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by: Eric Devine
Synopsis:
Greg Dunsmore, a.k.a. Dun the Ton, is focused on one thing: making a documentary that will guarantee his admission into the film school of his choice. Every day, Greg films his intense weight-loss focused workouts as well as the nonstop bullying that comes from his classmates. But when he captures footage of violent, extreme hazing by his high school’s championship-winning lacrosse team in the presence of his principal, Greg’s field of view is in for a readjustment.
Greg knows there is a story to be told, but it is not clear exactly what. And his attempts to find out the truth only create more obstacles, not to mention physical harm upon himself. Yet if Greg wants to make his exposé his ticket out of town rather than a veritable death sentence, he will have to learn to play the game and find a team to help him.
Combine the underbelly of Friday Night Lights with the unflinching honesty of Walter Dean Myers, and you will find yourself with Eric Devine’s novel of debatable truths, consequences, and realities.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Review:
This book is an absolutely fantastic story of perseverance and transformation. Greg, AKA Dun the Ton, is an overweight sixteen year old boy struggling to become healthy with the help of his distant friend Quinn. While in the middle of a workout, Greg and Quinn witness the lacrosse team’s captain’s heinous hazing techniques. As guy is also a “film nerd”, he is able to capture this act on film. Since it seems that the entire town is part of this crime in some aspect, the boys have little that they can do other than gather information and proof that these horrific acts (that range from verbal and physical abuse to literally being force fed human feces) are occurring.
When I started this book, I was a bit on the fence about whether I would enjoy it as I rarely read books that are written in a boy’s point of view. These fears of uncertainty were quickly put to rest as I was sucked into the mystery of how these boys would be able to expose the lacrosse team’s captains as well as the school administration pulling the strings.
Out of all of the characters in this band of misfits, I felt the greatest connection to Ollie. I loved his perseverance throughout everything as well as his ability to speak frankly about whatever was occurring at the time. Near the end, my heart broke for him when he was dealt a hand he did not deserve. I would love to read more about Ollie.
Overall, this is a fantastic book I would definitely recommend to youth as it teaches the importance of perseverance and the importance of friendship. Five huge stars!
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