I didn't read this book - couldn't upload it. Wish I could have read it!

This publisher is in the top four publishers. They have a strong focus on reluctant readers and having books that anyone can enjoy. The books deal with very tough issues. This book dealt with the feeling of guilt over the loss of a love one. The guilt built throughout the book and it was very wonderfully done and very powerful.

If I had read this book as the first or second book instead of the fourth book in the series, then I would have liked it much more. Instead I was left thinking "why did the publisher think this was a good idea?" and "did the two authors talk to each other at all?". The four book series uses the same characters and they interact with each other, but they are so drastically different and the events happen in a way that contradict each other. The biggest example of this was Abbas and Victor. In Golden Game, they are said to be friends from years ago and they remembered each other (and that Victor lived in the same city as the tournament and that the tournament was mixed raced, I could keep going). All of this was different in this book. It was like the authors were given basic character sheets and told to write about a tournament between the two teams, but never given real details about how that would work out. In the end you get two very different books, that appear to be about the same time period, but not in that fun way that shows people can view the same events differently. So I would recommend reading either this or Golden Game. Don't read both or at least don't read them so close together like I did. Wait a few weeks, forget the details of the plot. Then this book might make more sense. 

The character of Vincent had more issues with English in this book, which got so many bonus points. The author came through on the speech. I felt like the few instances in this book weren't as forced, they happened more naturally, though the issues were with phrases that I couldn't name many 13 year olds that would say them. 

My favorite part of this book was the talk of religion. Vincent and his family are very religious. There was talk about what that meant. It was mentioned throughout the book. It was wonderfully incorporated in a way that felt like it was authentic and not just a tack on. This is what got most of the credit for the positive points this book got. 

There is a companion book to this one from the same author, Team Fugee. There are two other books in the series by another author, Golden Game and Golden Goal.

hank you to NetGalley for an electronic copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Victor has immigrated from Syria and is living in the Greater Toronto Area with his family. His passion is soccer, and he is invited to join a team of players travelling to BC to play in a tournament for Syrian boys. Victor, the goalkeeper, is chosen to be the team captain. He learns what it means to be a leader, while also dealing with his feelings of responsibility off the field.

The story was an good introduction to the experiences of a boy from Syria now living in Canada, although it sometimes felt lacking in backstory that would make it more meaningful. The writing style makes it accessible to a wide range of readers, and would make it a good recommendation for developing readers.

E ARC from Netgalley.com

Victor, who leads the Syrian team in Team Fugee, has an opportunity to play on a Syrian refugee team in a "Thank you, Canada" tournament. This team is much more challenging than his school one, and he has to learn to work together with other refugees who might not share his exact background. Victor is also struggling with his guilt over losing his grandfather when the family escaped Syria, and worries about his younger brother, who is battling pneumonia. Both concerns effect his ability to concentrate on the field. Will Victor be able to overcome his past and bring his team to victory?
Strengths: Victor's experience in leaving Syria will be interesting to students who have read Gratz' Refugee or Senzai's Escape from Aleppo, and are written about in a way that can be understood by students whose reading skills might not be strong enough for either of those titles.
Weaknesses: Again, there are a lot of details particular to Canada in this title. While I find that interesting, some of my students are new to the US and struggle enough with details about life here. They might be a little confused.
What I really think: I wish I had know that this came after Golden Goal and Golden Game. I was hoping, while reading both of these books, that there would have been more information about how Ozzie and Victor ended up in Canada, and I'll have to hunt down these titles to see if they answer the questions I have!

Good premise of a group of Syrian refugee teens playing a football match. Interesting backstory, but a lot t of blow-by-blow football description which is likely to on,y appeal to players and fans.

This book was an interesting story of how young Syrian refugees came together to play a soccer tournament. There were also subplots that added depth, and lots of clever, humorous moments sprinkled throughout.

I’m not a kid, but I am a former bookseller of intermediate and YA books, and I still read a fair amount of those books. I’m a lesbian, and growing up and into my adulthood, I got so tired of all the straight characters in adult books, that I basically stuck to intermediate and YA books. Now there are many more lesbian books available, but I still read intermediate and YA books with interesting plots. I want to thank NetGalley for bringing this series of books to my attention! The series is for reluctant intermediate readers, and I think it does the job well. The books have young (and older) characters that are refugees now living in Canada, and discuss their backgrounds and adjustments to life in Canada.

Having read all 5 books in the series, here’s the order I recommend (although it may not be the order recommended by the publisher): Team Fugee, Tournament Fugee, Golden Goal, Golden Game and Snow Soccer (main character is a girl).

I received a free ebook from the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.