THE BIG GAME OF EVERYTHING
Chris Lynch
HarperTeen
Fiction
ISBN: 9780060740344
288 pages

• Read an Excerpt

Thirteen-year-old Jock thinks his family is incredibly weird. His hippy, vegetarian parents named him Union Jack (though at age six he wanted it to be pronounced Onion Jock). They insist that everyone --- including their own kids --- call them by their first names.

Leonard and Peach run a barbershop/manicurist/palm reading establishment called Fame&Fortune, but they don’t give a hoot about making lots of money. They’re the complete opposite of Jock’s grandfather, who believes that the key to happiness is cold hard cash. He owns and manages his own golf course, all 13 holes of it (Grampus is in the process of constructing the 14th one himself).

Jock’s younger brother, Egon, takes after his grandfather in the money grubbing area, but is about a hundred times worse. Another personality flaw of his is that he takes great pleasure in picking on Jock (or Dingleberry, as he calls him), both physically and verbally, though he is the first one to come to Jock’s rescue when bullies like the Noblett brothers threaten him.

Despite his eccentric family, Jock looks forward to the approaching summer vacation as he and Egon will work at the golf course. Jock loves the compound, as they call it, and thinks it’s the greatest place in the world, owned and managed by the greatest person in the world. Even though the pay isn’t very consistent, and he sometimes has to clean the public restrooms, Jock is happiest when at the golf course. He doesn’t even like to play the sport, though he enjoys hitting balls at the driving range. But then something happens that changes everything.

Grampus suffers a stroke, and his loved ones discover that the golf course is failing financially. As he slowly starts to recover, Grampus comes to see life in a new light. Maybe having money isn’t so important after all. The entire family pitches in to save the course and, in the process, brings a fresh glow and a new atmosphere to the compound.

Jock even begins to see some change in himself and digs up the courage to stand up to one of the Noblett brothers. His intense and discovery-filled summer proves that having money and objects aren’t the important things in life; love and family are, even relatives as strange as Jock’s.

Chris Lynch’s latest book is a hilarious look at a world that has gone crazy with mixed-up priorities, valuing money and toys over family and friends. Lynch’s sense of humor really brings this meaningful story to life, along with a cast of colorful characters. Jock especially shines, with a wisdom beyond his years and a special gift of insight into others. THE BIG GAME OF EVERYTHING is a wonderful, funny and touching novel that will remind readers of what’s really important in life.

   --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.

© Copyright 1997-2008, Teenreads.com. All rights reserved.

Back to top.