Winger
Ryan Dean West is back to his boarding school antics in this âbrave [and] wickedly funnyâ (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) sequel to Winger. Itâs his last year at Pine Mountain, and Ryan Dean should be focused on his future, but instead, heâs haunted by his past. His rugby coach expects him to fill the roles once played by his lost friend, Joey, as the rugby teamâs stand-off and new captain. And somehow heâs stuck rooming with twelve-year-old freshman Sam Abernathy, a cooking whiz with extreme claustrophobia and a serious crush on Annie Altmanâaka Ryan Deanâs girlfriend, for now, anyway. Equally distressing, Ryan Deanâs doodles and drawings donât offer the relief they used to. Heâs convinced N.A.T.E. (the Next Accidental Terrible Experience) is lurking around every cornerâand then he runs into Joeyâs younger brother Nico, who makes Ryan Dean feel paranoid that heâs avoiding him. Will Ryan Dean ever regain his sanity? From the author of 100 Sideways Miles, which Kirkus Reviews called âa wickedly witty and offbeat novel,â Stand-Off is filled with hand-drawn infographics and illustrations and delivers the same spot-on teen voice and relatable narrative that legions of readers connected with in Winger.