Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Keeper by Mal Peet

World soccer superstar El Gato has just won the World Cup;
he is at the peak of his career and has been named the
world's greatest goalkeeper. Paul Faustino, South
America's top football journalist expected a reasonably
normal post World Cup interview, but what he got was more
than he ever imagined. During the hours of the interview
between El Gato and Faustino, the football legend gives an
exclusive into his intriguing past. He tells Faustino how
the lingering spirit of mysterious Keeper changed his life
and how he went from being the struggling son of a poor
logger to being thrown into the thrilling world of major
league football. The strange life that El Gato lived was
not at all what anyone expected and his unusual past was
not the only shock he was ready to unleash on the world.

Keeper by Mal Peet is a truly interesting and
extraordinary journey through the roller coaster life of a
disadvantaged teenager who makes it big. I'm not
interested in football at all and when told about this
book, I was dubious. By the end of the story, however, I
was caught by its reveling excitement and spine tingling
mystery. There was definitely no need to be a football fan
to enjoy the absorbing story line and enthralling
characters. This book was all told by El Gato in first
person, in the context of Gato telling his life story to
Faustino. There was a bit of football lingo, which was not
always clear and entirely understood, but that was made up
for by the amount of time that went into telling the story
of spirits and ghosts. I am looking forward to the next
Paul Faustino installment and continuation of El Gato's
story.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Melbourne , Victoria Australia