The Competition

When a group of junior high school students meet for the annual Penultimate writing competition, there seems more at stake than just winning. With one hundred competitors all fighting for the chance of a prestige scholarship, it’s also an opportunity for some students to prove themselves beyond just winning and where new friendships are formed. For the four central characters, they are challenged beyond just their writing capabilities with three diverse writing prompts, putting them to the test to dig deep within themselves, pushing them to find more than just their voice. Mary Sofia has faced extraordinary trauma in her life, and when she is challenged by the last writing prompt to write about a defining moment, she reveals a secret that could hold unquestionable ramifications. For Camara, writing is her life, but she has her own dark secrets that could change how people perceive her, and for both Michael and Raiden it’s their competitive nature that drives them, but for them, too, there is more to them than what you see, and what is it that Julia reveals about Joey?

This is a story that captures real difficulties faced by real young people in life, and that makes it so relatable. The story-line keeps you wanting to learn more about each character’s internal struggle, presenting an unexpected twist toward the end that has you asking your own questions.