e-Book Catch download

" Catch " was a wonderful read. I love small town books because I'm from a small town! I was able to visualize the characters and their surroundings. Will Leitch got me to read descriptions without me even realizing it- he was very detailed in his writing without being overbearing.
Even in the heartbreaking moments, Will was able to stay HUMEROUS and light-hearted. It made this read extremely insightful and memorable.

The main character, Tim, is just 18 years old and is at his last summer before going to college. In his small town, everyone knows him and loves him- not because he's an outstanding child, but because his father was a big baseball guy in the minor leagues about ten years back. Tim is effectively riding his father's coattails and no one seems to mind. The crisis on Tim's mind is- stay in little Mattoon and live the life of a King, but risk falling into the mindless work at the Plant for the rest of his life? or go to college a couple hours over, and become no one- but learn a zillion new things?

The story moves slowly with Will taking his time to describe things like, how to play the beer/ card game "As*hole", what a big guy's hanging-over belly is called: dunlap (cuz it "dunlap" over his belt), and the serenity of the night sky that can hold a million stars without the city lights. I've never been to Mattoon (which, by the way, APPARENTLY isn't pronounced Ma-TOON- I still don't know how it's said) but I FEEL like I've been there. I feel like I've met these people. I have had friends like these and the pranks we've pulled are similar. Great times! (stupid kids)

" Catch " was beautifully written. I love Will's style. It was so easy to read and follow along with. I wish I could meet "Tim" and give him a hug.
Great great story. I found it in a small used book store in Portland, ME that has books stacked from floor to ceiling in 13 foot walls (books EVERYWHERE, I WAS IN HEAVEN)- how's that for getting around, Will? I've already bought an extra copy to send to my cousin because I can't bear to part with my copy at the risk of him losing it. Wonderful.

I'm a middle-aged woman who left Mattoon in 1980--almost just as soon as I finished giving my valedictory speech at MHS--and have worked in publishing in Boston, New York, and California. I've got a BA in English lit and an MBA, and I have traveled the world. But, boy oh boy, did this book remind me of where I came from. I recognized just about every place mentioned, and I felt the boredom and despair that were so omnipresent. So much is the same as when I was growing up there. Leitch's prose took me a while to get used to, but then the obvious struck me: the word choice, the syntax, the ideas are all from the perspective of the 18-year-old main character who was raised in Mattoon, so it's perfect. I loved Bagelfest being the device that followed the story arc. Very satisfying ending, too. But, I can't bring myself to give the book to my great nephews and nieces who live in nearby Casey, IL. (That's KAY-ZEE, NOT KAY-cee, just like it's MAT-TOON-rhymes-with-spittoon, not muh-TOON.) Of course, sex, drugs, and drinking exist in high school. But, wow, is it ever rampant and casual in this book. Very well done first novel. I'm off to check out what he's up to now....

I really enjoyed "Catch". Will Leitch realistically captured Tim and his friends. There were many similarities to people in my life. I laughed; I cried; I hope Will writes another book. Also any book that can get a reference to Eric Cartman in the first sentence and a library reference on the first page is my kind of book!

after reading this book i became a huge fan of Will Leitch. he is an amazing writer. this book made me laugh, it;ll make you cry. and quite possibly make you want to go out with friends and kick it back. this book has so much of a kids life in so little pages it was amazing. and very inspiring.

Tim Temples is a high-school graduate. He has

survived the four long gruesome years of hanging

out with his posse, drinking, and meeting nearly

every girl in their small town of Matoon. Okay,

so it wasn't that wretched. Not only that but the

Temples family are legend, for playing baseball.

Tim's father, Bryan, played in the minor leagues

and would have made it to the majors except for

injuries. Tim's older brother, Doug, was drafted

by the Cardinals, but went to collage instead.

Now when Doug comes back from that four year

scholarship Tim fears that it has ruined him.

Since Tim is the next to go to college, he fears

that he will also not finish, become fat, always

be angry at everybody, along with an assortment

of other things that changed his brother to the

pathetic state he is in now. Tim is facing his

last summer with his posse called the Horsemen,

and the normal routine. At his summer job of

carring crates, Tim meets Helena. Helena is 23,

gorgeous (with a full rack), and hates his guts.

This soon changes, and they become girlfriend and

boyfriend. They spend every night together, and

the Horsemen are forgotten. Things will change

with college soon approaching. Will his

relationship with Helena change? Will he end up

like Doug, fat and lazy? Who knows until the last

page.

Quick witted dry humor, cussing, romance, and

the average legend in a small town. The closest

thing that I can compare this novel to is J.D.

Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye". I won't lie,

there is quite a bit of cussing, and sex. But it

is not so much that this is all that there is.

It's also a realistic fiction story of a teenager

heading off to college in the year 2005. It was

one of those books where you just kept reading,

always telling yourself that you will stop at the

next chapter. Ten Chapters later you are still in

the same position that you started in, saying

you'll stop at the next chapter. You look deeper

still. It's a story of friendship and family.

Things will change but with the support of those

close to you.

Reviewed by a student reviewer for Flamingnet Book Reviews

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Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews