Game Change

July 15, 2017
A coming-of-age story about a teen who gets the first--and only--start of his football career when their star quarterback is badly injured a week before a championship game.Zeb, an exceptionally well-mannered small-town high school senior who lives in a cramped camper, is thrust into the spotlight and a leadership role when the quarterback that Zeb's backed up all through school, phenom T.T. (one of the only black kids in the primarily white school), is injured a week before the New Hampshire state championship game. An eccentric white teacher who carries a coup stick, both challenging and reinforcing myriad Native stereotypes, challenges Zeb to think about why football's such a big deal, likening performance in the game to counting coup. The adults in Zeb's life--his hardworking single mother, his gruff-but-good uncle, his enigmatic-yet-fallible football coach--are complex characters that he sees through new eyes as he figures out the kind of person he will be, on and off the field. Lyrical turns of phrase are balanced by Zeb's frames of reference, and testicular-related, profane masculine posturing is balanced by heartfelt speeches from the coach. The plot has no direct villains, the slow-boil tension building anticipation with potential obstacles to Zeb's playing, working its way up to the big game, which plays the themes out beautifully. Subtle, nuanced, and full of heart. (Fiction. 13-18)

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August 1, 2017

Gr 6-9-In Grafton County, New Hampshire, football rules all. Seventeen-year-old Zeb Holloway is content living in the shadows as backup quarterback. His peaceful routine of working at his uncle's auto repair shop and hunting deer in New Hampshire's backwoods is turned upside down when the star quarterback is injured a week before the state championship game. Zeb is instantly thrust into the spotlight with newspapers, college scouts, and admirers watching his every move. Zeb works to stay true to himself and his support system during the hectic time. Through intense dialogue, rich details, and comments from town members, Monninger heartwarmingly and realistically portrays Zeb and his companions as relatable individuals who do not have the perfect lives. The description of football and the community pressure feel authentic. Zeb deals with the stress of athletic expectations, life with one parent, and developing romantic relationships. Readers find themselves rooting for his happiness more than a football victory. The plot lacks intense action but makes up for that in humorous narrative detail and character development. VERDICT Recommended for a young adult collection looking for more sports fiction. -Emily Bayci, Naperville Public Library, IL

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