More than a story about football, Carl Deuker's Payback Time (2010) is really a story about identity and growing up. It tells the story of Daniel "Mitch" True, a Lincoln High School journalist seeking to make a name for himself during his senior year. Enter Angel Marichal, an enigmatic and NFL-talented transfer who shies away from his much-deserved spotlight. The search to find out Angel's secrets is the mystery that propels Daniel's investigative work. Through the experience, Dan learns that reporting the truth has consequences.
In the end, the mystery is really the secondary story, for the true takeaway is in Daniel's transformation from an overweight, unconfident nerd seeking to redefine himself by making a splash as a reporter to being a young, fitter, and confident man coming into his own, satisfied with being a work in progress. Nicknamed "Mitch," short for the Michelin Man during his freshman year because of his weight, Daniel chooses to use his senior year to redefine himself. Through hard work, dedication, and perseverance, Daniel not only improves on himself physically but also mentally by recognizing that he is okay, just as he is:
I still plan on making a name for myself as a reporter, but I'm not in a hurry anymore. Being out in the middle of nowhere, reading books, and learning things--that doesn't sound like a bad way to spend four years.
Fast-paced and well-written with an appealing and relatable narrator/protagonist, Payback Time is a good read with mass YA reader appeal.
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