| Author: |
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Tim Tharp
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| Title: |
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Knights of the Hill Country |
| Moochable copies: |
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No copies available |
| Topics: |
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| Published in: |
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English |
| Binding: |
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Hardcover |
| Pages: |
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240 |
| Date: |
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2006-08-22 |
| ISBN: |
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0375836535 |
| Publisher: |
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Knopf Books for Young Readers |
| Weight: |
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0.85 pounds |
| Size: |
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5.7 x 8.1 x 1.0 inches |
| Edition: |
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First Edition |
| Previous givers: |
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2 Patti Light (USA: TX), Katy (USA: MD) |
| Previous moochers: |
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2 Jill (USA: FL), L. Stansbury (USA: KY) |
| Wishlists: |
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| Description: |
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Product Description
In a small Oklahoma town, one star linebacker must decide what kind of man he wants to be--both on and off the field.
Welcome to Kennisaw--where Friday night high school football ranks right up there with God and country, and sometimes even comes in first. This year, the Kennisaw Knights are going for their fifth straight undefeated season, and if they succeed, they'll be more than the best high school team in the eastern Oklahoma hill country--they'll be legends.
But the Knights' legacy is a heavy weight to carry for Hampton, linebacker and star of the team. On the field, he's so in control you'd think he was able to stop time. But his life off the field is a different story. His father walked out on him and his mom years ago, and now his mom has a new boyfriend every week. He's drawn to a smart, quirky girl at school--the type a star athlete just isn't supposed to associate with. And meanwhile, his best friend and teammate Blaine--the true friend who first introduced Hampton to football back when he had nothing else--is becoming uncomfortably competitive, and he's demanding Hampton's loyalty even as Hampton thinks he's going too far.
This unforgettable novel is the story of a boy whose choices will decide the kind of man he becomes, and raises powerful questions about sportsmanship, loyalty, and the deceptiveness of legends.
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| Reviews: |
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Stephen (USA: MD) (2012/03/04):
This is a story of Hampton Green and Blaine Keller. Two high school football players from Kennisaw, a town in the Oklahoma Hill Country. Its also a story that centers on the game of high school football and the friendship between these young men. It was Blaine that first got Hampton interested in playing football, his family took Hampton in when troubles at home got too intense, and these boyhood friends have been inseperable all the while they were growing up. But now Blaine seems to be changing, getting wilder and meaner, and the boys' friendship may be bringing Hampton down. This is a great coming of age story that mixes elements of "Friday Night Lights" with elements of "Of Mice and Men." In this case the Lenny character is the narrator and the real risk of ruin is coming because of the George character, the smaller, supposedly smarter, fast talker. And somehow, despite our age's more jaded attitude, the outlook here seems more omptimistic. This is a fast and mostly fun read despite the ominous overtones that seem to foreshadow a potentially tragic end. The football descriptions are good and will appeal to younger males (often reluctant readers). But football doesn't make up so much of the plot that female readers will be alienated. In fact, several female reviewers have lauded this book for the way that the main character Hampton thinks about and treats women. He is a red blooded teenaged boy but he's not as obsessed as so many other male protagonists have been portrayed in other YA fiction. If you like good YA fiction centered on friendship and/or football, this is a good choice.
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| URL: |
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http://bookmooch.com/0375836535 |
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