Plot Summary: Life is looking up for Louie. He's spent the entire summer training hard with his best friend for a starting spot on the football team and he's got it, he's got a great girlfriend who he loves, and who loves him, and he's got a great family. After a new, awesomely talented football player, Washington, transfers into a rival school, Louie's football coach is worried that the school's perfect record is on the line. One of Louie's teammates follows Coach's advice and takes Washington out of the game physically, Louie protests vocally, to the ref, the other coach, anyone who'll listen. As a result of his moral stand, Louie's kicked off of the team, but it's still okay. His family supports him and he's still got his girlfriend, Becky. He and Becky are even planning a future, you know, in case it works out. Then, real tragedy strikes and Louie has to figure out life all over again, from the beginning.
Critical Evaluation: Chris Crutcher is the undisputed king of the problem novel and in this, his debut novel, he's still working out the kinks. The story is engrossing and it will pull in teen readers, especially teen boys, but Crutcher's still creating his masterful storytelling style in this novel. While later characters will literally make you sob or laugh just thinking about them, outside of the few main characters, the supporting actors are drawn in too stark of a black or white style to make readers care about what happens to the majority of them. Even in a novel that's not his best work, Crutcher makes a believer out of the reader and keeps us all guessing about what will happen. Those who haven't read any other Crutcher title are advised to start with another book of his, but this debut is strong and certainly was a sign of things to come from the controversial, and proud of it, author.
Reader's Annotation: Louie's doing okay - he's got a girlfriend, a spot on the football team and a good family. Then things start to go sour when he opposes his football coach and gets kicked off the team - but hey, how bad can it get?
About the Author: Chris Crutcher was born in 1946 in Columbus, OH and grew up outside of Boise, ID. He received his BA from Eastern Washington University, and after earning his teaching credential went on to teach at risk students in Oakland, CA for a decade before returning to the Northwest to write his first novel.
Since then he has published 12 novels, and is among the most challenged authors in America. He lives in Spokane, WA and is a popular public speaker and columnists.
Information retreived from http://www.chriscrutcher.com/
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas: Have you ever been a part of something (like the football team in this book) that had a bad leader? Did you go along with it?
Reading Level: 12+
Interest Age: 14+
Challenge Issues: Racisim, Mature Themes, Language
Challenge Response: I would refer to Crutcher's own defense of his works and rely heavily on the awards won for this title.
Why is This Included: A title that can appeal to teen boys.
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