Book review - Losers Take All

Title: Losers Take All
Author: David Klass
Genre: realistic fiction
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Rating: 

better than I expected

Summary (provided by publisher): At Jack Logan's sports-crazy New Jersey high school, the new rule is that all kids must play on a team. So Jack and a ragtag group of anti-athletic friends decide to get even. They are going to start a rebel JV soccer team whose mission is to avoid victory at any cost, setting out to secretly undermine the jock culture of the school. But as the team's losing formula becomes increasingly successful at attracting fans and attention, Jack and his teammates are winning in ways they never expected—and don't know how to handle. 

My opinion:  As Klass points out late in this novel, people love an underdog. That is part of the appeal of this novel. Our protagonists are poor athletes determined to stay as such. Most of the novel is rather humorous as the self proclaimed “losers” fumble through practices, games, and social interactions. It does take some serious turns and their efforts bring them at odds with not only their principal but most of the town. Klass takes a hard look at the oftentimes brutal culture of high school athletics. Rather than become an overly harsh spotlight, though, he then flips around and shows the positives, physical benefits, and sense of pride and loyalty sports can engender. Not only does he acknowledge that all issues have more than one side, he also points out how even a simple idea can quickly spiral out of control. While some of the side plots were a little unbelievable, it is an overall solid read which kept even this non-sports fan engaged.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley