In Great Mountain, Mississippi, Henson is a freshman varsity football prodigy in a predominantly white community. When a friend of his is brutally assaulted by cops, Henson awakens to the injustice of it all. As his father tries to change his mind by sharing their family’s history, Henson isn’t swayed. As the community starts threatening him to go back to playing football or else, Henson must decide what’s best for his friends, family, and himself. What will Henson decide?

The plot is well written, thought-provoking, and engaging. The characters are authentic, believable, and well developed. The political and racism undertones in the book are overbearing and may bother some readers. Readers who like realistic fiction, sport fiction, and standing up for what one believes in will want to pick this one up. Recommended for general purchase where such books are popular. 2 stars, Gr 6 to 8.

Though I loved the premise of this book--star athlete's life turned upside down when an incident with a police makes him more aware than ever of racial realities in his community--the writing style made it hard for me to get invested. It almost reminded me of Casey at Bat, in the way heightened way it was written that didn't feel quite like reality while dealing with a very real topic. That's fully a personal preference thing though, and I'm sure it will click better with others.