The League by Thatcher Heldring
Similar to my last book, this may not be your cup of tea if you're not into it. A lot of people simply don't like anything to do with football. But I've loved sports and books about them for awhile. Other than spying books, sports fiction was one of the first genres where I'd read whole novels of it. But I haven't posted much about it, I don't know, I guess a lot of people don't like it. But that's the point right, expose you guys to new books? So, while it isn't my favorite, I totally recommend you guys to read The League
Summary: Wyatt Parker is your typical goody-two-shoes. Never lies, plays golf, probably will become valedictorian, and built like a pencil, which is why he's friends with Francis (his golf partner who's exactly like him) and gets beat up by Spencer Randle, you typical big football player who's a bully. As Wyatt has realizes, football players don't get beat up, and get girlfriends, which is practically preached by his brother Aaron. After another encounter with Spencer Randle, and a hate for the game his dad forced him to play, he decides to play football. At first, it's only two hand touch with some people he kind of knows at the park, but then he wants to go full contact, with tackling. His brother then talks to him about the League of Pain, a group of the biggest and baddest kids where they play football without any protection...with no rules. To get to play in this league, Wyatt has to do something he hasn't ever done... lie, to his parents even to the girl next door who he likes. Even if Wyatt manages to get to play in the league...will he survive?
What I liked: The great thing about sports fiction novels is that it always includes a taste of romance, which like in every novel, moves the plot along and makes it really exciting. I also appreciate how these characters develop and change throughout the story. For example, Wyatt isn't happy with his life so instead of dealing with it and trying to make the best of it, like in a lot of the books I read, he changes it, and even though it was towards a bad way, I kind of like the moral it sends, most likely unintentionally. Just the fact that it brings sports to the novel makes it really good for me, because I don't know, but sports in books just make me happy.
What I didn't like: Well, in my opinion, the biggest flaw was that it's a little bland. There's not much going on, nothing that gives the book a wow factor. While the content starts to creep into the YA area, it's written sort of like a lower-level MG area. It's kind of hard to describe, but these days, every book has that X Factor which gives it something special, which is why you pick it up. It just felt like one of those stereotypical MG books, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It just doesn't have the special factor which made it over the top.
Rating on 'the scale': 7.9 out of ten.
Why? It's just your generic football MG book, which isn't bad at all, but it's not really special. If you're feeling tentative about sports fiction, it's a good book to get you into things, especially if your one of those people who just don't care for sports at all.
Related: Football Genius Series by Tim Green/ 15 minutes/ Honestly if there's the word football on the book jacket, it's related.
Summary: Wyatt Parker is your typical goody-two-shoes. Never lies, plays golf, probably will become valedictorian, and built like a pencil, which is why he's friends with Francis (his golf partner who's exactly like him) and gets beat up by Spencer Randle, you typical big football player who's a bully. As Wyatt has realizes, football players don't get beat up, and get girlfriends, which is practically preached by his brother Aaron. After another encounter with Spencer Randle, and a hate for the game his dad forced him to play, he decides to play football. At first, it's only two hand touch with some people he kind of knows at the park, but then he wants to go full contact, with tackling. His brother then talks to him about the League of Pain, a group of the biggest and baddest kids where they play football without any protection...with no rules. To get to play in this league, Wyatt has to do something he hasn't ever done... lie, to his parents even to the girl next door who he likes. Even if Wyatt manages to get to play in the league...will he survive?
What I liked: The great thing about sports fiction novels is that it always includes a taste of romance, which like in every novel, moves the plot along and makes it really exciting. I also appreciate how these characters develop and change throughout the story. For example, Wyatt isn't happy with his life so instead of dealing with it and trying to make the best of it, like in a lot of the books I read, he changes it, and even though it was towards a bad way, I kind of like the moral it sends, most likely unintentionally. Just the fact that it brings sports to the novel makes it really good for me, because I don't know, but sports in books just make me happy.
What I didn't like: Well, in my opinion, the biggest flaw was that it's a little bland. There's not much going on, nothing that gives the book a wow factor. While the content starts to creep into the YA area, it's written sort of like a lower-level MG area. It's kind of hard to describe, but these days, every book has that X Factor which gives it something special, which is why you pick it up. It just felt like one of those stereotypical MG books, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It just doesn't have the special factor which made it over the top.
Rating on 'the scale': 7.9 out of ten.
Why? It's just your generic football MG book, which isn't bad at all, but it's not really special. If you're feeling tentative about sports fiction, it's a good book to get you into things, especially if your one of those people who just don't care for sports at all.
Related: Football Genius Series by Tim Green/ 15 minutes/ Honestly if there's the word football on the book jacket, it's related.
Sounds like a book you either like or you don't.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really open to reading books about sports.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good review. I might check it out. If you like football stories, check out the movie "Facing the Giants." The movie was novelized, but the book is really long and I think the movie is better. Are the Cowboys your team?
ReplyDeleteMike-
DeleteThanks for checking it out! Hmm, maybe I'll try to check out Facing the Giants. The Cowboys are my team bro!
-Justin
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