Conviction

Book talk: Braden wants nothing more than to keep his head down and play baseball. But his entire world is turned upside-down when his father is arrested for killing a police officer. His father is a well-known christian radio personality, which makes the case a field day for the press. Braden is the key witness in his trail, and in the midst of this circus he has to decide how he will testify. Everyone takes sides, and naturally his team has his back. The nephew of the cop Braden's father is accused of killing plays baseball at a neighboring school, and when the two teams face off everyone feels that there's much more than a game at stake.

Rave: This book is unflinching in its portrayal of abuse, which makes it a difficult read at times. The family dynamic is complex and the characters are far from perfect. I'm not a baseball fan, but this book made me care about the game. Religion, politics, sexuality, sports, race: this book sounds like the recipe for an awkward and contentious dinner conversation but somehow Gilbert pulls it all together into a fantastic and compelling novel.

Every book its reader: I'd give this to fans of baseball or contemporary fiction. It's pretty intense so I'd say 8th grade and up.

Topics and Trends: baseball, LGBTQ, police, religion

Source: kobo ebook

Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert: buy it or check it out today!