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Arlo Brodie loves being on the football field, getting hit hard and hitting back harder. That’s where he belongs, leading his team to championships, becoming “Starlo” on his way to the top. Arlo’s dad cheers him on, but his mother quotes head-injury statistics and refuses to watch. Arlo’s girlfriend tries to make him see how dangerously he’s playing; when that doesn’t work, she calls time-out on their relationship. Even Arlo’s coaches begin to track his hit count, ready to pull him off the field when he nears the limit. But Arlo’s not worried about tallying collisions. The cheering crowds and the adrenaline rush convince him that everything is OK—in spite of the pain, the pounding, the dizziness, and the confusion.
In Hit Count, Chris Lynch explores the American love affair with contact sports and our attempts to come to terms with clear evidence of real danger.
PRAISE FOR HIT COUNT:
“Lynch offers a powerful, provocative look at the dark side of popular sports and their potential cost, using Arlo as a cautionary, even tragic tale. Arlo’s rise and fall is handled skillfully, allowing readers into the self-destructive, self-deceiving mindset of an addict without condemning him.” —Publishers Weekly
“This unflinching examination of the price of athletic power, with plenty of bone-crunching play-by-play action, is both thought-provoking and formidable.” —The Horn Book Magazine
“The strength of this hard-hitting novel is how well award-winning author Chris Lynch portrays the drive and hunger of young football players . . . This intense timely story provides incredible insight as to why knowledge of football's potential danger is not enough to keep young players from taking the field.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An important work that raises troubling questions about the culture of violence in American high school sports.” —School Library Journal
“Lynch offers a powerful, provocative look at the dark side of popular sports and their potential cost, using Arlo as a cautionary, even tragic tale. Arlo’s rise and fall is handled skillfully, allowing readers into the self-destructive, self-deceiving mindset of an addict without condemning him.” —Publishers Weekly
A Booklist 2015 Top Ten Sports Books for Youth
A Junior Library Guild Selection
In Hit Count, Chris Lynch explores the American love affair with contact sports and our attempts to come to terms with clear evidence of real danger.
PRAISE FOR HIT COUNT:
“Lynch offers a powerful, provocative look at the dark side of popular sports and their potential cost, using Arlo as a cautionary, even tragic tale. Arlo’s rise and fall is handled skillfully, allowing readers into the self-destructive, self-deceiving mindset of an addict without condemning him.” —Publishers Weekly
“This unflinching examination of the price of athletic power, with plenty of bone-crunching play-by-play action, is both thought-provoking and formidable.” —The Horn Book Magazine
“The strength of this hard-hitting novel is how well award-winning author Chris Lynch portrays the drive and hunger of young football players . . . This intense timely story provides incredible insight as to why knowledge of football's potential danger is not enough to keep young players from taking the field.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An important work that raises troubling questions about the culture of violence in American high school sports.” —School Library Journal
“Lynch offers a powerful, provocative look at the dark side of popular sports and their potential cost, using Arlo as a cautionary, even tragic tale. Arlo’s rise and fall is handled skillfully, allowing readers into the self-destructive, self-deceiving mindset of an addict without condemning him.” —Publishers Weekly
A Booklist 2015 Top Ten Sports Books for Youth
A Junior Library Guild Selection
3 Reviews
3.0
Kenna H
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Sleepingbty
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What.Cha.Readin
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“Lloyd liked to hit hard and he taught his brother, Arlo, everything he knows.
Arlo makes the junior varsity football team his freshman year which is almost unheard of. Since Lloyd had taught Arlo everything, Arlo is good at hitting hard. A sophomore on the JV team, Dinos befriends Arlo and teaches him about conditioning. Football is more than just hard hitting, you have to be able to last the whole game. Arlo's dad was a proud papa. Lloyd, was jealous that he didn't make is as far as Arlo had. And Arlo's mom, was not into the game at all. She was so fearful of head injuries that she kept "The File" that had every bit of information that had anything to do with traumatic brain injury. None of this kept Arlo from playing and becoming "Starlo". He excelled at the sport throughout his high school career. He treated his body like a temple and always stayed in top physical condition. But is all of this enough to avoid the effects of the "Hit Count"?
I love football. My family and I watch our favorite team every Sunday, Monday, or Thursday, or whatever day they are playing during the season. I'm not a big fan of high school football, but I have attended a few games as a student. I have always had a fear of my child playing a sport like football where being slammed around is part of the objective. While they have made many strides in improving the equipment used, it's hard to avoid concussions when you are constantly hit.
I liked this book more than I thought I would. From other reviews, I thought it was going to be more oafish. This is a good YA novel that I would recommend to high school boys.
**I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**”
About Chris Lynch
Chris Lynch is the author of many acclaimed young adult novels, including Little Blue Lies, Pieces, Angry Young Man, the National Book Award Finalist Inexcusable, and the Printz Honor Book Freewill. Chris is on the faculty of the creative writing MFA program at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When he’s not teaching or visiting family in Boston, he lives in Scotland.
Other books by Chris Lynch
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