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amycrea's review against another edition
4.0
If a book about football could keep me reading, it's got to have something more going on than play-by-plays. And this one does. What a hair-raising tale of a Texas town too far gone over high school football. Scary to think this is nonfiction.
doper9's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
jojosjefe's review against another edition
5.0
Great book! I loved the movie and was dying to see the source material and wasn't disappointed at all. I've seen many reviews that are upset that this isn't simply about the football team but, like the title says, it is about so much more. The dynamic of football in Odessa is amazing and it effects the entire city in some positive and many negative ways. I think the main reason that it home for me was that I was in high school at the exact same time as this book was written. While I can understand some feelings and trends at the time, so much more of it is completely out of whack to me. Even if you have seen the movie or the show, check this book out!
maryehavens's review against another edition
5.0
I would like to think that much has changed in the realm of high school football since 1988 but I know that's not true. In fact, the privilege extended to high-performing athletes has bled into other sports (ex. Stanford rape case) and while this book only shed light on questionable academic practices, it's easy to see that the situation has likely intensified instead of diminished.
Does reading this book extinguish my love of football? No. I was still rooting for Permian despite all the "sausage making" that came with reading this book. But I hope that rabid fans would step back a minute and see these student athletes for what they are: 18 year old kids with intense pressure mounting on their shoulders.
The pacing of the book is excellent although I got a bit confused on the timeline (it jumps around a bit). I loved all the backstory of West Texas history and the hopes and dreams of the peoples of Odessa and the surrounding areas. I think this sociological study is what makes this book so incredibly good. It doesn't get mired in the technical like The Blind Side did (and I'm grateful for that). I'll admit that I was more invested in this book because it uncovered so much Texas history.
I would recommend this book for Texas History buffs. I'm not much of a sports reader but you really don't have to be to enjoy this book. Bissinger writes so well, you can easily get swept in the momentum of the story if all you ever did was attend high school football games.
Does reading this book extinguish my love of football? No. I was still rooting for Permian despite all the "sausage making" that came with reading this book. But I hope that rabid fans would step back a minute and see these student athletes for what they are: 18 year old kids with intense pressure mounting on their shoulders.
The pacing of the book is excellent although I got a bit confused on the timeline (it jumps around a bit). I loved all the backstory of West Texas history and the hopes and dreams of the peoples of Odessa and the surrounding areas. I think this sociological study is what makes this book so incredibly good. It doesn't get mired in the technical like The Blind Side did (and I'm grateful for that). I'll admit that I was more invested in this book because it uncovered so much Texas history.
I would recommend this book for Texas History buffs. I'm not much of a sports reader but you really don't have to be to enjoy this book. Bissinger writes so well, you can easily get swept in the momentum of the story if all you ever did was attend high school football games.
rh535's review against another edition
4.0
Fast / Easy read....Bissinger does a great job of allowing you (the reader) to fully get around what high school football in Texas is all about. I love all the personal stories Bissinger tells of all the players and how they personally arrived at playing on Friday nights underneath the lights!
horthhill's review against another edition
5.0
Really good. Very impressed by Friday Night Lights. Wished I read it years earlier.