A review by portalley
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher

3.0

Despite my general lack of interest in sports and books related to sports, I enjoyed Running Loose. It wasn't at all what I expected it to be. (I guess I expected my sports books to be like my sports movies--you know, the heroic tale of the underdog team that rises triumphantly after heartbreaking setbacks.) Running Loose is the story of high school senior Louie. Louie gets kicked off the football team after standing up for what he believed was right and not long after his girl friend is killed in a car accident. For me, this book wasn't just a sports book. While sports were important to the book because they were important to Louie, it wasn't what made the book what it was. It was really a coming-of-age story to me. Louie has to learn to navigate difficult situations and learn how to stand up for his beliefs and accept the consequences of that.