Pokergeist

Pokergeist by Michael Phillip Cash    266 pages

Pokergeist is the fourth novel by as-yet-to-be-discovered author Michael Phillip Cash that I’ve read, and I think this one is his best yet.

The story opens in Las Vegas. Poker legend Clutch Henderson comes from a poker legend family; his grandfather was a champion player. He taught Clutch how to play the game.

Clutch is good. After all, this is his nineteenth attempt to win the million-dollar gold bracelet in the International Series of Poker. His opponent is an Internet poker sensation, Adam “The Ant” Antonowski. It’s the final hand; Clutch can practically feel the bracelet’s weight on his wrist. Everything he ever dreamed of is just a card away. Suddenly, Clutch can’t breathe. There is a heaviness in his chest. Words fail him. He falls to the floor.

One year later, Telly Martin has lost everything. It started with a layoff and spiraled down from there. Now he and his girlfriend Gretchen are living in a seedy hotel, barely able to eat and make the rent.

Telly also has dreams of winning the International Series of Poker. He’s a pretty good player, but with luck he could go all the way. All he needs now is the ten thousand dollar buy-in fee. Yeah, right, like he has that kind of money lying around.

Then Clutch shows up in ghost form to act as Telly’s mentor.

There are no real surprises in this plot line. Still, it’s well done and interesting reading. It’s a lot of fun too.

I give Pokergiest 5 out of 5 stars.  

When I Was The Greatest

When I Was The Greatest by Jason Reynolds, 232 pages

Ali lives in kind of a tough neighborhood, but his friend Noodles and Noodles’s brother Needles, have got it a lot tougher.  Their apartment in the building next door to his is in much worse shape and their mother is rarely home.  Ali has his little sister Jazz, and even though his dad isn’t around much and his mom works so she’s gone a lot, he knows they both love him and his mom, especially, is looking out for him.  Ali doesn’t understand why Noodles treats Needles so bad sometimes, just because he has Tourette’s Syndrome.  No one else in the neighborhood cares but Noodles is always ragging on him.  Ali isn’t sure how much more he can take, and after an incident, it’s possible that Needles may not be ready to take anymore either.  This is a really good realistic story that ought to appeal especially to teen boys.

Kinda Like Brothers

Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth, 248 pages

Jarrett is used to his mom bringing in foster kids, but they have always been babies and Jarrett has never had to have much to do with them.  This time is different.  The baby has an older brother, Kevon, who is not only a little older than Jarrett, but is also going to be sleeping in Jarrett’s room.  Jarrett thinks that Kevon is a big pain.  He doesn’t want him butting into his life.  Everyone thinks that they ought to be able to friends, but Jarrett doesn’t trust Kevon and he isn’t going to let that happen.  Jarret knows that Kevon is hiding something and when he figures out what it is, maybe he can figure out how to get him out of his life.  This is a story about two boys learning to accept each other’s differences and get along.  A lot of kids who like realistic fiction will enjoy this book.