This darkly funny look at growing up male in America is narrated by chubby, 14-year-old Elvin Bishop, who describes, with sublime sarcasm, his increasingly painful efforts to find his appropriate athletic "slot." Mature readers will find this unusual sports story both hilarious and poignant; in a starred review, Booklist wrote, "this wry, thoughtful book speaks with wisdom and heart to the victim and the outsider in us all." An ALA Best Book for Young Adults.