The Hand You're Dealt
Grade 9 Up—Caldwell, CA, is a 90-minute drive from Las Vegas, but this down-on-its luck town and its close-knit residents are in another universe. Mr. Abbott is a conceited math teacher and a genuinely unpleasant individual. He is so low that he has stolen the coveted poker tournament trophy—a wristwatch—from someone in a coma, someone who happened to be Huck Porter's dying father. Huck pledges to get even, and win back the watch, by beating Mr. Abbott at his own game—no limit Texas hold 'em. In true Volponi style, this book grabs hold and won't let go. The characters are well crafted, and an elaborate description of a three-day poker tournament held at Saint Bart's rec center is riveting. A high-stakes thriller, particularly for those elusive young adult male nonreaders.—Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, ILCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.