Stotan! Plot Summary

Stotan! Overview

Stotan!—a 1986 American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults—is, on one level, a detailed account of the physical and psychological struggles of four swimmers as they train for and participate in various meets, including the State Championship. At the same time, the novel is a character study which treats topics such as friendship and loyalty, adversity, racism, endurance, young love, and the effects of abuse and terminal illness. These serious subjects, however, are enlivened with humorous sequences and appealing characters.

As a sports novel, Stotan! provides suspense and drama, and yet it generally avoids cliches and stereotyping.

The main characters come across as realistic young adults, at least partially because they are allowed to recount their own stories, each of which provides insight into their personalities.

While the team does succeed athletically, Crutcher refrains from too neatly tying up loose ends or providing...
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