Robby Fights the World

Robby Fights the World is a 2009 coming-of-age novel by Joel Christie. It tells the story of Robby Meyers, a teenage boy in South Florida whose experiences at a new school challenge him to deal with issues of love, loss, friendship, and integrity.

Plot Summary

As the battlefield on which so many adolescent wars are waged, high school can be hell. No one knows this better than Robby Meyers, who is forced to move to south Florida in the middle of his freshman year after his father’s dies in a motorcycle accident. His older brothers Pete and Gus have no trouble making new friends and carving out spots for themselves on various athletic teams. Robby, on the other hand, is small for his age and better known for picking fights than for finishing them. Not surprisingly, he quickly gets himself into trouble at his new school with teachers, bullies, and of course girls.

But then Robby meets Danny Ramerez, and things begin to look up. Danny’s tough but fair, cool but loyal, and their friendship definitely improves Robby’s social status. He even garners the attention of several girls, including a bright, thoughtful young student named Lacy. But as time passes and the two boys become closer friends, Robby suspects that all is not as it seems with Danny. His parents, Danny tells him, are “not in the picture,” leaving him in the custody of his sinister uncle. When Danny hatches a plan to get out from under his uncle’s thumb, Robby must choose whether to risk his own neck to help him or to remain uninvolved.

Robby Fights the World is a gripping coming-of-age novel about a boy who learns first-hand just how hard it can be to distinguish between right and wrong. As Robby struggles with friendship, honor, loss, and love, he is called on to make the hardest choice of his young life, the consequences of which will no doubt change him forever. Joel Christie’s young-adult novel offers a realistic (and surprisingly humorous) glimpse into the complex, gritty world of modern teens.

Reception

Kirkus Reviews gives the book a favorable review, writing that it is "engaging and demonstrates making good decisions without moralizing," and that it "will likely feel authentic to teen readers."

Author Information

Joel Christie lives in Orlando, Florida, where he earned a degree in political science from the University of Central Florida. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in counseling. Robby Fights the World is his first book.