Upcoming Review: Last Man Out

Tommy loves football. He lives for it both on and off the field. During one of the most important games of the season, he hears the fire whistle. He knows his dad's out there battling the flames.

It isn't until afterwards that he learns the truth - his father didn't make it out. He always said be the first man in and the last man out, but not this time.

Now Tommy, his sister, and his mother must learn to live without him. Tommy becomes angry at the world and a little reckless. His sister Em quits the soccer team and shuts out the world. And their mom just tries to keep everyone together.

My Thoughts: I really liked this book. It made me tear up twice in the first few pages and it certainly tugged at my heartstrings a few more times. I liked the football moments. I liked learning more about Tommy's dad. He had great philosophies. I liked the moments between Tommy and his sister - how he tried to coax her out of her shell after the death of their father. 

The one problem I had was Tommy's age. The back cover of the ARC didn't mention Tommy's age and it wasn't until page 170 that it was mentioned. From the rest of the book, I thought he was older at least 14 if not 16 from the way he acted.  It changed the perspective of the book for me. 

Cover Thoughts: Great - Love the placement of the two helmets
Source: Book sent for review
Release Date: September 13th
Library Recommendation: Perfect for tween library collection - both school and public libraries. 

Tween Tuesday Review: Fantasy League

Charlie lives and breathes football - and he knows everything about it. He kills it in his fantasy leagues, but he' ready to admit he's not hte greatest player on the field.  He roots for his hometown team, even though they haven't had a winning record - ever.

When his BFF Anna invites him to meet her grandfather (the owner of the local football team), the two of them hit it off.  As they become friends, Charlie isn't shy about sharing his football opinions.  When Charlie mentions an older QB that's been overlooked by everyone else, Mr Warren takes a look.

He signs the QB to the team, hoping that this move will turn the team around. It does - for a while. Word gets out that a 12 year old is helping determine the team. Charlie has his moment in the spotlight but not everything is golden.  Will the sudden fame change him and would it all be worth it for a winning season?

My Thoughts:  I really really liked this book. I liked learning more about fantasy football. I loved the relationship between Charlie and Anna - how they talked football all the time, the banter between them, and how they weren't afraid to say it like it is (mostly Anna). I liked the developing relationship between Mr Warren - especially since Charlie's father isn't in the picture. Charlie grows in confidence with the fame thrust upon him - both in good ways and bad ways. I like how he gains more confidence on the field, but I'm not crazy about his secret keeping from Anna.A feel good book that's full of love for the game of football, the stats, and making the hard choices.

Cover Thoughts: Good - it captures the feeling of the book without being a scene from the book
Source: Sent for review
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Review: QB1

Jake's always lived in his brother's shadow. Last year, Wyatt won the state title as the quarterback. Being a QB runs in the family - like father, like son. As Jake begins his freshman year of high school, he knows he's not the team's first string quarterback.

When the senior QB goes down in the first game and ends up out for the season, it's up to Jake and Casey to battle for the spot on the team. Jake knows that he has the mental game, but his throws don't always pack the heat.  Casey has a heck of an arm, but he also has a way of showing the defense his movie.  Can Jake up his game enough to make the top spot and finally get out from his brother's shadow?

My Thoughts: From the first sequence of the book, I was hooked. I felt terrible for Jake - because of his shadow, because of his lack of confidence in himself, and because of this father's behavorio. Nothing he did seem to be good enough to capture his father's attention. I really enjoyed the loyalty and friendship for his teammates Bear and Nate. It's clear these boys think about football all the time, but they're observate on other details too. A fantastic sports novel filled with tension, drama, and action both on and off the field.

Cover Thoughts: Great
Source: My Library