{"product_id":"9780374307622","title":"Gut Check : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eGut Check\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Eric Kester\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA darkly comic high-school drama about brotherhood, body image, concussions, and toxic masculinity from Eric Kester, the \u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling adult author of \u003ci\u003eThat Book About Harvard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWyatt has wanted nothing more than to play football on Grayport's championship-winning team. But not for the fame, glory, or girls. It's his last chance to build a relationship with his older brother Brett, the star quarterback, before he leaves for college. Now that their team has gained national attention, a big win could be just what the small town needs in order to rebound from a fishing season that has been devastated by Red Tide. But when Brett suffers a terrible concussion, Wyatt must decide if keeping his brother's secret is worth risking his scholarship future. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTold with irreverent humor reminiscent of Carl Hiaasen, and a stark honesty about brotherhood and masculinity for fans of Andrew Smith, \u003ci\u003eGut Check \u003c\/i\u003eexplores the struggle of grappling with uncomfortable truths.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e*A Junior Library Guild Selection* \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Readers don't have to like football in order to love this book . . . a brilliant debut . . . the storyline plays both offense and defense with perfection. Can the hero of a sports story be an overweight, ignored, nonathletic team mascot plucked from obscurity to land in the limelight? You bet! A winner.\" —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Like \u003ci\u003eFriday Night Lights\u003c\/i\u003e, this compelling debut breaks the fourth wall at times. It's filled with memorable characters, especially Nate, Wyatt's smart, acne-prone best friend. Even football neophytes will root for this winningly heartbreaking, humorous, and hopeful story.\" —\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The protagonists, the town, and the culture of high-school football are richly developed with keen insight and pithy prose . . . Football action sequences are vivid and testosterone-fueled locker room fights (and talk) brutal, but ultimately this novel is less about football and more about people getting by in a town on the verge of collapse. And that’s where the real gut check sometimes is.\" —\u003ci\u003eHorn Book \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9780374307622\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40686580826318,"sku":"9780374307622","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_27a134ca-7f82-479b-8d29-accb7e588502.jpg?v=1640232520","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9780374307622","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}