Kofi, known as K O, is living his basketball dreams. At fourteen, he’s just been named the number one ranked AAU player in the country and his comebacks are as sharp as his game. But dreams don’t last; a former best friend returns, determined to humiliate KO both on the court and in the court of public opinion. His current best-friend is justifiably done with him, and his family is turned upside down when his dad is unexpectedly released from prison. Set in the same world as Butler and Renyolds’ Shot Clock (Harper, 2022), the second in the series traces many of the same themes through a very different main character. Told in the first person, readers are inside KO’s head, watching him adeptly use language to fend off and posture. While KO puts on an invulnerable front, readers see his ability to be honest with himself. Just as he’s coming to realize that playing for himself is the only way he knows how to play KO finds surprising support from a crew he thought he had left in the past. Virtuoso word play, superb on-court action, humor and deep insight are hallmarks of the series. While all the pieces are in place, KO’s transformation and a resolution of conflict occur surprisingly quickly, leaving readers wondering if they skipped a chapter. A great choice for basketball fans. Thanks to Harper and NetGalley for a review copy in return for an unbiased review.

In this return to Oasis Springs, we meet new characters. Kofi Douglass is the number one ranked basketball player in the state, playing on the Scorpions team under Coach James. His nemesis is Ripp Ransom, whose father is a professional player, which allows Ransom to travel widely and have a large Instagram following for his travels. Kofi's father has been in jail for half his life. He used to visit with his mother, but when his father was moved from a nearby Wisconsin prison to one in Ohio, it because impossible to continue. When he was seven, he was out with his father with the Ransoms, playing basketball, but his father was arrested and sent to jail, and the situation was never fully explained. Kofi wants to play in a local tournament honoring Dante Jones, who was killed at 17 in the neighborhood, but his mother doesn't really want him to. Kofi's best friend is Mecca, who is interested in filmmaking, but their relationship is somewhat one sided, with Mecca supporting Kofi, but Kofi failing to show up for important moments in her life. When Kofi's father, Gem, is let out of prison several years early, and it is a difficult adjustment to have his father around again. He eventually hears the story of what happened to his father, and the Scorpions do well in the tournament.
Strengths: Any book with a basketball player on the cover is going to do well, and Butler is still working as a basketball coach, so students might still know who he is. The inner city setting is well described, and I was glad to see Coach James back. There are not a lot of books where children have parents in prison, and I can only imagine how difficult it is to have a parent return after having been gone for seven years. This is a nice length, and since Shot Clock has been very popular in my library, I am sure there will be a demand for the sequel.
Weaknesses: While this is a sequel, I feel like I missed something with Kofi and Ripp's story. The style also seemed different; there was more texting on the page, and more slang. Maybe it has yet to have a final round of edits.
What I really think: Buy this one for fans of Shot Clock, or Maldonado's Secret Saturdays.

In the companion novel to Shot Clock, Kofi (KO), ranked the #1 player in the state, maybe country,has a chance to win the Dante James MVP memorial trophy and win some money if he and others play in the McNabby. When KO hurts his ankle, mom says no tournament. At the same time, dad is out of prison and KO isn’t sure how he feels about that. KO goes to dinner at Nana’s with mom to see dad, but he tells her I’m doing it for you. Can his dad win his trust back? When it’s time for the tournament, KO has been secretly practicing with the team. Who ends up winning?