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eddiebecker712's review against another edition
4.0
Isaiah Sadler knows things aren't right. They haven't been since Hannah died. They haven't been since his bell got rung.
This book does a great jump delving into the topic of concussions in football, particularly at the high-school level, and just how impactful the game of football can be to a young man.
There's a lot to unpack with family dynamics in this book, and how tragedy can alter more than just our emotions.
I'd say Cracking the Bell should be a book a lot of high school athletes read, especially boys, as it touches on the reality that life doesn't work the way we want it to, and we have to react to that reality in a healthy way.
This book does a great jump delving into the topic of concussions in football, particularly at the high-school level, and just how impactful the game of football can be to a young man.
There's a lot to unpack with family dynamics in this book, and how tragedy can alter more than just our emotions.
I'd say Cracking the Bell should be a book a lot of high school athletes read, especially boys, as it touches on the reality that life doesn't work the way we want it to, and we have to react to that reality in a healthy way.
mrskatiefitz's review
3.0
Because of how much I enjoyed Geoff Herbach's writing in Stupid Fast, I always make a point of reading whatever he publishes, knowing I will probably enjoy how he tells the story even if I'm not that interested in the subject matter. This is how I came to read this novel focused on the dangers of concussions in high school football. (I downloaded the digital ARC from Edelweiss+.)
Isaiah has had a rough couple of years. After his sister was killed, he started acting out a lot, and the only thing that seems to keep his destructive behavior in check is playing on the football team. Isaiah is also a talented football player and he expects his football skills to pave the way for him to go to college. This is why, when he takes a blow to the head during practice, he tries to ignore the symptoms that make it very obvious he has suffered a concussion. The truth eventually comes to light, however, and Isaiah is left to figure out whether he can safely continue playing the sport he loves, and how else he might cope with his pent-up aggression and anger if he can no longer do so on a football field.
As he has in all his other books, Herbach has created a believable and sympathetic protagonist in Isaiah. Though it was somewhat nerve-wracking reading this as a mom and realizing how serious a head injury can be, it was also easy to understand why Isaiah was afraid to admit to his symptoms. The dilemma he faces is very difficult, and Herbach really illustrates how his relationship with his parents in the aftermath of his sister's death really contributes to that. Though this is very much a cautionary tale about the dangers of teens becoming injured playing football, it is also a family story about grief and growing up. Herbach also does a really nice job of helping the reader to feel Isaiah's concussion alongside him. I imagine if a real-life football player didn't know he had a concussion, he could figure it out pretty easily after reading the descriptions in this book.
Cracking the Bell is ideal for fans of sports fiction by authors like Mike Lupica, Chris Crutcher, Fred Bowen, and Tim Green. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Graham Halstead.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Isaiah has had a rough couple of years. After his sister was killed, he started acting out a lot, and the only thing that seems to keep his destructive behavior in check is playing on the football team. Isaiah is also a talented football player and he expects his football skills to pave the way for him to go to college. This is why, when he takes a blow to the head during practice, he tries to ignore the symptoms that make it very obvious he has suffered a concussion. The truth eventually comes to light, however, and Isaiah is left to figure out whether he can safely continue playing the sport he loves, and how else he might cope with his pent-up aggression and anger if he can no longer do so on a football field.
As he has in all his other books, Herbach has created a believable and sympathetic protagonist in Isaiah. Though it was somewhat nerve-wracking reading this as a mom and realizing how serious a head injury can be, it was also easy to understand why Isaiah was afraid to admit to his symptoms. The dilemma he faces is very difficult, and Herbach really illustrates how his relationship with his parents in the aftermath of his sister's death really contributes to that. Though this is very much a cautionary tale about the dangers of teens becoming injured playing football, it is also a family story about grief and growing up. Herbach also does a really nice job of helping the reader to feel Isaiah's concussion alongside him. I imagine if a real-life football player didn't know he had a concussion, he could figure it out pretty easily after reading the descriptions in this book.
Cracking the Bell is ideal for fans of sports fiction by authors like Mike Lupica, Chris Crutcher, Fred Bowen, and Tim Green. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Graham Halstead.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
samwlabb's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Isaiah was on a downward spiral following the death of his sister and grandfather, but football provided a way for him to channel his pain. With many college coaches knocking on his door, he suffers another concussion, one he was unable to hide. As he processes the possibility of his life without football, he also confronts his grief regarding the losses his family suffered and the subsequent fallout.
This was an interesting journey. I sort of wish I had read instead of listened to the book, because there were a few times I got lost in the back and forth. Isaiah was an interesting and rather deep character. There were a few times I really felt his pain, and cried for him. This young man had some big choices to make, and he really didn't have much of a support system to help him. I really appreciated his struggle, and was proud of how far he came over the course of this book.
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Isaiah was on a downward spiral following the death of his sister and grandfather, but football provided a way for him to channel his pain. With many college coaches knocking on his door, he suffers another concussion, one he was unable to hide. As he processes the possibility of his life without football, he also confronts his grief regarding the losses his family suffered and the subsequent fallout.
This was an interesting journey. I sort of wish I had read instead of listened to the book, because there were a few times I got lost in the back and forth. Isaiah was an interesting and rather deep character. There were a few times I really felt his pain, and cried for him. This young man had some big choices to make, and he really didn't have much of a support system to help him. I really appreciated his struggle, and was proud of how far he came over the course of this book.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
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