Sooley
New York Times bestselling author John Grisham takes you to a different kind of court in his first basketball novel. Samuel "Sooley" Sooleymon is a raw, young talent with big hoop dreams...and even bigger challenges off the court.
In the summer of his seventeenth year, Samuel Sooleymon gets the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the United States with his South Sudanese teammates to play in a showcase basketball tournament. He has never been away from home, nor has he ever been on an airplane. The opportunity to be scouted by dozens of college coaches is a dream come true.
Samuel is an amazing athlete, with speed, quickness, and an astonishing vertical leap. The rest of his game, though, needs work, and the American coaches are less than impressed.
During the tournament, Samuel receives devastating news from home: A civil war is raging across South Sudan, and rebel troops have ransacked his village. His father is dead, his sister is missing, and his mother and two younger brothers are in a refugee camp.
At least 400,000 people were murdered. At least four million, mostly women and children, were displaced and forced to scramble to safety in sprawling refugee camps.
Sooley by John Grisham attempts to blend the genres of sports and historical fiction but falls short of delivering a compelling narrative. While Grisham excels in the legal thriller genre, this venture into the world of basketball lacks the same finesse and captivating storytelling.
The book follows the journey of Samuel Sooleymane, a talented Sudanese basketball player whose dreams of professional success are overshadowed by the devastating news of a civil war ravaging his homeland. While the premise holds promise, Grisham’s execution feels disjointed. The constant shifting between basketball clichés and historical context disrupts the flow of the story, leaving the reader unsatisfied.
The character development in “Sooley” is also lacking. Samuel, despite his tragic circumstances, never fully evolves beyond a one-dimensional protagonist driven solely by his desire to bring his family to safety. The supporting characters remain largely undeveloped, failing to engage the readers on a deeper level.
Furthermore, the pacing of the novel leaves much to be desired. Grisham’s tendency to provide unnecessary info dumps about the South Sudanese Civil War slows down the narrative, detracting from the central basketball storyline. As a result, the book feels unbalanced and the reader’s investment wanes.
In conclusion, Sooley falls short of Grisham’s usual standards. Although the book touches on important themes, the lack of cohesive storytelling, underdeveloped characters, and pacing issues prevent it from reaching its full potential. While it may appeal to die-hard fans of both sports and historical fiction, most readers will find themselves longing for the author’s gripping legal thrillers instead.
Sooley
This John Grisham book takes you to a different kind of court. In his first basketball novel, Samuel "Sooley" Sooleymon is a raw, young talent with big hoop dreams...and even bigger challenges ...
- My Rating3.5
- Goodreads4.1
- Amazon4.5