Pinned

By Alfred C. Martino

Ivan Korske and Bobby Zane couldn't be more different—they come from different backgrounds, different lifestyles, and they have very different values and ways of looking at the world and dealing with people. Yet they both have the drive, determination, and commitment to self-sacrifice necessary to become a champion. In the end, though, only one will stand in the center of the mat with his arms raised in victory.

Has each boy prepared enough? Sacrificed enough? Does each want to win enough? All the training, pain, running, and cutting weight ultimately comes down to a few short minutes on a wrestling mat—leaving one boy the victor, the other devastated.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 1, 2006
• ISBN: 9780547564241

Alfred C. Martino

Alfred C. Martino is the author of the award-winning novels: Perfected By Girls, Over The End Line, and Pinned; the stage play, Waiting For A Friend; and the short stories, "Quiet Desperation," "The Date," "A Day At The Beach," "Where Am I?" "Breathing In Rio," "A Cowboy's Way," "Mother, Interrupter," "The Boy And Girl: A Parable," "Grad School Daydreams," and "I Have Never Been Murdered." Alfred is also lyricist of the goth metal song, "Curse At The Sky." Alfred regularly makes presentations at public libraries and high/middle schools, in person or by Skype, to discuss his novels and short stories, as well as, his process for creating memorable characters and compelling storylines. A proud graduate of Duke University and The Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, Alfred is a native of Short Hills, NJ. He is a longtime resident of Jersey City, NJ, where he is doggie dad to a beautiful Shepherd rescue, Gracie.

Reviews for Pinned

[seantcampbell31 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Although I no-longer wrestle, this novel was a great display of how one must desire to be a champion. Martino is clearly an expert on the subject of high school sports, particularly wrestling, because he was able to show this through his knowledge of the many wrestling moves and the conditioning necessary to succeed in the sport. I am personally a fan of most sports books, but this is up there with some of the best I have ever read.

[rpultusk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of two high school senior wrestlers, each with his own story and each determined to win the state championships. The boys do not know each other, but through the author's use of alternating chapters, readers learn how their stories are actually quite similar.Bobby is from an upper middle class family and his parents' marriage is falling apart. Ivan's mother died less than one year ago and his father has been very distant since then. Both boys struggle with these familial relationships and with romantic relationships.In order to be successful wrestlers, they do horrible things to their bodies. The author is a former high school and collegiate wrestler and his experiences lend a great deal of credibility to the novel. The book is set in New Jersey. There are a few cultural references to class differences, but not many. The plot is sometimes slow because the protagonist switches between Bobby and Ivan in every chapter. Mature topics include sex and references to bodily functions related to "cutting weight."Highly recommended for middle school and high school libraries.

[warriorlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Takes you inside the world of high school wrestling.