Beanball: A Novel in Verse

I'm not a big sports fan, but I enjoyed Beanball, a novel told in verse about a high school baseball player. I've got a lot to do (like sleep!), so I'm going to use a summary from Barnes and Nobel instead of writing my own:

"It's the last inning of a high school baseball game between arch-rivals Oak Grove and Compton. Center fielder Luke "Wizard" Wallace steps up to the plate--and is hit by a beanball, a wild pitch that shatters his skull, destroys the vision in his left eye, and changes his life forever.

In this riveting novel, the events surrounding this pivotal moment are recounted through free-verse monologues by 28 different voices, including those of Luke and his Oak Grove teammates; the pitcher, Kyle Dawkins, and other Compton players; the two coaches; Luke's family members and teachers; and Sarah Edgerton, a new classmate who seems more affected by Luke's injury than his girlfriend is.

With its unusual format, gripping subject matter, and economy of language, Beanball is a thought-provoking, fast-paced read."

I've read lots of novels written in verse, and that's not the strength of this book - if you're looking for something with a real poetic quality to the writing, look to The Braid or Locomotion or Love That Dog. I liked the compactness of this book, the varying viewpoints, and I came to care for all of the characters.