Tangerine
by Edward Bloor, Harcourt Inc., 1997, 309 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0-15-201246-5

“It was ‘Erik'. I was saying ‘Erik'.
Dad finally understood. He looked right into my eyes and asked, ‘What do you mean by ‘Erik'? Erik what, Paul?'
‘… Erik. He tried to kill me.' ”
~~Tangerine
page 3



Paul Fisher is a visually impaired kid. Or at least that's what everyone tells him. And since Paul can't remember the incident that cost him his eyesight, he has to believe what his parents say. But why then, can Paul see fine?

Paul's life is not a simple one; his duplicitous, malicious older brother, Erik is the star of the high school football team and, it seems, the star of the Fisher family. All of Paul's parents' time and attention is devoted to the Erik Fisher Football Dream. The family's new home is Tangerine County, where lightening strikes at the same time each day, fire burns underground and sinkholes open up unannounced under local buildings. This strange new hometown doesn't lift Paul's spirits either, but soccer does. With the help of his newfound soccer friends, Paul is eventually able to solve the mysteries surrounding his disability and help his seemingly oblivious parents come to terms with reality.

Although this book has a very limited vocabulary and the pace just begins to pick up about a third of the way into the story, Tangerine's plot keeps you guessing up until the very end. The main character is slightly underdeveloped, but in comparison, none of this book's characters are very memorable. The general writing style is not one that appeals to me either, however the thrilling descriptions of soccer games and the relationships between the soccer players are gripping. So if you're someone who enjoys books that are quick and easy to read, have a good plot and include plenty of sports action, look for Tangerine. All in all I found it to be a satisfactory book.