Winger

Smith, A.  (2015). Winger. New York: Simon and Schuster.

 

The main character, Ryan Dean, is faced with a dichotomous issue at his new boarding school.  Ryan is younger than the others, but is significantly stronger than them as well.  He is nicknamed Winger because of his performances on the rugby team.  Ryan falls in love with Annie, but is easily distracted by other girls and must deal with being true to not only her, but to his team and to himself. 


Ryan is surrounded by varying personalities including his bully of a roommate and his very understanding rugby captain.  The author delves into various issues including loyalty, bullying, and death.  Ryan’s friend, Joey, goes missing and is ultimately found beaten to death due to his homosexuality.  Ryan is conflicted and has no idea how to deal with such a heinous crime.  We walk through with Ryan as he struggles to make sense of the world around him.

Winger shows us that Havinghurst’s Developmental Task is needed for this subject matter.  Healthy relationships is the key to this book and readers with maturity to understand the subject matter is best.  Understanding one’s body and sexuality are also key.  Additional readings include Michael Vey:  Prisoner of cell 25 and A separate peace.