Fans of Tangerine will be thrilled to see Goalkeeper pick up where that book left off. Paul’s brother Eric is still a problem for him, and Paul is still bouncing around from school to school. But just like Tangerine, this book is built on more than one ethical dilemma. Again, Paul seems to be wiser than many of the adults on his life. Such a satisfying, five-star read that I can’t wait to add to our shelves.

So much more than a book about sports! A great book for middle school students - so much to unpack about injustices in our world. Don't pick up this book unless you have the time to finish it as you won't want to put it down. Excited for the release date so I can get this into the hands of students!
Thank you Clarion Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

There are so many things to like about this well written book. The main character is funny, smart and perceptive. He is also a wonderful friend. He grapples with school change and a difficult family life. I really loved reading about his adventures with his friends and his positive relationship with his mom and dad. And readers of Tangerine will know that he was injured by his sociopath older brother which resulted in diminished vision. The good news is that his vision has improved so he is able to get more fashionable glasses. However I felt like the book lost ground with the addition of the scammers who take his father’s money for a sub shop as well as other people in the town. Paul Fisher even recants testimony in order to protect his friend and spends the night in a juvenile detention facility. And while this action is laudable, it is not realistic. Most puzzling is the depiction of his sociopath brother. The family is in a sense held hostage but there is little discussion about the impact before and after his brother’s incarceration. Readers of Tangerine will enjoy reading this follow up but the author missed the opportunity to focus on Paul Fisher with a more realistic story.

This was a great sequel to Tangerine. Paul is finishing up his year at St. Anthony’s and looking forward to returning to his old school and team in August. However the summer is anything but relaxing. Students will be able to relate to some of the struggles Paul faces with bullying and with dealing family issues but other events and choices Paul faces will challenge them. This is a story that will make kids think about right and wrong and what it means to have friends you can count on.

Paul can not wait to leave the private school and get beck to Tangerine where he can be a War Eagle again. But first he has to make it through summer. Where lightening can hit in more ways than one and brings one boy, Paul, to more understand the justice system and how it works better for some than others. But will it have him back on the outside of his team his war eagles?
If you liked Tangerine (the first book) than this one will be just as good and if you haven’t read Tangerine yet it is ok this can as be a standalone, but I am willing to bet you’ll want to go back and read it anyways. This book has action but has so much more suspense in it, I could not put it down until I finished but I was still looking for more. I really hope we see more of Paul in the near future, these books are so powerful.

This book is a page turner with excellent elements to make a reader think. Middle grade readers could really like the themes of of staying true to self and justice. The story is engaging. Really like the sports element to focus on team and how to survive individually among a team concept.