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Pinned Audiobook
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(3.13) - 103 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Pinned follows Ivan Korske and Bobby Zane, two high school seniors, as they embark on the most important winter of their lives in a quest for the New Jersey state high school wrestling championship.
Ivan Korske is the pride of Lennings, a rural town tucked away in the farmlands of western Jersey, and the odds-on favorite to be crowned state champion in the 129-pound weight class. For Ivan, the stakes are impossibly high. A state championship fulfills a promise he made to his mother before she passed away nine months earlier and will, perhaps, stem his father’s continued withdrawal from life. But mostly, Ivan dreams of getting a scholarship to a college far from his dreary hometown. To him, anything short of the title is failure.
In Short Hills, a wealthy town on the other side of the state, Bobby Zane protects his younger brother Christopher from the fallout of their parents’ impending divorce, while searching for comfort from Carmelina Carrillo, a girl from a depressed part of Newark. Despite the distractions from the intense pressures of adolescent love and the family’s breakup, Bobby realizes his quest for the coveted 129-pound state title may be his only hope for salvation.
Pinned follows Ivan and Bobby’s season-long efforts toward overcoming forces within and beyond their control toward a title that only one of them can capture!
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"I did not expect to like this book before I read it. I kept putting it aside and reading others. When I finally got to it, I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't feel as though I were just reading about sports, which was my assumption before hand. I cared about the characters and their lives. "
— Cynthia (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Unsparing and told with such visceral acuity that the reader can almost feel the burn of the mat, author Martino meticulously details the kind of guts it takes to get the glory.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Many teens will identify with the boys’ struggles both on and off the mat.”
— School Library Journal
Awards
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
Pinned Listener Reviews
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" Brilliant! And the author is tremendously handsome! "
— Alfred, 2/13/2014 -
" High-school content level. Good wrestling oriented book. Realistic fiction. "
— Wendy, 1/20/2014 -
" I discovered a 6th grade student reading this. Not appropriate for him, but I enjoyed it. It has a strong message for older teens. "
— Maureen, 1/15/2014 -
" this is the best wrestling books ever "
— Zac, 1/13/2014 -
" I think the main reason I gave this book 3 stars was because my son is wrestling for the first time. The plot was predictable. "
— Patti, 1/7/2014 -
" I did not expect to like this book before I read it. I kept putting it aside and reading others. When I finally got to it, I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't feel as though I were just reading about sports, which was my assumption before hand. I cared about the characters and their lives. "
— Cynthia, 12/30/2013 -
" Hated the ending, not a fan of wrestling, but I learned a lot; Battle of the Books 12-13 selection "
— Cindy, 12/1/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book even though I don't know much about wrestling. I think it would be a great book for reluctant readers who have an interest in athletics. "
— Melinda, 2/24/2013 -
" I thought it was a prime example of what itb takes to be a champion. "
— Jacob, 12/8/2012 -
" This was one of the Best books ive ever read. It accurately captures the physical and emotional demands of this sport. Explains the intensity necessary to be champion. It explains all the preparation and training to make it to the top. Very good book. "
— Tyler, 7/9/2012 -
" This is not a genre I usually enjoy, but I did. It was a good, well written book. I was invested in the characters, in the ending. And tha is when i grew frustrated. I was so thoroughly disappointed by the way the book ended. "
— Morrigan, 4/28/2012 -
" I wasn't sure I was going to like this book to begin with, but was quickly sucked into the story. It's hard to imagine what wrestlers go through, even when you've seen some of it yourself like I have. This was a great realistic story with dynamic characters. "
— Chelsi, 4/5/2012 -
" Great book that's not just about wrestling, but also about life "
— Ola, 8/2/2011 -
" Will appeal to high school wrestlers. An expected and unsatisfying ending. "
— Julie, 7/19/2011 -
" I really liked this book and was wondering how the final event would turn out....not what I was expecting at all. I would have rated this higher but I felt the ending was a very big let down! "
— Jen, 5/28/2011 -
" I listened to the audiobook in honor of the Olympics. I really enjoyed the story line. It reminded me of the movie Visionquest. However, I hated the ending. HATED! I really wish the author didn't end the book like he did. But overall a very good book. "
— Sarah, 5/7/2011 -
" I really liked this book and was wondering how the final event would turn out....not what I was expecting at all. I would have rated this higher but I felt the ending was a very big let down! "
— Jen, 4/4/2011
About Alfred C. Martino
Alfred C. Martino is the acclaimed author of young adult novels, including the Jr. Library Guild Selection and Best Books For Young Adults nominee, Pinned. Amateur wrestling has been a part of his life for over thirty-five years. He has competed on the midget, junior high, high school, and collegiate levels, as well as coached Millburn’s youth program for nearly a decade. He is a graduate of Duke University and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He currently lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.