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First Loser
246 pages, Hardcover
Published May 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 29, 2026
If you want to better understand the mind of a wrestler, this is the book for you. Cunningham’s first novel is well-paced and makes full use of the author’s lived experience to breathe life into its characters.
In the acknowledgement section, Cunningham writes: “Every character in this book reflects a past voice in my own head…”. I found this enlightening as a way to approach writing a book, as someone who aspires one day to publish anything longer than a blog post. I hope Cunningham continues to develop and share his voice in future stories, whatever form they take.
What follows are more free flowing critiques as I sit back and play armchair quarterback. Apologies if I come off as critical, it is all meant as an exercise of care and construction.
Some loose plots points - The book follows 1st person perspective from 5ish central characters (Connor, Drummer, Lili, Isla, Ellie). It seems off that Ellie is the only adult in the novel gets that sort of focus and attention. I think her chapters are beautifully written, but take away pages that could be used to further tighten and enmesh our four main teen characters. There also was build up to plot points that never fully blossomed - Isla breaking up with Jorby, Ellie’s attraction to Connor, what happened to Drummer’s mom after the incident - for some, nothing comes of them, and others seem to get short shrift off screen.
I really do think it would be impactful to replace Ellie’s chapters with more episodes from our four teenagers.
This one is very nit picky. Every once in a while, the narrator throws out a $5 word that doesn’t seem to fit into the vocabulary of the teenage characters. It’s implied that Connor is dyslexic, so unless he overcame it off page it’s a little hard to see him using words you learn about by studying for the SAT.
Another nit pick - Scott uses a shorthand for music that distracted me from the flow of the writing. Instead of describing the sound and feel of the music playing (the impact it has on the character or setting), he lists the song and band name. This was distracting to me because if I can’t immediately place the song or band, I’ll want to look them up to understand what the music sounds like in the scene.
In the acknowledgement section, Cunningham writes: “Every character in this book reflects a past voice in my own head…”. I found this enlightening as a way to approach writing a book, as someone who aspires one day to publish anything longer than a blog post. I hope Cunningham continues to develop and share his voice in future stories, whatever form they take.
What follows are more free flowing critiques as I sit back and play armchair quarterback. Apologies if I come off as critical, it is all meant as an exercise of care and construction.
Some loose plots points - The book follows 1st person perspective from 5ish central characters (Connor, Drummer, Lili, Isla, Ellie). It seems off that Ellie is the only adult in the novel gets that sort of focus and attention. I think her chapters are beautifully written, but take away pages that could be used to further tighten and enmesh our four main teen characters. There also was build up to plot points that never fully blossomed - Isla breaking up with Jorby, Ellie’s attraction to Connor, what happened to Drummer’s mom after the incident - for some, nothing comes of them, and others seem to get short shrift off screen.
I really do think it would be impactful to replace Ellie’s chapters with more episodes from our four teenagers.
This one is very nit picky. Every once in a while, the narrator throws out a $5 word that doesn’t seem to fit into the vocabulary of the teenage characters. It’s implied that Connor is dyslexic, so unless he overcame it off page it’s a little hard to see him using words you learn about by studying for the SAT.
Another nit pick - Scott uses a shorthand for music that distracted me from the flow of the writing. Instead of describing the sound and feel of the music playing (the impact it has on the character or setting), he lists the song and band name. This was distracting to me because if I can’t immediately place the song or band, I’ll want to look them up to understand what the music sounds like in the scene.
August 5, 2026
After a really long time, I have truly enjoyed the writing of a debut book. This book had all my attention right from the beginning and as I gradually progressed with the story, I became more invested than I thought.
This is also my first time reading a proper novel that has sports at its core. I have tried reading a few fiction that involved sports but somehow, I couldn't finish them but this book felt different and intriguing.
The story is about Connor - an athlete who wants to continue his father's legacy in wrestling. When his father passed away, only his mother and Connor were left to take care of themselves. You don't forget something if you were constantly reminded of it - Connor's father didn't consider any other position in the game as good as the first. If you hold a second position then you are probably the first loser.
Sometimes we don't know how much pain we are carrying inside until our body signals us. Connor doesn't realise how he is silently grieving for his father - it can be felt by the readers through his thoughts and actions.
Every other character in the story is flawed in their own way and that's what made this a believable story to me. Nobody seems to be perfect or someone who has it all figured it out. Each character is fighting an inner battle and the things they do to cope with that are unsettling and sometimes horrible.
This is not just a story about Connor but how everyone around him is drowning in their respective problems and finding ways to deal with them. It talks about grief, knowing yourself, addiction and the extent people can go to protect themselves from the pain.
The writing is truly the strength of this novel. It's brilliant and the author has a knack of observing human emotions and behavior and uses it for weaving a story this emotional and painful to read.
Beneath the wrong choices is hurt and pain. The question is, will these people realise it?
This is also my first time reading a proper novel that has sports at its core. I have tried reading a few fiction that involved sports but somehow, I couldn't finish them but this book felt different and intriguing.
The story is about Connor - an athlete who wants to continue his father's legacy in wrestling. When his father passed away, only his mother and Connor were left to take care of themselves. You don't forget something if you were constantly reminded of it - Connor's father didn't consider any other position in the game as good as the first. If you hold a second position then you are probably the first loser.
Sometimes we don't know how much pain we are carrying inside until our body signals us. Connor doesn't realise how he is silently grieving for his father - it can be felt by the readers through his thoughts and actions.
Every other character in the story is flawed in their own way and that's what made this a believable story to me. Nobody seems to be perfect or someone who has it all figured it out. Each character is fighting an inner battle and the things they do to cope with that are unsettling and sometimes horrible.
This is not just a story about Connor but how everyone around him is drowning in their respective problems and finding ways to deal with them. It talks about grief, knowing yourself, addiction and the extent people can go to protect themselves from the pain.
The writing is truly the strength of this novel. It's brilliant and the author has a knack of observing human emotions and behavior and uses it for weaving a story this emotional and painful to read.
Beneath the wrong choices is hurt and pain. The question is, will these people realise it?
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for providing me a copy of his novel. Here are my thoughts!
First Loser is set in a small town where wrestling is everything. High school student, Connor is expected to break records and his best friend Drummer is trying to improve and make his demanding father happy. Just like any small town, secrets are abound. Soon lies begin unraveling and some of these characters are in a lot more trouble than meets the eye.
I went into this book a little blind and I’m happy I did. First Loser isn’t overly long but the author manages to create a community of people that are all so beautifully flawed. I was surprised by how drawn in I was to each of their stories so quickly into the book. While wrestling moves the plot forward, to me it was a coming of age story. Most of the novel focuses on four teens, and then the coaching staff and their families.
Quickly the stories become interwoven and you realize this wrestling legacy is creating a ton of issues, such as abuse, addiction, deception and fear. The twists kept hitting one after the other but not in a thriller-type way. More so, when life hits you with a gut punch kind of way.
The relationships are complex and hard to read at times. You could sense when bad things were happening and there were a couple scenes in which my stomach was in knots with the tension and anticipation of something bad coming. It takes a very skilled writer to elicit such feelings.
A new author to me, but one I won’t soon forget. Can’t wait to see what Scott does next!
First Loser is set in a small town where wrestling is everything. High school student, Connor is expected to break records and his best friend Drummer is trying to improve and make his demanding father happy. Just like any small town, secrets are abound. Soon lies begin unraveling and some of these characters are in a lot more trouble than meets the eye.
I went into this book a little blind and I’m happy I did. First Loser isn’t overly long but the author manages to create a community of people that are all so beautifully flawed. I was surprised by how drawn in I was to each of their stories so quickly into the book. While wrestling moves the plot forward, to me it was a coming of age story. Most of the novel focuses on four teens, and then the coaching staff and their families.
Quickly the stories become interwoven and you realize this wrestling legacy is creating a ton of issues, such as abuse, addiction, deception and fear. The twists kept hitting one after the other but not in a thriller-type way. More so, when life hits you with a gut punch kind of way.
The relationships are complex and hard to read at times. You could sense when bad things were happening and there were a couple scenes in which my stomach was in knots with the tension and anticipation of something bad coming. It takes a very skilled writer to elicit such feelings.
A new author to me, but one I won’t soon forget. Can’t wait to see what Scott does next!
July 8, 2026
I wrapped up First Loser by Scott Walker Cunningham a few days back and this was one of those books that slowly pulls you in before you even realise how invested you have become.
At first, I thought this would simply be a story about wrestling and competition, but it turned out to be so much more than that. At its core, it is about grief, expectations, addiction and constantly trying to prove yourself to someone who is no longer there. (That hit harder than I expected.)
Connor is far from a perfect character, but that is exactly what made him feel real. His determination to honour his father’s legacy often pushes him towards unhealthy choices, and watching him struggle between ambition and self-destruction was both heartbreaking and thought-provoking. There were moments where I just wanted him to stop and take care of himself.
What I appreciated the most was the fact that this book never glorifies obsession. Instead, the author beautifully shows the emotional and physical cost of chasing success at any price. The writing is super engaging, the emotions feel genuine and the story keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next (yes it was unputdownable).
So if you are someone who enjoy character-driven coming-of-age stories with flawed characters, emotional depth and themes of resilience, identity and healing, First Loser is definitely worth picking up. It reminds us that sometimes the biggest victory is learning when to let go.
At first, I thought this would simply be a story about wrestling and competition, but it turned out to be so much more than that. At its core, it is about grief, expectations, addiction and constantly trying to prove yourself to someone who is no longer there. (That hit harder than I expected.)
Connor is far from a perfect character, but that is exactly what made him feel real. His determination to honour his father’s legacy often pushes him towards unhealthy choices, and watching him struggle between ambition and self-destruction was both heartbreaking and thought-provoking. There were moments where I just wanted him to stop and take care of himself.
What I appreciated the most was the fact that this book never glorifies obsession. Instead, the author beautifully shows the emotional and physical cost of chasing success at any price. The writing is super engaging, the emotions feel genuine and the story keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next (yes it was unputdownable).
So if you are someone who enjoy character-driven coming-of-age stories with flawed characters, emotional depth and themes of resilience, identity and healing, First Loser is definitely worth picking up. It reminds us that sometimes the biggest victory is learning when to let go.
June 16, 2026
His dad never once told him he was proud of him. Not after winning state for the first time. Not the second time. Not the third. Not even when his dad was dying in a hospital bed with tubes in his arms and machines beeping. He just… never said it. And this whole book is about what that silence does to a kid.
this book genuinly destroyed me, and I need to talk about it.
This is one of those books that feels like it was written by someone who actually lived it — because he did. Scott is a former two-time Virginia state wrestling champion, and every page reads like it cost him something to write.
It's not really about wrestling. It's about what it feels like to spend your whole life trying to earn something from someone who will never give it to you.
I don't want to tell you anything else. I just want you to read it.
One of the most honest books I've read this year. And when you're done — you'll know exactly what the title means. And it won't be about wrestling at all.
this book genuinly destroyed me, and I need to talk about it.
This is one of those books that feels like it was written by someone who actually lived it — because he did. Scott is a former two-time Virginia state wrestling champion, and every page reads like it cost him something to write.
It's not really about wrestling. It's about what it feels like to spend your whole life trying to earn something from someone who will never give it to you.
I don't want to tell you anything else. I just want you to read it.
One of the most honest books I've read this year. And when you're done — you'll know exactly what the title means. And it won't be about wrestling at all.
Review of advance copy
Connor is a star wrestler trying to get to the state championship with his friend and teammate, Drummer. The friends have painful events in their past. They each want to make their father proud, but can they- without losing themselves?
A story about working hard to find yourself while holding on to a family that has a troubled legacy. A great read.
I received an advance copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
A story about working hard to find yourself while holding on to a family that has a troubled legacy. A great read.
I received an advance copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 6, 2026
Engaging and in-depth look into the minds of high school athletes, namely wrestlers. I didn't know anything about wrestling, but the author had a skillful way of weaving in the important aspects of competitive wrestling, and relate it to common themes that many athletes struggle with. A great coming of age story focusing on relationships, addiction, and the struggle between expectations the characters have for themselves, and those thrust upon them.
June 21, 2026
I got the pleasure of reading the ARC copy of this book.
First Loser is heavy, honest, and a little uncomfortable but in the best way. It doesn’t glamorize ambition; it questions it. It doesn’t celebrate toughness; it asks what it’s costing you.
And somewhere between all the pain... it leaves you with something softer, hope that cycles can break, that people can choose differently.
First Loser is heavy, honest, and a little uncomfortable but in the best way. It doesn’t glamorize ambition; it questions it. It doesn’t celebrate toughness; it asks what it’s costing you.
And somewhere between all the pain... it leaves you with something softer, hope that cycles can break, that people can choose differently.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews