Scan barcode
readwithpassion's review
3.0
The boys in my class are a huge fan of Crackback, so I was glad to see John Coy came out with a new novel. Liam is a sophomore who gets moved up to the varsity basketball team. He is left with a difficult decision when he discovers something unethical is going on in varsity practices.
sunbear98's review
5.0
This is the perfect book for middle school basketball enthusiasts, but the premise might be a little tough for the younger of the age spectrum. Liam is only a sophomore, but he gets “called up” to the varsity basketball team at his high school. Things seem great until Liam finds that his new coach expects prayers to be a part of locker room pep talks. Liam feels uncomfortable, but his teammates know prayers are just what coach expects. “What’s the big deal?” There is LOTS of basketball action and while maybe more boys will pick Box Out up, I think many girls will find it compelling as well. I liked it a lot. I just wish it was for a little more mature audience, but that’s probably just because I work in a high school. Great book. Nice work, John.
dairyqueen84's review
3.0
Liam Bergstrom was called up to the varsity basketball team as a sophomore because of an injury to one of the senior players. He should be thrilled but Coach Kloss and his teammates pray before the games and require attendance at early morning prayer meetings. All of this makes Liam uncomfortable. Darius Buckner, a recent transfer from Chicago, quit the team during a game, which gets Liam to wondering about what he’s gotten himself into. When he decides to take a stand, his mother whole-heartedly supports him, but his dad, who works as a teacher in the district, seems, if not hostile to his action, at least ambivalent. There are other sub-plots, such as a girlfriend on an exchange in France that seems out of place in the narrative. The novel is laden with basketball jargon that may put off readers without in-depth basketball knowledge.
crutnacker's review
3.0
While the writing relies far too much on telling us the lead character's thoughts instead of reflecting them in dialogue and action, the book hits on some crucial points on religion in schools and the pressure kids feel to conform for the sake of sports, timely in the wake of a coach taking his team to get baptized and another coach in Kentucky having a team member drop dead during a practice.
martha_schwalbe's review
2.0
Boys, basketball, and prayer. I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to. I would not use it in class.
somechelsea's review
2.0
A fairly boring but not terrible book. Probably worth recommending to basketball fans, but it's not a book that I'd use for reluctant readers. Liam was too passive for me, and not much happens, to be honest. Very detached writing style, as well, which only slowed down what little action there was.
More...