Touchdown Jesus

by David Bunnell

184 pages, Hardcover

Published March 25, 2026

Reviews

[Laura Mck · Rating 5 out of 5]

The opening chapter had my heart racing! The author does an incredible job capturing the transition from the grand imagery of Notre Dame's Touchdown Jesus to the visceral, metal-stamping chaos of a final-play high school game. The sports writing is top-tier you can practically smell the turf and feel the crunch of the pads.

[Bessie Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the character dynamic established right out of the gate. When Curtis does that fake "gawk-gat!" remote-lock sound with his mouth, you immediately know exactly what kind of bully he is. Crem gunning his Suburban up a grassy embankment to park on an irrigation ditch out of sheer spite is one of the most badass main-character introductions I've read in a long time.

[Tony]

So many sports books focus purely on the games, but Touchdown Jesus shines brightest in its quiet moments. The contrast between Crem's epic game winning touchdown and the reality of eating lunch in a chaotic, territorial new cafeteria on Monday morning is brilliant. It perfectly captures how isolating it feels to move during high school.

[Zoey Murphy]

Chapter 2 completely won me over. The banter between Crem and his mom felt so authentic moving from tension over his missing dad to him catching her thrown washcloth midair. Her laughing and saying her first curse word felt "damn good" was such a raw, sweet mother-son moment amidst the stress of a major family move.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curtis Blomquist is the perfect small-town antagonist. He rules the school through intimidation, but you can already tell Crem isn't going to back down. Throwing Nichole Simmons into the mix creates a fantastic romantic tension. The brief eye contact between Crem and Nichole in the cafeteria has already set the stage for an explosive confrontation.

[Kathryn Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Green and gold fill every seat, a restless sea of color." The writing in this book is incredibly sensory. Whether it's the sunlight washing a mural in a soft golden blanket or the sharp scrape of plastic trays echoing through a giant lunchroom, you are completely immersed in Crem's world from page one.

[Alexa Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author sets the stakes beautifully in the first few chapters. You get the thrill of Crem’s massive football talent right before he is stripped of his status and thrown into a Wyoming school where he's a nobody. Watching him navigate the social landmines of the cafeteria while a bully like Curtis tracks his every move makes for an incredibly tense, page-turning setup.

[Laura Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The line in the blurb about life moving the goalposts perfectly encapsulates Crem's journey. He isn't just fighting an opponent on the field; he’s fighting his own resentment about his dad being gone and his life being uprooted. It gives his athletic ambitions a lot more emotional weight than your average sports novel.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The emotional core of this book is incredibly grounded. When Crem drops the line, 'guess that doesn’t apply to dads,' you can feel the immediate shift in the room's gravity. The author does a fantastic job showing how a parent's absence ripples through a kid's behavior, affecting how they handle pressure both on and off the field.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the 'digital red' glow of a scoreboard to the smell of reheated cafeteria pizza, the sensory details are top-notch. The book does an excellent job contrasting the grand, golden-blanketed mythos of Notre Dame's Touchdown Jesus with the raw, cold reality of starting over in a town that expects you to lose.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story captures the exact intersection of small-town pride, teenage isolation, and locker-room politics. Crem is a phenomenal protagonist because he's explicitly flawed he's petty enough to park his SUV on an irrigation ditch just to make a point to a bully, but he's got a massive heart when it comes to protecting his mom.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely does a sports novel get me this hooked on the characters within the first few chapters. Whether he's dodging linebackers on the turf or trying to figure out where to sit in a territorial lunchroom, Crem is a hero you want to root for. I can't wait to see him stand up, face the stadium lights, and take on Curtis.

[Eleanor Ris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we talk about little Scamper in his high chair plucking soggy Cheerios out of his milk? The author injects these tiny, realistic family details that make the Hill family feel like people who actually live next door. It grounds the larger-than-life football drama in real, messy domestic life.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving a kid from a massive football program to a small Wyoming town where "nobody cares what he used to be" is a great hook. You really get the sense that the field is smaller and the stakes are intensely local. The atmosphere is thick with dust, cafeteria pizza, and small-town pride.

[Calvin Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book masterfully balances the crushing weight of family tension (that line about "guess that doesn’t apply to dads" cut deep) with the thrilling hope of young love and a fresh start. If you love coming-of-age dramas, this is a must-read.

[Kayla Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid 4.5 stars. It takes the classic tropes of a new kid in town facing down a bully and gives them a fresh, modern edge. Crem is a relatable, flawed protagonist who uses a driver's license "good in all fifty states" as his armor. I can't wait to see how he takes on Curtis.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the book transitions from a high-octane stadium packed to its very edges to the quiet, messy reality of a half-unpacked kitchen. The narrative doesn't rush the rivalry or the romance; it lets the tension simmer naturally over lunch trays and parking lot standoffs.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The banter between the characters feels entirely natural. Crem’s defensive pride when waving his driver's license at his mom insisting it's good 'even in Wyoming'captures that exact brand of teenage frustration when you're trying to cling to any shred of control over your life.

[Benjamin Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chemistry between Crem and Nichole is great because it's subtle. There are no massive, dramatic declarations just a quick, shared grin across a crowded room that instantly puts a target on Crem's back with Curtis. It makes the upcoming conflict feel highly personal and earned.