97: A Novel

97 is a story of a Dominican teenager named Yovanny Cedeno. He is a 17 year old from the Washington Heights section in New York. He is a High School dropout with a god given 97 MPH fastball. Yovanny must choose whether to listen to his parent’s old school mannerisms in putting education first or following the ghetto fabulous lifestyle of his best friend, Niko. Yovanny is innocent in life. He doesn’t fit with his fellow classmates and only finds confidence whenever he is on the mound. Chasing his dreams will bring him the biggest joy in life. He will learn that one bad decision can take it all away. Yovanny’s life decisions will affect everyone in his circle as fast as his 97 MPH fastball. This is a story of self-discovery in which learning from past mistakes can lead you into your true greatness. This is a story everyone can relate to. We all know of a Yovanny because he is in all of us.