Liam’s Letter Essay #3:Pinch Hit

I recently finished “Pinch Hit” by Tim Green. In this baseball novel, two identical twins who were separated at birth meet each other for the first time. As babies, Sam and Trevor were put up for adoption. And let’s just say they were adopted into two very different families. But just like most twins or siblings in general, they are brought together by their shared interests: baseball and acting. Once they discover their strikingly similar looks, they create a devious plan. Sam, who lives in a trailer park with his dad in LA, would switch lives with Trevor, a famous teenage actor who lives in his family mansion in the wealthiest part of LA. Now, reading how I describe this book’s story, you may think that I’m literally quoting “The Parent Trap”. And as it might seem that way, author Tim Green put his own pleasant spin on the story, only making the classic tale of two red heads who meet at summer camp, then switch parents after finding out that they are identical twins. Only in this version, Green really made the story line a lot more interesting and relevant to the average sports fan.

 

Before I read this book, I really didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, I jumped right into the book without reading the back, or heck, i don’t know if I even read the title. All I knew is that it was about baseball. I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book. It was very entertaining It is about two young boys, about twelve years old, who discover that they are identical twins who have been separated at birth. Trevor, a Hollywood star, has everything that he could ever want. Except for one thing. To play competitive baseball. His twin counter-part, Sam, lives in a trailer. But to Trevor, he’s living the dream. That’s because Sam plays competitive baseball. Not only that, but he’s really good. If his team wins the big tournament that they’re in, then one player is selected into the USC elite training center, which has been a dream to Sam for years. But the real question is: Will Sam let Trevor replace him for a couple of games, risking Trevor playing poorly in his place, ruining his dream? And what about Trevor? Can he afford to let Sam act for him for a few days? If someone found out, It would be all over the news because he’s so famous. Will the boys take this risky chance? Is it worth the consequences if they get caught? Will anyone see through their clever disguises? Find out in Tim Green’s Pinch Hit.

 

In all, I’d probably give this book three out of five stars. I loved the story and I loved how the author changed perspectives every chapter. But there was one thing that really killed the whole experience for me. That one thing was the predictability of the book. I always saw what was going to happen way before it happened. One tactic that Green used a lot in the book was suspense. For the first few times it was kind of fun, but after that it got annoying.  Every single chapter ended with a “Cliff Hanger”. And after awhile, you can pretty much always guess what the so-called mystery of that chapter was. In all, I would totally recommend this book to any sports fan. Even if you weren’t a sports fan, you can still appreciate the whole twin switch aspect of the book.

 

 

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3 thoughts on “Liam’s Letter Essay #3:Pinch Hit

  1. Dear Liam,
    This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of someone reading this book, Pinch Hit. It seems like an interesting book and I like Tim Green, but I haven’t read it yet (but I might consider it). I like how you talk about how Tim Green makes the story fun to read, and he “made the story line a lot more interesting and relevant to the average sports fan.” This is a very good explanation for why you read this book. Not only this, but Tim Green is a great sportswriter we could probably agree. I also like how you ask multiple questions in the second paragraph, and then leave the readers – similar to what Tim Green did – with a cliffhanger. This makes the reader wonder what Sam will do, and makes the reader feel suspense. One thing I think you can improve is you forget to capitalize I, (which should be a proper noun), and you made the rating out of 5, instead of 10, but you can multiply by 2 to get the rating, which is 6/10. (These are just small edits, but make sure to fix for the future).
    Sincerely,
    Matt

  2. Dear Liam,
    I have not read any of Tim Green’s books, but i do hear that they are good. I liked how in your letter essay, you explained in great detail the brothers problems and adventures, still while not giving away the ending. I also enjoy reading books, like how you said, with different points of view every chapter.

    Sincerely,

    David

  3. Liam,
    I enjoyed reading this letter-essay; your voice always come through in your writing. I can kind of see what you’re saying, too, about the predictability of Tim Green’s writing. Remember to elaborate fully in your Reflection and to include a quoted passage; if you use that checklist you are basically ensured full credit. Thanks.

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