Wrestling Sturbridge

Written by Rich Wallace

Narrated by Johnny Heller

Welcome to Sturbridge, Pennsylvania, a small, dead-end town with nothing to do and no way out. At least that’s how Ben, a high school senior and the second-best 135-pound wrestler in school, sees it. But Ben’s fed up with being stuck on the bench, watching as his friend Al, the state champion, gets all the glory. If Ben doesn’t get his life in gear, he could end up like his father and the other men in Sturbridge—working on the line in the cinder block factory. Spurred on partly by a wise, intense young woman, and partly by a strength found deep within himself, Ben looks for a way out—his whole life depends on it. In the words of Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli, "Wrestling Sturbridge isn’t just an outstanding first novel; it’s an outstanding novel, period." 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 5, 2025
• ISBN: 9798899730672

Reviews for Wrestling Sturbridge

[swimcoachjill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ben has been wrestling in his best friend Al's shadow since ninth grade. Everyone expects Al to win the state championship this year. Ben wants that state title, though, badly. He's willing to risk the friendship to take Al down and make something of himself before he is dragged down to follow in the footsteps of the wrestling alum in his town. They all work in his dead-end town at a cinder block factory

[cliffburns · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The finest young adult novel I've ever read (and there's been some mighty good competition in the past five years or so, the field attracting talented people like Philip Reeve and Michael Chabon). A terrific story, the central character credible and fallible, the novel, by turns, wry and suspenseful. "Coming of age" doesn't do it justice. This is an authentic depiction of young adulthood and I recommend it whole-heartedly...