DANI BENNONI

A dark secret between a youngster and a teenager comes to light in this novella by Flemish author Moeyaert. In the summer of 1939, ten-year-old Bing’s brother Mone has been drafted into the Belgian army. In an effort to impress Mone upon his return, Bing asks his brother’s friend Dani, a talented soccer player, to teach him how to play. When Dani refuses, Bing hatches a convoluted plan to shame him into agreement, then considers simply blackmailing Dani by telling their secret: Dani pays Bing to drop his pants and watch Dani shower after soccer practice. Finally Dani’s draft notice appears in the mail, making their disagreement trivial, and Bing gets his lessons. This subtle narrative may have worked in a larger collection, but on its own seems insubstantial. The short page count cuts the character development short, and the sexual secret is left disappointingly unresolved. While older teens may have some interest in the psychological aspects of the plot, they are unlikely to relate to the narrator’s young voice. (Fiction. YA)