Wrong Side of the Court, H.N. Khan
Wrong Side of the Court, H.N. Khan
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Wrong Side of the Court

Author: H.N. Khan

Narrator: Raoul Bhaneja

Unabridged: 8 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/15/2022


Synopsis

Fifteen-year-old Fawad has big dreams about being the world's first Pakistani to be drafted into the NBA. A first-generation Pakistani coming-of-age story for fans of David Yoon and Ben Philippe.

Fifteen-year-old Fawad Chaudhry loves two things: basketball and his mother's potato and ground beef stuffed parathas. Both are round and both help him forget about things like his father, who died two years ago, his mother’s desire to arrange a marriage to his first cousin, Nusrat, back home in Pakistan, and the tiny apartment in Regent Park he shares with his mom and sister. Not to mention his estranged best friend Yousuf, who's coping with the shooting death of his older brother.
 
But Fawad has plans: like, asking out Ashley, even though she lives on the other, wealthier side of the tracks, and saving his friend Arif from being beaten into a pulp for being the school flirt, and making the school basketball team and dreaming of being the world’s first Pakistani to be drafted into the NBA. All he has to do now is convince his mother to let him try out for the basketball team. And let him date girls from his school. Not to mention somehow get Omar, the neighborhood bully, to leave him alone . . . 
 

About The Author

H.N. KHAN is a first-time author. Born in Pakistan, he immigrated to Canada at age seven and grew up in Regent Park, a low-income community housing project. After graduating with a business degree he decided to drop out of law school to pursue a career in Toronto's start-up scene. Since then, he's helped build and market software that's used by millions around the world. He is a recent graduate from Humber's School for Writers' correspondence program.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Maria on July 14, 2022

Such a touching story about growing up in a community crippled by violence, poverty, and the endless cycle of being racialized and the repercussions of it. I loved the sports aspect to it, and i thought the writing style was great for it. H.N. Khan can really write a basketball game! The ending didn’......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer on March 17, 2022

RTC......more

Goodreads review by Jamie (Books and Ladders) on September 23, 2022

See this review and more on Books and Ladders! Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion. Content Warning: violence, murder, drugs, alcohol, addiction, theft, stealing, threats I thought the writing could have used a little polishing and e......more

Goodreads review by Julia Arbuckle on May 26, 2022

I am a high school teacher in Toronto and wish that this book existed earlier for more of my students to read. The main character is very relatable and everyone will cheer for him has he moves through challenges and arrives at his happy ending. The book is fast paced, brilliantly written, and a joy......more

Goodreads review by Kirin on January 24, 2022

I don't know what it is about male protagonist sports novels, but they often seem to be overly crass and crude.  Perhaps that is the real life environment that inspires such writings, or perhaps it is just male voiced YA books, but in this one in particular it seemed to stand out because the storyte......more


Quotes

One of CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2022)

". . . Wrong Side of the Court is finely crafted and well paced, it's hard to believe it's [Khan's] literary debut. . . . The writing is crisp and visual, and the story is so well fleshed out." —STARRED REVIEW, Quill & Quire

"An interesting and heartfelt portrait of a teen yearning to beat the odds." —Kirkus Reviews

"I loved the vivid portrayal of Regent park, the nuanced depiction of intergenerational tension, and the rich representation of diversity. And the complex portrayal of male friendships! These young men trash talk and nurture each other as they try to survive their environment with their dreams — and their lives — intact."  —Toronto Public Library


Awards

  • Amy Mathers Teen Book Award
  • Snow Willow Award
  • The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence - Best Juvenile or YA Crime Book
  • Toronto Book Award
  • White Pine Award