Crackback

by John Coy

Book Overview

In his gripping debut novel, acclaimed picture book author John Coy presents the high stakes world of high school football, where doing what it takes to win doesn't always mean doing the right thing.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439697344
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.8"

Customer Reviews

Bigger or smarter?

[...] Football is as much mental as it is physical because you need to know how and what to do if something tricky comes your way. Miles Manning in this realistic fiction book ruins that whole statement by forgetting his assignment. After that play he loses his starting position. His friends, coaches, and dad all need him to do something that may hurt his career he has. So he must be at the top of his game all the time even it takes a little extra boost from the steroids. I liked this book a lot because it taught me about how even kids today knowing the dangers of performance enhancers still use them to boost their career but it usually doesn't work and I would recommend this book to guys who enjoy sport book. Guys would enjoy this more because it more centered on the way guys think about certain things during the course of teenage years. This book because I really enjoy sports was not hard to concentrate on because it taught me about what can happen if I am not careful. This book was definitely not boring because it was a really quick read and with just two hundred pages John Coy told a very realistic and moving book.

My Review

This was a really good book. It was a good book for kids going into high schoool or are in High School to read because it talks about life doing a sport and managing school and home life. I thought this book was awesome and i would recommend it to anyone who asked. I loved it.

Intense Amazing Action

11/15/06 Crackback John Coy Scholastic " A block hurts, but if you're not playing it will destroy you." that is from the book Crackback by John Coy. In the beginning the reader meet Miles Manning, a son of a football player and a football player himself. His father is a hard father when it comes to football. Then later his friend Zack offers Miles a pill called Zolt, which Zack says makes him more pumped, so he can play better. Next his favorite coach comes down with lung cancer, that coach was the reason Miles made the Varsity team. The team has their first loss in three years. Can Miles overcome all these obstacles to make it to, and win, the state championships? Miles Manning is the dynamic protagonist in the book Crackback. He's very tall, skinny, and he's sixteen years old. He is as fast as a wide receiver. He's important because he plays football and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it to the state championships. Miles has a friend named Zack who's always making you guess ifs he good or bad. He's taller then Miles. He is fast on his feet, faster than Miles. Also plays the same position as Miles. He uses steroids, he isn't afraid of needles. Miles likes this girl named Lycia who is short. a brunette, and very skinny. Mile's crush, is also a cheerleader. This book is a great one. I think it deserves a medal because it deals with issues only few authors dare to address. For that I give it five stars. I connected to Miles because he plays football and so do I, we also play the same position. There is a lot of action in this book, with football games, weight room workouts, and his dad. I think a lot of male teens will enjoy this book because of the dialogue and all the action.

A Great Sport Story!

Finally, authors are trying to relate to young men! This book occurs in a current high school setting and deals with a few of the problems young men actually face in today's world. The main character, Miles, is a star football player as a junior when his world begins to change. His best friend since elementary school begins taking steriods to improve his football performance and pressures Miles to do the same. The head coach has to quit, because he has cancer and can no longer coach while going through treatments. The assistant coach takes over with a completely different philosophy of coaching, and Miles finds himself on the fast track to becoming a scrub player--standing and watching instead of playing. Miles develops a new friendship with another fellow scrub player, chases after his first girl, deals with persistent pimples, and other similar pressures of teenage life. One reason I particularly liked this book is the relationship between Miles and his dad. Miles' dad seems to always pick on him and pick at him just like many real fathers do to their own sons. Towards the end of the book, the behavior of Miles' father is explained somewhat. Unfortunately, most young men in real life never learn why their own dads are so rough on them. I think this book deals with several of the hardships and dramas facing young men and really am glad to see this type of book becoming popular!

Nail-biting drama from the football field

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 ([...])