CRACKBACK
John Coy
Scholastic Press
Fiction
ISBN: 0439697336
208 pages

CRACKBACK aptly describes the action on and off the field in this debut novel by John Coy. A crackback block comes from the outside and it can destroy you if you're not careful. Miles Manning, a junior and a star football player, is blindsided by some crushing blows that seem to come out of nowhere.

Miles is under a lot of pressure. He is a starter on a winning football team that is favored to win the conference and have a chance to go to state. Everyone is pressuring Miles to be bigger, stronger and faster, including his pushy new head coach, his demanding father, and his best friend. They all expect more of Miles than he may be able to deliver. When he finds out that his best friend is willing to do anything to win, including taking steroids, Miles must decide where he stands.

Woven into the plot are details about a long-hidden family secret that explains why Miles's father expects so much of him. If his junior year isn't tough enough, he also has to navigate the rocky waters of teenage romance. His friends have ideas of who he should go out with, but Miles has to decide who is really right for him.

John Coy, who is both a teacher and a writer, obviously knows football, and CRACKBACK is filled with nail-biting drama from the football field. The novel, written in first person, made me feel like I was in each game --- even though I've never played football in my life. Football fans will pass a copy of this great catch to their friends when they finish it!

   --- Reviewed by Renee Kirchner (renee.kirchner@usa.net)

Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.