Crackback



Sophomore football star Miles is excited about his strong team's chances in the new season. Then his favorite coach resigns, and Miles chafes under the new coach, who favors phrases such as "This isn't a democracy. This is a dictatorship, and I'm the Dick." Miles feels alienated from his teammates at school, who have turned to steroids, and also at home, with his angry father. In his first novel, the author of several picture books, including //Strong to the Hoop// (1998), writes a moving, nuanced portrait of a teen struggling with adults who demand, but don't always deserve, respect. A subplot involving a school assignment about family roots and the Middle Passage feels somewhat patched on, but Coy connects the story's diverse elements--family secrets, his father's rage and homophobia, a burgeoning romance, football, and shifting friendships--in a loose jumble that, like Miles' strong first-person voice, is sharply authentic, open-ended, and filled with small details that signify larger truths. For another powerful look at the emotional lives of male teen athletes, suggest A. M. Jenkins' //Damage// (2001). //Gillian Engberg// From [|Booklist]
 * Crackback**

*Starred Review* Gr. 8-11.

Why is Mile's father so meh and seemingly uncareing for Miles? Because Mile's had a younger brither and his father feels responsible for his death.