About this title: An award-winning author explores the dark corners of the heart of a young football player as he struggles for success, in this novel that tackles the issues surrounding the player's decision to cross the line.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Edition: Reprint
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Graphia
Date Published: 2008-09-22
ISBN-13:9780547076317ISBN:0547076312
Description: Very good. Very minimal damage to the cover (no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks), in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, minimal to no highlighting/under. read more
Description: New. 0547076312 NEVER USED! This book has never been read. There are no highlights, No pen marks, No missing pages. The binding is sturdy. This book may have slight shelf wear. Tracking information provided for all orders. Orders over $49.99 will receive an upgrade from standard to priority mail. Customer satisfaction guaranteed! ! read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Graphia Books
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780547076317ISBN:0547076312
Description: Good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 313 p. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780618777136ISBN:061877713X
Description: Good. Used item may show library stamps, stickers and marks. Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Date Published: 2007-09-03
ISBN-13:9780618777136ISBN:061877713X
Description: Fair. Hardcover in good condition, ex-lib copy w/usual markings, no other writing, several small tears in dust jacket have been repaired, non-smoking home, clean text, binding tight, Christian business. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Date Published: 2007-09-03
ISBN-13:9780618777136ISBN:061877713X
Description: Very Good in Like New jacket. Ex-library has clear mylar cover and usual library markings. Book has shelf wear from storage and use, couple of the pages have slight warping due to moisture on the outer rim; otherwise the book is in very good condition. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Graphia
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780547076317ISBN:0547076312
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Graphia
Date Published: 2008-09-22
ISBN-13:9780547076317ISBN:0547076312
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780547076317. read more
Description: New. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 313 p. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Date Published: 2007-09-03
ISBN-13:9780618777136ISBN:061877713X
Description: NEW. Hardcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780618777136. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780618777136ISBN:061877713X
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Mick Johnson eats, drinks, sleeps, breathes, football. Trying to follow in the footsteps of his father, Mick shows an incredible knowledge of the game at a very young age, however, as Mick enters high school, he thinks that in order to gain that competitive edge, his only resort is taking steroids. Mick's performance on the field improves, so much that he feels the need to continue taking steroids, but his life off the field begins to suffer and only he can choose whether or not steroids are worth it.
This book was great! I couldn't put it down! The book has an ending I never saw coming, but I won't spoil that for you! This book really showcases the kinds of pressure children/teens face in sports, not only from their parents and peers, but also themselves. There are numerous real-world topics covered such as depression, steroid use in sports, and roid-rage. There is a lot of football vocab, so those who don't have a basic knowledge of football could become confused. I think all athletes should read this book, especially younger athletes."
"The book I read was Gym Candy. This book was about how Mick Johnson was a star football player but then got put under too much pressure to perform and he eventually got hooked on steroids. This book reminds of the book Crackback by John Coy. It reminds me of this book because in this book the main characters best friend also started taking steroids to perform better on the field. I think what the author wanted the readers to take away from this book is that do not always revert to drugs if you feel that you are under performing just work hard and good things will come. What I learned from this book is that if you feel unsure of yourself tell someone and ask for help. If I were to recomend this book to anybody I would recommend it to my friend James because he plays football and I think he would like this book because he plans on playing High School football."
"Mick Johnson's dad held him back a year so that when he got to middle and high school he'd be bigger and more powerful than the other guys on the football field. His own career ended rather abruptly when his bad attitude kept him benched once he reached the pros. Now, dad is living vicariously through his son - making sure he has the best opportunities to be a football star. Although there's a lot of pressure from dad, Mick also wants to be a great player. And he is. But, as a freshman on the high school varsity team, Mick's got to work harder than the other guys to keep his starting position. When he begins working out at a posh gym (at his dad's urging) Mick's personal trainer promises he'll see huge improvements if he starts taking steroids. While he's initially ambivalent, Mick eventually caves to the pressure (on-field and off) and takes the drugs. They turn him into a football machine - he's amazing - but they come with some pretty awful side-effects (zits, puffy nipples, uncontrollable rage and depression). Although Mick wants to play clean, he doesn't trust in his own abilities enough to do so. Finally, Mick's best friend, Drew, discovers what he's doing. When he threatens to tell, Mick shoots himself in the head. He doesn't die, but he does end up in rehab - realizing that he's addicted to being the best, even if he isn't addicted to the steroids themselves.
I wonder why so many of the sports books written for teen guys are about steroid use. Is this a big problem/temptation for guys? If so, then I'm really out of the loop. I wish that these stories were more about the thrill of the game - what makes it so great, what makes them want to play, why they're athletes to begin with. Isn't there some more positive spin that can be put on sports stories that will make them appealing reads - other than drug use/abuse and problems with overbearing dads? I was disturbed by Mick Johnson's relationship with his father right from the beginning of this book. While it's clear that Mick himself wants to be the best running back EVER, he also gets a lot of pressure from his dad to be number one - to the point where Mick's confidence in himself and his ability to perform on the field is shot if he doesn't feel the testosterone (thank you, steroids) coursing through his veins. I didn't like the person Mick became when he was on the juice - he might have been powerful and unbeatable, but he was also depressed, angry, lonely, obsessed. The ending is a bit rushed (the author could have written a whole other book on the therapy/counseling Mick receives), and this really wasn't my sort of story, but it really does a good job showing how someone (Mick) can become addicted to and dependent on the benefits of a drug (a feeling, an outcome), and how difficult it is to give up those benefits."
"This book's really good, even though it's more for guys. I only read it because it's on the Lone Star List, and they supposedly have good books on it. It's mainly about this sixteen-year-old guy, Mick, who believe that he's not good enough in football (though he's the best on the team) so he takes steroids. It's a great perspective and all, though I can't really relate, taking it that I don't really get football (though my soon-to-be high school's the back-to-back state champs!! yay!) and I'm not going to take steroids (seriously?) So, there's my review, I guess."
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