Review of Switch-Hitter, a Tennis Novel

Dustin Rojas · Post by **Dustin Rojas** » 27 May 2025, 01:07

Great interview. While the story itself isn't anything I would be interested in, the review just as is is great. It's detailed, well written. I especially like that you also talk about the negatives; even if this was something I was interested in, I like knowing what bits aren't that great.

Post by **Amy_Jackson** » 27 May 2025, 01:11

Thank you for a great review. I've always admired people who are ambidextrous. I love to read stories of people who succeeded in spite of the odds stacked against them. With Sheila's dad dead, mum in jail and her coach's race not helping matters, it couldn't have been easy for her.

Amy K Collier · Post by **Kigen Valarie** » 27 May 2025, 01:18

Tennis is an interesting game. Sheila's journey is unique and seems interesting. Furthermore, I love the switching narrators technique used by the author. To say the least, I have to read Switch-Hitter.

SophiaNd · Post by **SophiaNd** » 27 May 2025, 01:23

Barnaby Starr's "Switch-Hitter: A Tennis Novel" delivers an uplifting and uniquely narrated story of Sheila, a gifted ambidextrous tennis prodigy, as she battles personal tragedy and societal prejudices alongside her unconventional coach, Nigel, proving the transformative power of a positive attitude across diverse landscapes.

Post by **Bethel Saint Bright** » 27 May 2025, 01:30

Ambidexterity is something I admire a lot. Even though I am not, I admire people who do. This alone will make me want to read this book.

Tars · Post by **Tars** » 27 May 2025, 01:35

In my opinion, mostly the story sounds like a biography of a very driven person, but then again, one should be very dedicated to become successful in a sports career, especially with the additional advantage of being ambidextrous. Therefore, I agree with the reviewer's concerns about the third narrator, since in the described concept, Sam seems redundant, but without his involvement, the book is quite inspirational and interesting. Congratulations on BOTD!

Post by **Idah_Kenei** » 27 May 2025, 01:39

From the review it seems like the book has a lot of characters with different time jumps which can be annoying. The review though says the end comes together which it hope it is worth the read.

Mercy Bolo · Post by **Mercy Bolo** » 27 May 2025, 01:46

The story follows the journey of Sheila, an ambidextrous girl who gives up on tennis after the death of her only coach, her father. Sheila's mother recruits a Bahamian coach to entice her back to the game. The story takes readers to many locations, like the Bahamas and Paris.

Post by **Soma Ezenwanne** » 27 May 2025, 03:33

"Switch-Hitter, a Tennis Novel" by Barnaby Starr sounds inspiring, and I want to read it because Sheila’s journey shows how tough life can be and how strong people can become.

Janet Kimetto · Post by **Janet Kimetto** » 27 May 2025, 03:34

Sheila's ability to adapt to the challenges life brings her way—her resilience and determination in her fight to achieve her dream of being the first ambidextrous tennis player to be a Grand Slam champion—sounds inspiring. Congrats on BOTD!

Dayana Alvarado 1 · Post by **Dayana Alvarado 1** » 27 May 2025, 03:41

Both Sheila and Nigel are at a low point in their lives, but little by little they're rebuilding their path th
e book shows that it's never too late to pick yourself up and start over.

Jack Winnick · Post by **mrlefty0706** » 27 May 2025, 03:43

"Switch-Hitter, a Tennis Novel" by Barnaby Starr is a story about a young girl named Shiela that has a unique talent that enables her to hit a tennis forehand from her left hand and her right hand. Her father is also ambidextrous and was able to hit left-handed and right-handed in professional baseball. The author used three different writing styles by using different points of view that may confuse readers. When the story begins Sheila is 11 and her father who had been her only tennis coach died, her mother is in jail and she has given up on tennis. Her grandmother hires Nigel, a homeless native from the Bahamas, to convince Sheila to get back on the tennis court. The story follows Sheila as she tries to become the first ambidextrous amateur to be a Grand Slam champion. The author Barnaby Starr played on the tennis team at Yale and he included technical tennis knowledge throughout the story. I was impressed with Shiela’s father’s tennis knowledge that he used to train her. He knew the strategies on where to hit the ball to excel while playing the game. He knew that 90 % of shots hit between the opponent and the foul line were winners. I played tennis for many years after taking tennis class in college. I wish I knew what Shiela’s dad new when I played since I always tried to overpower my opponent and one time playing doubles, I hit the director of my department with my serve and he had to stop playing. Wild serving on my part. Sheila’s coach also talked to the girls’ team about teenage pregnancy and the options available to young girls. I believe the only option for young girls is abstinence and this conversation should be conducted by parents, not the tennis coach. I personally liked the narrative from Sam while he was in his mom’s womb prior to delivery. I think it really added to the story and provided a perspective that I never expected. I want to read the entire book to learn if Sheila is successful in her quest to become the first ambidextrous tennis player to win a major championship.

Ohanele Chinonyerem · Post by **Ohanele Chinonyerem** » 27 May 2025, 03:53

I would love to read "Switch-Hitter, a Tennis Novel" by Barnaby Starr because it sounds motivating, and I’m interested in seeing how Sheila’s journey unfolds.

Dolores Lee · Post by **Dolores Lee** » 27 May 2025, 13:26

As an athlete and a natural born lefty, sports is what actually taught me how to be ambidextrous. Majority of the time I was the only lefty on the team so when it came to practice I had to learn to use my right for everything. Thank you for the exceptional review. I will definitely have to add this book to my bookshelf.