Coach

Track #5

by Jason Reynolds

Meet Coach as a boy striving to come into his own as a track star while facing upheaval at home.

Before Coach was the man who gave caring yet firm-handed guidance to Ghost, Lu, Patina, and Sunny on the Defenders track team, he was little Otie Brody, who was obsessed with Mr. 9.99 (a.k.a. Carl Lewis) and Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Like Mr. 9.99—and his own dad—Otie is a sprinter. Sprint free or die is practically his motto.

Then his dad, who is always away on business trips, comes home with a pair of Jordans. JORDANS. Fine as fine can be. Otie puts them on and feels like he can leap to the moon…maybe even leap like Mr. 9.99 when he won the Olympic gold medal in the long jump. But one morning he wakes up to find his brand-new secret weapon kicks are missing—right off his feet! And Otie just might have a fuzzy memory of his dad easing them off as Otie was sleeping, but that can’t be right, can it?

Unless all the reasons for his dad’s “gone’s” are very different from what he’s been told… Because now, not only are the Jordans missing, but so is his father.

Genres: Middle Grade, Sports, Audiobook, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction

250 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2025

About the author

Jason Reynolds is an American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade audience. After earning a BA in English from The University of Maryland, College Park, Jason Reynolds moved to Brooklyn, New York, where you can often find him walking the four blocks from the train to his apartment talking to himself. Well, not really talking to himself, but just repeating character names and plot lines he thought of on the train, over and over again, because he’s afraid he’ll forget it all before he gets home.

Reviews

[Traci Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason Reynolds is nothing if not consistent. The start of this book was a little slower for me, but the ending was so good and rich. I honestly got to the end and thought I could've done another 30-50 pages.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not read children’s books, but I’ve read and enjoyed this entire series. The characters and situations in these books always seem real and the dialogue is realistic. This book begins with an amusing haircut incident, but then develops into a story with lessons from which both children and adults can learn. My favorite book by this author was “Long Way Down” (not part of a series), but I will continue to read his Track series if he adds to it. The narrator of the audio book did an excellent job. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, yeah, I tore through this one faster than Ghost can run the 100. If you understood that reference (and even if you didn’t) then you simply must preorder this latest episode of the award winning Track series by Jason Reynolds.
Gosh, where do I even start? No spoilers here but if you’ve read the other books then you already know the ending of Coach Brody’s backstory but the ride there is one worth taking. Set in the late 80’s, we get to see 12 year old Otis (Otie) Brody in his early years as a Defender.
I loved this story. Jason Reynolds is like the Carl Lewis of writing engaging stories for kids. He’s somehow managed to take a really nuanced look at addiction—how it starts, the devastating cycle of progression/improvement/regression, and its impact on families and neighborhoods, all while maintaining the humanity of the addicted person and he wraps it all up in a perfectly middle grade appropriate package with bust-a-gut laughs, will he or won’t he sports tension, and even some flickers of nerdy sci fi references. Your sneaker heads will love this. Your athletes will love this. Your kids living in the wake of parental addiction will see themselves in this. I loved how it ended on a hopeful note even though I read the others and I know the story ends much the same way a lot of these real stories end. It left me with tears in my eyes knowing what was to come for these characters but I don’t think it tells a hopeless story. Parental addiction is real and it’s happening right now to kids from all walks of life and telling a story that isn’t realistic isn’t helping anybody. Showing them how you come through that and use it to make your own story better…that’s the stuff of gold medals. 🏅 Coach by Jason Reynolds is book five in the track series and it hits shelves on October 14.

[Marta Cava]

Hi ha molta literatura juvenil llaminera i èxit de vendes. I n'hi ha una altra, que va fent més discretament i, segurament, d'aquí molts anys els joves seguiran llegint i gaudint. I els llibres de Jason Reynolds formen part de la segona opció. Dels millors autors contemporanis que hi ha ara mateix

[Jennifer Mangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to have to read the whole Track series over again. It's been too long, and this last book in the series deserves it. I loved seeing Coach as a kid and learning about how deep his connection to the Defenders is.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book. Jason Reynolds really knows how to blend fun and charming alongside heavy topics and deep emotions in a way that sometimes reminds me of Mister Roger's Neighborhood, especially the last chapter of this book. The humor helps lighten what would otherwise be a very heavy book but without undercutting how serious addiction and gang violence are. I didn't get as fully emotionally invested in this book as I usually do, but I think that has more to do with me mostly wanting to read cozy books right now than the book itself.
And the way these characters talk about sports, well, I was a distance runner, but the way they talk about long jump and flying is how I talk about jumps in figure skating. It's that sensation of flight and achieving the impossible that makes it scary and fun all at the same time. It's about more than speed. It's precision.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 5️⃣ & final book in the Track MG series by @jasonreynolds83
👟
Before Ghost, Patina, Lu and Sunny, there was Coach. Little Otie Brody is twelve and the fastest sprinter on The Defenders track team. He obsessed with getting a new haircut, Carl Lewis and Back to the Future, but he becomes even more obsessed with the Air Jordans his dad gifts him. Now he’s sure he’ll not only run fast, but fly high in the long jump. One morning he wakes up to discover his new kicks are missing and his own father might be to blame.
🥇
This series was already perfection. This was just the cherry on top of the sundae. There’s a reason why so many teachers across the world choose to read Ghost with their students either whole group, small group, book clubs or novel studies. Reynolds is able to write his characters right off the page, where they are like the everyday kids we see in our hallways and in our communities. Reading Coach’s story set in the 1980’s was so nostalgic and sucked me back into this world. I think a reread of the series is in order. Coach releases October 14.

CW: alcohol, addiction, physical violence, assault, blood, rehab, drug abuse, bullying, gangs, abandonment, drug dealing, car accident (recounted), injury, chronic pain

[Lauren Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Reynolds’s ability to blend humor with serious topics. And he has such a way with words! I bookmarked at least 7 passages to share with students as examples of excellent writing.

[Beth Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coach is the prequel I didn’t know I wanted! Jason Reynolds’s Track series has been a favorite of mine since reading it years ago, and my then tween (now teen) son loved them too.

The original Track books tell the story of four kids brought together by their track and field team. Each book has its own unique voice and I particularly love how the story is handed off from one main character to the next in subsequent books. It’s like a literary relay race!

This prequel is a stand alone novel, and Reynolds really shines in these pages. The story is short and tight, to the point but funny, then serious and then very serious, but always with a kid-friendly tone and hopefulness. Readers of the Track series will love learning about the background of how the kids’ coach became Coach, but I hope that this new book will also bring a new group of readers to this series! The prequel works great as a first book, and I imagine that readers will quickly want to read more.

Have your kids (or you!) read this series? It is middle grade GOLD 🤩

And big thanks to Old Town Books for this signed copy! Did you know you can order signed copies from their website and they ship right to your door? I thought I was holding out until the paperback was released, but I ended up not being able to resist.

[Bethany Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to @simonandschuster for the advanced copy to review!

I LOVED that this was Coach’s story as a kid. It was so interesting seeing the adult characters we know and love from the rest of series as kids.

It was also SO AMAZING seeing little Otie and how he became the track dynamo he is, and how he carried on the torch with coaching. His life was so full of moments that his mom was doing her best to keep him from and there were some parts that really yanked on my heartstrings.

I loved this series. It is a perfect middle grade and I am SO GLAD that @jasonreynolds83 came back and finished it up with Coach.

Cannot recommend this series highly enough for the kiddos in your life, and adults could learn a thing or two as well.

[Tamara York · Rating 5 out of 5]

After loving the Track series (and all of Reynolds books), I was excited to see this prequel on the bookstore shelf. This tells the story of the coach’s childhood in the 1980’s. It features an obsession with Back to the Future and Air Jordans as Otie works toward the Jr. Olympics in track. It’s light and funny at times and gets into some more serious topics later, but the light and the heavy are all handled perfectly by Reynolds. This whole series is top tier middle school fare that can also be enjoyed by adults. 😉 Highly recommend on audio. Guy Lockhart is fantastic.

[ayasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

i thought this would be about coach as an adult so when i realized it was his childhood story it felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the series. the main reason i liked the series was the relationships between the kids on the team. still a nice story, and i appreciate the unique voice that he gives every character in their book (even tho all the audiobooks are narrated by the same guy)

[Joshua Glasgow · Rating 4 out of 5]

When recently I discovered the existence of COACH, the fifth (and this time final!) entry in Jason Reynolds’ ‘Track’ series, I was surprised and elated. The book was published 7 years after the release of LU, which was previously thought to be the final chapter of the series. I discovered the series after reading and quite liking ALL AMERICAN BOYS, which Reynolds co-wrote with Brendan Kiely. I read that book because a local school district came under fire for its Board’s decision to remove TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD from the high school curriculum. The decision was framed in the national media as a case of censorship, but of course one should be skeptical when even right-wing media cries about censorship. In fact, the book was removed from the curriculum because of its demeaning racial language and ‘white savior’ framing; the Board hoped to replace it with a book more relevant to present day teens which centers the voices of its Black characters. Reynolds and Kiely’s book was offered as the replacement, though I’m uncertain if it was ultimately selected. In any case, I read ALL AMERICAN BOYS because of its timeliness and loved Reynolds’ writing. I sought out more from him and discovered the ‘Track’ series.

I read the original four entries in the ‘Track’ series essentially back-to-back, and though I felt more strongly about some than others (SUNNY was the standout, by far), I rated all of the books 5 stars. Each of the books was highly emotional, its preteen characters wrestling with their traumas, uncertainties, and self-consciousness. What truly impressed me, though, is the same thing that wowed me in ALL AMERICAN BOYS, which is Reynolds amazing ability to write believably in his characters’ voices. Their strange, personal thoughts; the informal language they use; the way they stumble over their words and seek the right phrasing to convey their meaning. With each entry, I felt he skillfully crafted the changing protagonists’ voices. I found all four books quite moving.

All this is to say that when I found out about COACH and set about reading it, I had very high expectations. I presumed that adding one more to the series so many years after its putative end must indicate that the new addition has something especially important to convey. I thought that it must serve as a complete wrap-up to the series as a whole—the bow on top of the gift of the previous books.

The previous books were about four students on a high school track team, and this one centers on their coach, Otis Brody (who they referred to simply as “Coach”). In the original series, we learned that Coach once won an Olympic medal which his father sold for drugs, ultimately overdosing on them and dying. This book follows Coach as a child—approximately the same age as the students in the original books—as he deals with his own struggles on a track team in the late 1980s. Behind the A-story of Otis (“Otie”) trying to fit in with his peers, there’s the very unsubtle fact that his father is an addict. His mother and father both forbid him from going to a barbershop where some shady types hang out, though Otie’s father knows the men within; the character acts perplexed about why he’s being kept away from the shop or why his father might be involved. SPOILER, but the book climaxes with Otis learning his dad’s secret and reluctantly accepting his father’s promises to try to do better.

I suspect this might have been more emotionally rewarding if I had remembered the whole of Coach Brody’s story from the earlier books; in fact, as I was reading COACH, I recalled only that he had an Olympic medal which had been taken from him—the fact that his father had died from drugs bought after selling it was something I had forgotten until writing this review. Without remembering that history (or… future?), the conclusion felt a little weak to me. I didn’t sympathize with Otie’s shock or anger at the revelation that his father is a drug user, and when taken on its own I felt the moments following the reveal were a little too tidy. This is to say, if read as a standalone book, the conclusion felt more like it made gestures toward intensity which it didn’t fully deliver upon; but I really think that having an awareness of that history may have elevated those final moments more than reading them cold.

I was also surprised that the book takes place entirely when Coach Brody was a child. I anticipated that before the book’s end, it would fast-forward to “present day” and there would be a wrap-up with all the characters of the previous books, as with Coach they are, to my mind, the core of the series. No, though. The book ends still in the late ’80s, no flash-forward. It may not be a fair way to judge the book, but I was waiting for that ending through the whole thing and when it did not come, I felt… let down. It’s not even that I feel the ending of this book was a misstep or anything, just a sense of disappointment I felt and, frankly, a feeling of being mystified as to why this side-story needed told nearly a decade after the fact. Once more: I may have responded differently had I re-familiarized myself with the story before beginning this read, but personally, when I finished this book, I thought that—while still very good—it failed to move me in the way any of the previous entries did. Knowing that I had given all four of the previous books 5 stars, I nevertheless decided on 4 stars for this one.

But hey: 4 stars is still pretty damn good. Though the message portion of the plot was a bit of a dud for me, I still loved being in this world an in the characters’ head. There were so many achingly real moments that Reynolds crafted, and a number of beautiful sentences. One of the first I saved came after Otie—denied access to the barbershop—takes matters into his own hands, but ends up accidentally shaving his head and eyebrows. He wears a hat to school the next day and gets threatened with reprimand by the principal unless he takes the hat off. When he finally does take off the hat and the principal sees him, he asks Otie what happened and says he cares about him. “He’s softened his tone, I guess, because I did what he told me to do,” Otie comments. “Adults turn back nice when they get their way. They spoiled like that.”

Later, but before he realizes his dad’s status as a drug user, Otie watches his father in amazement as he mingles with folks in the neighborhood:

On the avenue, everybody was stopping and slapping Dad five. Every kind of person from the suits to the suspects talking to him like h somebody. He moved with a bop, an intentional limp that everybody in my neighborhood walks with. Like all Black men are recovering from a charley horse. Too much running. Like they carrying a bunch of weight but are cool enough to only hold it on one side fo the body. Like they got the whole world hanging off the end of a shoulder strap.

A hilarious scene worth drawing attention to is when his father brings him a pair of Air Jordan Threes (where did he get those, one wonders?). As soon as he accepts the shoes, his father and stuttering friend Goose lay into him with a litany of rules regarding their proper care. “When it rains, don’t wear ’em. I’d rather you get your feet dirty than these kicks,” his father tells him, somberly. Goose adds: “And if you have to wear ’em, p-p-put bags of ’em. Clear plastic bags, like Z-z-ziplocs, that way everybody can still see the shoe.”

If you can’t tell, at this point I’m just listing off moments I saved and other favorite parts I can remember. On the track, Otis tries to play off his shaved head and eyebrows as a way to make himself more aerodynamic, running at twice his normal speed to make it seem like he had markedly improved. The next day, a college recruiter is known to be present watching them. He has to run hard again to prove himself to the recruiter, but going into the moment he’s unsure if he can do it. He confides to a friend: “I went too hard yesterday. Now my back done turned its back on me. Legs feel like cooked spaghetti, but also like dry spaghetti too. You know, right before they get broke in half?” His friend can only say, “Dang.” Oof, that description… I understand how it feels, maybe not to the same extent that the character does in that moment, but in addition to being familiar with the feeling of sore legs, there’s the visceral image the description places in your head. It makes you wince just to read.

A little bit later, Otie discovers that his track idol Carl Lewis not only ran but was also a long-jumper. He decides that he might be interested in the long-jump as well. The scene where he learns about long-jumping felt really momentous—like a superhero origin story or something. He’s glued to the television watching Lewis’ long-jump while his parents argue in their bedroom, for reasons he does not yet know. I feel like the intensity of the emotion in that moment comes through much better than the intended emotion of the ending did. It’s described this way:

Seeing Carl Lewis do the long jump had me as mesmerized as his sprint did four years ago when I saw it for the first time. I rewound it. Just that part. Watched it all happen again. The step and leap and liftoff. The running through the air, and the landing in the sand, grains of it flying up all around him. I sat as close as possible to the TV screen, right up on the VCR so I could watch the jump, then watch the jump, then watch the jump, my finger slapping the rewind button, while my parents pretended to hate each other, loudly, down the hall.

The last couple of things I saved were both additional quotes related to his dad. One probably describes his dad on drugs, but the words used are incredible: “Dad looked relaxed, and smelled like outside, but how outside smells in the evening, which is different than how it smells in the morning. In the morning, outside smells like dew. In the evening, it smells like done.” Later on, Otie’s dad shows up to help coach Otie’s track team; he and a friend are actually the co-coaches, though Otie’s dad is often away. His dad and his dad’s friend begin razzing each other about who between them still has energy enough to win a race and they set up to run against one another to prove it. Otie looks on lovingly: “They chirped the whole way up to the starting line. Two old used-to-be’s, back-and-forthing like kids. We knew it was all jokes. They knew we knew it too. It was so cool to see them act bonkers. To forget some of those rhymes they be making us recite. Take off their grown-up for a while so we could see who they used to be before families and work trips and coaching.” Lovely. And lovelier still given the context of the quote—it’s being told from the perspective a person we know as an adult, but who here is a kid. He in turn is looking at adults, but imagining them as children. It’s the never-ending story.

What I’m getting at here, if I’ve not made it clear, is that in a lot of ways this book did in fact live up to the series as a whole. Some of the smaller moments Reynolds captures here, just the way Otis talks about his life and his father, are spectacularly sweet and knowing. This kind of writing is the reason I got into reading Reynolds’ work to begin with, and I do believe that shines through here. Because of my feeling that it didn’t quite stick the landing, though, I couldn’t bring myself to go the full 5. I still love the ‘Track’ series and maybe in context I’d fully love this one, too. At this point, as I am actively writing this, without the benefit of having re-read the series completely to see it as a whole, it’s giving 4 stars. A high 4, but a 4 nonetheless.

It’s not often that I feel like I really have to defend why I’m rating a book 4 stars rather than 5. The one I most strongly recall having done this with was PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, which I did quickly go back and change to 5 stars after all. I don’t anticipate the same thing happening here, but I think the fact that I feel obligated to justify what in most other cases would be a great rating speaks to how powerful the book, and the series as a whole, remains.

[Nikki Boisture · Rating 4 out of 5]

I maintain that there is no more important voice in modern children's lit than Jason Reynolds. Coach is the fifth and final installment of the Track series. It has a really slow start, but even with a slow start there's always enjoyment in Reynolds's voice and style. Those last 40-50 pages of this book are some of his best writing yet.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Reynolds is a gift. The narrator is fantastic as well.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel bad for every other author trying to write for kids in world where Jason Reynolds exists.

[Haylee Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up!
This LONG awaited addition to the Track series and companion to Ghost was so good. If you have read Ghost but haven’t read the other books in the series, you can still read this one! If you’ve never read Ghost, you can still read this one (but you’ll miss out on a lot of Easter eggs). I’m so excited for my students to get their hands on this one.

Otie Brody is so similar to Castle Cranshaw. Learning more about Coach Brody’s past gave me a new way to look at Ghost and the way he treats the kids on his track team in the future. I love the parallels between both books and the characters who pop up between both! This book features a real discourse around the “just say no” / war on drugs era that is appropriate and important for middle schoolers. Thank you Libro.fm for the ALC! I am soooo glad I got to listen to it early!!

[JoJo Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an unbiased review.

Every book in the Coach series has tackled overcoming and being great in spite of…but this is the first (that I recall) that it tackled what I consider a “minor” characters obstacles. Otie didn’t directly have the issue, but the overall sentiment was that it impacted him and subsequently those experiences, moments of growth, and understanding would all combine to make him the best Coach he could be for the future athletes he would mold.

I peeped Dad from the very beginning, and anxiously awaited the reveal - I’m thankful Mr. Reynolds was kind, decent, dare I say, “human” about how it introduced that aspect directly to the audience. He still made Big Otis lovable and capable of redemption (by societal standards). It was a reminder of the hidden secrets yet plain sight evidence that we so often overlook. I’m tempted to re-read every other book now that I have this lense of Coach.

Moral of the story: No matter how far you seem to have fallen…you can get back up.

You write your story, and it’s “you against you”.

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otie knows himself to be tops on his Track team, however among his other peers he is vulnerable to humiliation. Which tragically results in the loss of all his hair and his eyebrows by his own hand, helped along by his loving mother. If only his father had not been away.

Knowing Coach’s story from GHOST it was interesting to watch this flashback book circle around to its inevitable end. I appreciated how deftly Reynolds dealt with addiction and living in an area that was both reliant and decimated by the illegal drug industry without making the book too heavy or too sad. It showed a lot of respect for those who live their lives in like neighborhoods. He did a masterful job showing three-dimensional characters.

GHOST was one of our battle books last year, and the students loved it. I do wonder, why the choice was made not to anchor this book more tightly to the grown man we know as Coach. I sort of expected bookend chapters. For a reader who didn’t have the context, this might seem like a book with little hope and a lot of disappointments.

I did do an unplanned watch of Back to the Future directly after finishing this book yesterday.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful wrap-up to a beloved middle grade realistic fiction series about sports, family, and following your dreams. It made me reflect on my own beloved Coach (we called him "Coachie") when I was in late elementary/ early middle school years. Having a trusted adult that you are not related to that wants you to do/be/try your best was really transformative at that age. You could see where he got his confidence, his curiosity, his support, and his drive. I also love how authentic the interactions are between friends; I LOL'd multiple times during the razzing and found it so delightful to hear how young people show appreciation and adoration towards one another.

This is a definite must-read for fans of Jason Reynolds and the Track series.

[Amy (amyrose.reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got to hear Jason Reynolds talk about this book. I’m so glad that this middle grade series exists. I can see a lot of my current high school student benefiting from this series (like if they had read it in middle school) because it centers a sport that so many kids participate in.

I feel like I would’ve likely gotten more out of the book if I read the rest of the series. I think I also may have thought I would’ve been centered on Otie as a coach, not as a kid. But I like how it centered his childhood experiences and how they led them to his current role.

Overall, love a middle grade moment.

[K Whatsherface · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was browsing on hoopla, as you do and this book popped up. I read the track series back in 2019. I didnt think we get more. so of course I needed to read this.

in the beginning of this book, Otie cuts his forehead. I love a dark romance series with serial killers. in the newest one I read, there is a bird eating an eyeball. for some reason, this scene of this kid accidentally shaving off some skin on his forehead bothered me more than. for the record, it's not all that graphic. it was just easier for me to imagine it.

[Jay Dionne · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I looooooove the Track series. So when I heard there was going to be another book I placed my hold at the library immediately! This was so good. I had no idea Jason was gone tear me up at the end like that. After reading this I’ve figured out that Coach and I are around the same age. That piece of nostalgia from the time period was superb! Jason Reynolds is an auto buy and he proves why every time

[Tyra Damm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in Reynolds’ track series. At last, we get the backstory on Coach, leader of the Defenders. There are so many fun references for fans of the series — as well as some tough topics, a Reynolds staple. I admire how young Otie is able to see the good in people – where 12-year-old me would have seen only the bad.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved the Track series (and how could you not), then this is a must read. I highly recommend picking up the entire series on audio – they are fabulous. You must, though, read the rest of the series before diving into this one. And then once you do you will be so happy. It’s everything we love about Jason Reynolds – it’s funny and thoughtful and kind and emotional and I just wanted to hug everyone in the story. Thank you, thank you, for one more entry into this series. It was just what we needed. Five stars.

[Rick Christiansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a good series overall. Didn't know this book existed until 2 days ago.
The target audience is middle schoolers, so the books in the series do a good job of introducing aspects of adult problems, but also staying pretty innocent and approachable with the hyper realistic dialogue and relationships

[Amylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Wanted more from this for some reason. Maybe to tie it into the Coach that we know as an adult? Bring it back to the future- which would actually fit perfectly with the book. Still a good experience. I listened with my 10 y/o and we laughed a lot, and also had good conversations. Guy Lockard is a joy to listen to.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have too much distance (more than six years) from the rest of this series to compare, but I still love Reynolds‘s writing! I am in no way able to relate to his characters, yet he makes them so completely relatable. This one starts out quite funny, the stupid decisions of a 12-year-old boy, where you feel bad for him but can’t stop laughing. Otie wants to be a track star like his idol Carl Lewis. He also loves Back to the Future, which endeared him to me. He lives in a sketchy neighborhood, and his father has issues, which Otie doesn’t understand about until late in the book. So it was sad, and yet still ended hopeful.

[Tranyce Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book back in October and forgot to update its status on here. I had the privilege of meeting Jason at Parnassus. He's such a great guy and writer. Anyone looking for a great read should pick this final edition of the track series up. Coach doesn't disappoint. 😃

[Jennifer Ingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last book in the Track series—this one’s about Coach. It’s really good with a lot of parallels to Ghost, the first in the series. It all comes full circle. Definitely give it a read if you’re a fan of Reynolds & the Track series.