons in giving large sums of money to younger people--I'm glad the agent was also advising investing some of it towards the future, but the plot also shows the dangers of having such a large sum to spend and of being caught up in the "fame" aspect of professional sports.
I had an idea in my head of how Grisham would end this book--not all of what I expected came true--or it did, but in a different way than I'd envisioned. I had tears in my eyes at the end.
It did bother me that Murray and Sooley were
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able to get so much alcohol despite being underage (at least in the US--not sure what the rules are in the Bahamas). There are some lessons in giving large sums of money to younger people--I'm glad the agent was also advising investing some of it towards the future, but the plot also shows the dangers of having such a large sum to spend and of being caught up in the "fame" aspect of professional sports.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022
ISBN
0593459318 / 9780593459317
Other editions
Sooley: A Novel by John Grisham (Hardcover)
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