Fade Away

YA fiction 

     "With one perfect flick of his wrist, the rock's through the rim, and the state title is ours.  Then it's all cheering and chest bumps, and half the guys are crying, and the whole crowd's got their phones out, trying to catch this moment so they can put it in their pocket and pull it out anytime, like they're witnessing their own little moment of world history."

     Jake, protagonist of E. B. Vickers' Fade Away, is the man of the hour.  He's the one who made the championship winning shot.  He'll be the one who will cut down the net and hold the trophy aloft.  He's the one the post game party will be honoring...

     Only he never makes it to the party.  By the next day he's officially missing, leaving family, friends, and his community perplexed.  Why would he disappear after pulling off his greatest accomplishment, one he'd been working toward for six years?

     Daphne is his ex girlfriend who still cares about Jake.  Kolt is his longtime best friend.  Luke is his science and sports statistics obsessed little brother.  The narrative is told in their alternating voices.  As their discoveries and speculations become more frightening and sinister, they must accept the possibility of a very dark side to their golden boy.

     In her author's note Vickers reminds readers that in 2019 more than 700,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses.  She saw this tragedy devastating her own community.  One night she realized that the very qualities that she'd thought would protect her son from drugs--"his drive, his desire to be the best he could possibly be"--would actually endanger him.  She gives readers with similar traits an important message:

     "You are enough.

     Your worth doesn't come from the court, or your paycheck, or your number of likes or followers or whatever society seems to be telling you is important.  It comes from the beating, bleeding heart inside you.  Head, hands, heart.  That's it."

On a purrrsonal note, another key part of the summer program was community service.  I helped to run it.  We had a good range of projects.  I think the favorite of both staff and students was the four days we spent outside IGA collecting donations of merchandise and money for community organizations: animal shelters and food pantries.  We collected $469 and lots of carts full of food and supplies.  People were very enthusiastic and encouraging.  We all were so happy when we delivered to the shelters and got to see the dogs and cats waiting to be adopted. (Jules)

Let me remind you that there are precious cats and dogs just waiting for a new home.  Just ready to shower you with love and loyalty.  My family is so happy every day that they adopted me.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to all the generous and supportive IGA customers who helped make the drive such a success.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

     

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