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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Dallas Public Library | YA Tharp, T. Knights | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Library | YA FIC THA | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
In a small Oklahoma town, one star linebacker must decide what kind of man he wants to be--both on and off the field. Welcome to Kennisaw--where Friday night high school football ranks right up there with God and country, and sometimes even comes in first. This year, the Kennisaw Knights are going for their fifth straight undefeated season, and if they succeed, they'll be more than the best high school team in the eastern Oklahoma hill country--they'll be legends. But the Knights' legacy is a heavy weight to carry for Hampton, linebacker and star of the team. On the field, he's so in control you'd think he was able to stop time. But his life off the field is a different story. His father walked out on him and his mom years ago, and now his mom has a new boyfriend every week. He's drawn to a smart, quirky girl at school--the type a star athlete just isn't supposed to associate with. And meanwhile, his best friend and teammate Blaine--the true friend who first introduced Hampton to football back when he had nothing else--is becoming uncomfortably competitive, and he's demanding Hampton's loyalty even as Hampton thinks he's going too far. This unforgettable novel is the story of a boy whose choices will decide the kind of man he becomes, and raises powerful questions about sportsmanship, loyalty, and the deceptiveness of legends. From the Hardcover edition.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Teachers don't recognize his smarts, he struggles with his mother's unsuccessful romantic relationships, and he is unsure of himself around girls, but when senior football star Hampton Green is on the field, everything clicks. His Oklahoma team, the Kennisaw Knights, has a five-year winning streak they are trying to take to the record books by securing the state championship one more time. Hampton's best friend, Blaine, has a shallow relationship with the prettiest girl in school and tries to drag Hampton into a similar stereotypical dating scene. Hampton, however, finds himself attracted to self-assured, intelligent Sara, whom Blaine says is not good for his image. As the championship unfolds, things get tense, and Blaine drags Hampton into a confrontation with an enemy from the opposing team, during which Blaine pulls a gun and Hampton must finally assert himself. The teen's voice comes in loud and clear, revealing a sensitive, likable character. Hampton's budding romance with Sara is touching and adds an interesting dimension. The conquering of insecurities and gradual self-realization Hampton experiences are reminiscent of Bert Bowden in Terry Davis's If Rock and Roll Were a Machine (Delacorte, 1992), and readers will root as much for his team as for Hampton to be true to himself. The dynamic football scenes will draw readers who enjoyed H. G. Bissinger's Friday Night Lights (Da Capo, 2000). The cover's hazy silhouette of a football player reflects the strong character inside who will eventually bring his own hazy life into focus.-Diane P. Tuccillo, City of Mesa Library, AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Hotshot Blaine thinks he's the star of the football team, but it's steadfast Hampton who makes the plays. Hampton's intellect and emotions have been hobbled by Blaine's friendship, but his honesty and humility steer him beyond blind loyalty. Well-written characters, thoughtful examination of such issues as institutionalized racism, and fast-paced action diminish any sense of narrative dTja vu. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
The Kennishaw Knights personify Oklahoma hill country, where guys play football, drink beer, talk about sex (but not love), and players seek local immortality by achieving a fifth straight undefeated season. Tharp unveils the anger, frustration and uncertainty covered up by the Knights' swagger. Star linebacker Hampton Green is a force on the field but finds himself kowtowing to Blaine, the team's cocky running back. Narrating the story, Hampton feels like Blaine's henchman, someone there to carry out the boss's erratic orders. Loyalty prevents him from distancing himself from his lifelong friend. Blaine, desperately pursuing glory and playing George to Hampton's Lenny, charges into reckless decisions assuming Hampton will always have his back. Jealousy, rage and tenderness are wrapped around the story's core theme of self-discovery. An excess of down-home similes ("squirming like a bunch of copperheads on hot asphalt") is a minor drawback. However, this intriguing work demands an audience. (Fiction. YA) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In the hill country of Oklahoma, where high-school football ranks next to God and country, and truth be known, sometimes came in first, Hampton Green is a star linebacker of the Kennisaw Knights, and he feels the weight of carrying on his team's fifth undefeated season like one hell of a big sack of rocks. Things are heavy at home, too, where he often finds his single mother with a new guy. Blaine is Hamp's teammate and best friend, but he doesn't understand Hamp's interest in Sara, whose wild hair and baggy clothes separate her from the football players' girlfriends. Tharp's debut novel is a sensitive portrait of small-town life and a young athlete's growing awareness that he is more than just the sport he plays so well. Taut scenes on the football field and the dilemmas about choosing what feels right over what's expected are all made memorable by Hamp's unforgettable, colloquial voice, which speaks about feelings and football with the same unwavering, fully realized personality. A moving, sensitive debut from a writer to watch. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2006 Booklist