Gym Candy

gardup - Gym Candy is a book with an emotionally strong ending. This book is about an eighth grader named Mick Johnson(protagonist). He goes through a series of tests like the 40 yard dash and stats in a scrimmage. His friends Drew and Deshawn are trying to get on the varsity team too. Mick is trying to beat the best running back in tryouts Matt Drager(antagonist). He has better stats than every other running back except Drager. Mick tries as hard as he can to be the first string running back. Mick makes the varsity team, but he is second string. His dad is happy with the results. During the season the whole team was working out in the school weight room Matt Drager and one of his friends come in and Matt's friend hold on to Mick and Matt punches him in the gut multiple times. The reason why he did that is because Matt wanted the starting spot on the team. Matt got kicked out of school and off the team after that so Mick got the starting spot. In the championship ship game against Foothill high school Mick played the whole game. He took handoffs, pitches, tosses and screen passes. Then toward the end of the game Mick and his offense where 4th down and goal. Coach downs told drew to hand the ball off to Mick for a dive. On the field when Drew snapped the ball he handed it off to Mick and Mick thought he had the winning touchdown, but one of Foothill's best linebacker tackled Mick behind the goal line and the game was over Foothill had won the championship. Later that summer at Mick’s house, Mick’s dad told him that his company got into a partnership with Popeyes gym and he said that he could get Mick a free membership. Mick says sure. He goes to Popeyes and he checks in. His dad also got Mick a personal trainer. Mick meets his personal trainer Peter Voltz and talks to him gets to know him and sets his workout schedule. After Mick’s first workout, Peter takes Mick to the back room and tells him about steroids. Peter gets Mick hooked up with a stack of steroids Like Dianabol (D-bol) and injection steroids. After starting the stack his trainer enhances the difficulty of Mick's workouts. It pays off. At the start of the season Mick was bigger and stronger than ever. After he started the steroids he was smashing through his team's number one defensive line like no one is in front of him! I like this book because the ending is very strong and emotional and teaches a good life lesson that it is never good to cheat, play with your own skill and not rely on other things. Will this be Mick's big break or will his accomplishments all fall apart. Find out in Gym Candy by Carl Deuker.