by Kate Fagan
First published 2011
Max Vernon stands on a Philadelphia street corner, watching his former teammates head to practice while he walks the opposite direction. Years of basketball have led nowhere, and the courts that once felt like home now remind him of his failures. The streets offer something different through Raul and Theo, who promise quick money and respect that basketball never delivered. Max finds himself torn between two worlds. He can chase the basketball dream that has repeatedly disappointed him, or he can embrace the street life that his friends make look easy and profitable. Each choice pulls him further from the other, and Max struggles to see a path forward. His friends push him toward fast money, while his conscience whispers about the player he once hoped to become. The weight of these decisions presses down on Max as he realizes that whatever he chooses will reshape not only his own future but the lives of everyone who cares about him. In Philadelphia's unforgiving neighborhoods, Max must decide which version of himself he wants to become.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, sports, urban
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Philadelphia
Period: contemporary
156 pages · Paperback · Townsend Press
Content warnings: addiction