Jeffrey Sotto’s THE MOONBALLERS (A Novel about The Invasion of a LGBTQ2+ Tennis League … by Straight People (GAY GASP!)) is definitely a book focused on characters and personalities, rather than intricate plots or lots of action, but it does that job very, very well indeed. The characters are lively, well-drawn, playing with stereotypes, but never quite being defined by or completely conforming to them. Nor are they ever stagnant – they are thoughtful, growing, living people who build solid friendships, fall in love, get their hearts broken or healed, experience loss and reunion. For the most part they’re quite likeable–from Ernest, the young quasi-protagonist who lives up to his name far too well, to his mother Joy, who tries too hard but does genuinely care about her son, to Bibi, who is both the most stereotypically flaming gay character and also the emotional heart of the league who lovingly holds its disparate personalities together, to Khalid, the slightly oblivious straight man who just wants to play tennis and play it well. Even Stefan, whose initial impression on the reader is the Ego that Ate Manhattan, becomes far more understandable and sympathetic later on (particularly after we meet his father).
THE MOONBALLERS is more slice-of-life than dramatic plot, but it is playful and charming enough on its surface, with enough deep emotion, compassion, and tenderness beneath, to engage the reader from beginning to end. It’s a nice reversal of the standard trope of the tight-knit community facing an outsider, in that the tight-knit community here is formed of people who are outsiders elsewhere, facing the intrusion of a representative of the outside world, trying to fit in here. And Khalid, the straight player, does, eventually, find a place in the community, though not without conflicts or leaving at least one broken heart in his wake. There are some entertaining twists and turns near the end, at least one of which is telegraphed just enough that someone with a particularly clever eye might spot it beforehand, without spoiling the surprise for most. For all the campy humor and sometimes farcical scenarios, though, this story has depth, and there are scenes that can and will draw tears. All in all, THE MOONBALLERS is a warmhearted story that will appeal to readers who enjoy spending time with characters with personality and charm, especially if they also happen to love the game of tennis.
A charming, unapologetically campy, funny, and surprisingly touching look at the lives, struggles, and joys of a group of gay (and one straight!) tennis players, THE MOONBALLERS engages both heart and humor in equal measure.
~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader