School Library Connection
"Hand this to your reluctant readers who love football; the format makes this an incredibly easy story to navigate and will not intimidate struggling readers."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"An ideal discussion starter for middle-school readers ready to debate whether football’s—or any sport’s—violence is reason to pull the plug."
Booklist
"Greenwald’s novel entertains while exposing readers to the potential risks and consequences inherent in the sport of football . . . an interesting, innovative read."
Midwest Book Review
"A must-read for any parent, coach, or young football player."
From the Publisher
"This nontraditional narrative, using conversations, interview transcripts, text messages, hospital reports, and other documents, skillfully peels back the elements of the mystery. The issues of football's violence are presented, but the book's real strength is the depiction of the culture behind it....The story will resonate with those on both sides of the debate about the role of youth football in society, and the unusual storytelling technique sets it apart from most sport fiction."—Kirkus Reviews
"Hand this to your reluctant readers who love football; the format makes this an incredibly easy story to navigate and will not intimidate struggling readers."—School Library Connection
"A must-buy for libraries looking for innovative narratives for sports fans. Readers who enjoy Tim Green, Mike Lupica, and Kwame Alexander will want to pick this up."—School Library Journal
"Greenwald’s novel entertains while exposing readers to the potential risks and consequences inherent in the sport of football . . . an interesting, innovative read."—Booklist
"An ideal discussion starter for middle-school readers ready to debate whether football’s—or any sport’s—violence is reason to pull the plug."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"A must-read for any parent, coach, or young football player."—Midwest Book Review
Booklist
"Greenwald’s novel entertains while exposing readers to the potential risks and consequences inherent in the sport of football . . . an interesting, innovative read."
School Library Journal
08/01/2018
Gr 5–8—Thirteen-year-old Teddy Youngblood is in a coma after a severe football practice injury. But it soon becomes clear that it may not have been an accident; sinister motives may have been at play. Teddy's parents, who are at odds with each other, come together to deal with the tragic event. Greenwald dives right into the serious issues surrounding the dangers of football and hazing. The complexity of the story also plays out in the format: Greenwald uses text messages, one-sided conversations, transcripts, various reports, and Teddy's own thoughts to unfold the layers of story in this documentary style sports mystery. VERDICT A must-buy for libraries looking for innovative narratives for sports fans. Readers who enjoy Tim Green, Mike Lupica, and Kwame Alexander will want to pick this up.—Amy Lukich, Tinley Park Public Library, IL
Kirkus Reviews
2018-06-25
A young athlete lies in a coma while his family and community try to determine the cause of his injury.Thirteen-year-old Teddy Youngblood collapsed following an intense football practice. At first, the focus is on his injury and the concerns of his family and friends for his recovery. Counselors are brought in to help them with the trauma. The coach's daughter, Camille, makes a social media page to encourage positive thoughts, but some of the posters hint that something other than a tough hit at practice caused his injury. The doctors encourage family and friends to talk to Teddy, and readers learn much through these comments. Teddy's family is at odds. His mother, who lives apart, did not want her son to play football, while his dad supported his sports involvement. Also interspersed are Teddy's thoughts as he lies in the hospital: "This is what life is / Life is football / Football is life." This nontraditional narrative, using conversations, interview transcripts, text messages, hospital reports, and other documents, skillfully peels back the elements of the mystery. The issues of football's violence are presented, but the book's real strength is the depiction of the culture behind it. There are few descriptions to indicate the ethnic makeup of the characters (Teddy's eyes are described as blue), implying the white default. The story will resonate with those on both sides of the debate about the role of youth football in society, and the unusual storytelling technique sets it apart from most sport fiction. (Fiction. 10-14)
