Loser's Bracket by Chris Crutcher

Annie Boots is in limbo. She's in long-term foster care with a loving foster mom, an endearing little brother, and a father who seems to care about her as long as she does everything he tells her to, including staying away from her angry "bio mom" Nancy and pushing herself as hard as she can at basketball. But Annie doesn't want to stay away from Nancy nor does she avoid her drug-addicted sister Sheila or her five-year-old nephew Frankie, no matter how dysfunctional they all are. Annie, who struggles to keep both families happy, finds comfort in her public library's book club and her relationships with various mentors such as Nancy's boyfriend Walter and her social worker Wiz. When Frankie goes missing at one of Annie's competitions due to an argument that breaks out between Nancy and Annie's book club members, the already strained relationship between her and her foster father becomes tenuous, and Annie must evaluate how much she is willing to lose in order to be true to herself and her values. Loser's Bracket presents an interesting take on life in foster care and the conflicted feelings that can go along with it.