"The receiver made a wide U-turn and, grinning triumphantly, jogged up to Marcus.
Marcus smiled too. 'Nice catch, bro--'
He was looking at a middle-aged man, probably around fifty years old. He was tall and built like a redwood. But the guy ran like a gazelle and had caught the ball with sure hands, tucking it in tight as he ran. He had definitely played this game before."
When Marcus moves from Kansas to upstate New York, he is nervous. Last year he was the star quarterback on his JV team; this year he is hoping that he will find a spot on his new school's team. During what is left of summer vacation, he finds a deserted park where he can practice throwing the ball and work on his growing skills. There he meets Charlie, an amazing athlete and someone who seems to know a great deal about football. Marcus is impressed and his skills improve exponentially under Charlie's tutelage, but he notices that Charlie is not too dependable. He is also headstrong and able to talk Marcus into mischief for which Charlie takes no resonsibility.
Charlie's son is also on the football team...the star quarterback, in fact. As the story moves forward, a collection of events has Marcus wondering why Charlie's family is so protective and private and why everyone in town is so accepting of Charlie and his antics. It is not long until Marcus realizes who Charlie really is and surmises that Charlie has early onset Alzhiemer's; its cause seems to be repeated head injuries, attributed the hits and plays of his football years.
The story is well told, and has so much more to it than just a football story. Gordon Korman makes us consider the implication of sports injuries, their aftermath and the heartbreaking results for so many. Brain injury is real, and often irreparable. While reading this fast-paced, honest book, I found myself thinking about those people who deal on a daily basis with brain injuries and especially about Charlie, who has lost so much and his daily struggles.
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