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Losers Bracket
When a family argument turns into an urgent hunt for a missing child, seventeen-year-old Annie Boots must do everything in her power to bring her nephew home safely. Chris Crutcher, the acclaimed and bestselling author of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, shares a provocative story about family, loss, and loyalty that is perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Laurie Halse Anderson. The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books called Losers Bracket “Genuine and affecting.”
When it comes to family, Annie is in the losers bracket. While her foster parents are great (mostly), her birth family would not have been her first pick. And no matter how many times Annie tries to write them out of her life, she always gets sucked back into their drama. Love is like that.
But when a family argument breaks out at Annie’s swim meet and her nephew goes missing, Annie might be the only one who can get him back. With help from her friends, her foster brother, and her social service worker, Annie puts the pieces of the puzzle together, determined to find her nephew and finally get him into a safe home.
Award-winning author Chris Crutcher’s books are strikingly authentic and unflinchingly honest. Losers Bracket is by turns gripping, heartbreaking, hopeful, and devastating, and hits the sweet spot for fans of Andrew Smith and Marieke Nijkamp.
When it comes to family, Annie is in the losers bracket. While her foster parents are great (mostly), her birth family would not have been her first pick. And no matter how many times Annie tries to write them out of her life, she always gets sucked back into their drama. Love is like that.
But when a family argument breaks out at Annie’s swim meet and her nephew goes missing, Annie might be the only one who can get him back. With help from her friends, her foster brother, and her social service worker, Annie puts the pieces of the puzzle together, determined to find her nephew and finally get him into a safe home.
Award-winning author Chris Crutcher’s books are strikingly authentic and unflinchingly honest. Losers Bracket is by turns gripping, heartbreaking, hopeful, and devastating, and hits the sweet spot for fans of Andrew Smith and Marieke Nijkamp.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2018
54 people are currently reading
1861 people want to read
About the author
Chris Crutcher
35 books808 followersChris Crutcher's writing is controversial, and has been frequently challenged and even banned by individuals who want to censor his books by removing them from libraries and classrooms. Running Loose and Athletic Shorts were on the ALA's top 100 list of most frequently challenged books for 1990-2000. His books generally feature teens coping with serious problems, including abusive parents, racial and religious prejudice, mental and physical disability, and poverty; these themes are viewed as too mature for children. Other cited reasons for censorship include strong language and depictions of homosexuality. Despite this controversy, Crutcher's writing has received many awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
April 28, 2018
Loser's bracket -- starting a difficult fight already behind...Like Annie Boots and her family...mom Nancy, sister, Sheila, and nephew, Frankie.
Loser's bracket -- the side of the bracket that requires you to play more games to get to the finals. Annie deliberately loses the first game of a tourney to give her mom and sister MORE time to come to her games, in the hopes of spending some time together.
Loser's bracket -- the concept of always playing catch up, never being in charge of your future, your fortunes. Your life.
Annie Boots may end up being one of my favorite Crutcher characters...She's as fierce as Sarah Byrnes, and I adore Sarah Byrnes. She's as smart and self-aware as Tao Jones (TJ) from WHALE TALK, but she has her own set of challenges...
Biological family that is close to toxic...foster father who's a control freak...A life that gives her very little power over what happens to her. She loves her mom and sister...but she sees them for the dysfunctional messes they are. She's told to stay away. But the Boots women don't listen. Every bad and self-destructive decision a mother can make, Nancy and Sheila have made. Annie escaped, and at 17, has some big decisions to make. Does she turn her back on her 'bios' to keep her foster father happy, or does she keep those ties strong?
Crutcher KNOWs kids and he knows kids whose lives are a chaotic as Annie's. Those kids will find this book and know they can make it...they can.
Crutcher also knows how important it is to build your family if need be. To find strong adults to show what a fully-functioning adult can look like, sound like. Annie has loyal friends who are there at the first sign of trouble, a brilliant, insightful foster brother. A DHS case worker who's in on all the family secrets. A therapist who also has the long view of where Annie's been, and where she's going. A public librarian who knows the power of words and stories. And Nancy's 'boyfriend', a Viet Nam vet who lives life without judgement.
While this book is heavy in emotional content...It's a miracle the Boots women have survived, Crutcher's comic side comes out in some of the mayhem cause by the Boots...the final Thanksgiving scene had me laughing through my tears.
Crutcher's characters learn that life's not fair...that some grown ups aren't. That they must be their own heroes (nice discussion about heroes in the book club!), but they have the skills and the support they need.
Some people are born on third base and think they've personally hit a triple. Some people enter life in the loser's bracket and have to fight and scheme and trust.
Annie is a wonder. And, yes, there are kids like Annie trying to survive their crappy lives...she will be their role model.
Loser's bracket -- the side of the bracket that requires you to play more games to get to the finals. Annie deliberately loses the first game of a tourney to give her mom and sister MORE time to come to her games, in the hopes of spending some time together.
Loser's bracket -- the concept of always playing catch up, never being in charge of your future, your fortunes. Your life.
Annie Boots may end up being one of my favorite Crutcher characters...She's as fierce as Sarah Byrnes, and I adore Sarah Byrnes. She's as smart and self-aware as Tao Jones (TJ) from WHALE TALK, but she has her own set of challenges...
Biological family that is close to toxic...foster father who's a control freak...A life that gives her very little power over what happens to her. She loves her mom and sister...but she sees them for the dysfunctional messes they are. She's told to stay away. But the Boots women don't listen. Every bad and self-destructive decision a mother can make, Nancy and Sheila have made. Annie escaped, and at 17, has some big decisions to make. Does she turn her back on her 'bios' to keep her foster father happy, or does she keep those ties strong?
Crutcher KNOWs kids and he knows kids whose lives are a chaotic as Annie's. Those kids will find this book and know they can make it...they can.
Crutcher also knows how important it is to build your family if need be. To find strong adults to show what a fully-functioning adult can look like, sound like. Annie has loyal friends who are there at the first sign of trouble, a brilliant, insightful foster brother. A DHS case worker who's in on all the family secrets. A therapist who also has the long view of where Annie's been, and where she's going. A public librarian who knows the power of words and stories. And Nancy's 'boyfriend', a Viet Nam vet who lives life without judgement.
While this book is heavy in emotional content...It's a miracle the Boots women have survived, Crutcher's comic side comes out in some of the mayhem cause by the Boots...the final Thanksgiving scene had me laughing through my tears.
Crutcher's characters learn that life's not fair...that some grown ups aren't. That they must be their own heroes (nice discussion about heroes in the book club!), but they have the skills and the support they need.
Some people are born on third base and think they've personally hit a triple. Some people enter life in the loser's bracket and have to fight and scheme and trust.
Annie is a wonder. And, yes, there are kids like Annie trying to survive their crappy lives...she will be their role model.
February 24, 2018
Wow. This book and the feels! I don't even know where to start but a little of it hit me especially hard. Full review to come closer to release day. Thanks to Harper Children's for the aadvance copy for review.
July 6, 2018
I am usually a huge fan of Chris Crutcher's work, but Losers Bracket falls short for me. It is the story of Annie, a foster child whose desperate need to be loved by her biological family almost destroys her chance at a real future. Annie's voice gets stronger as the book nears its end, but I just did not buy her story from the start. The author does a good job of showing how difficult life can be for foster families in general, as well as the families that the foster kids leave behind. Losers Bracket represents a missed opportunity by the author, as it just does not go far enough in showing the emotional turmoil of children and teens that are thrust into a system that they scarcely understand.
July 21, 2018
**This review and others on my blog, Falconer's Library**
How do I love Chris Crutcher? Let me count the ways. There's his foul mouthed, big hearted FB rants about the state of the country and the role of old white guys like himself. There's the humor that slides into even his darkest books. There's the way his work is all rooted firmly in eastern Washington/northern Idaho, just like he is. There's the way he populates that territory with diversity, and is honest about how challenging it is to live in the rural west if you don't look and act like a cowboy. There's his willingness to tell it like it is instead of how it should be. There's the way every single one of his protagonists is a high school athlete--no superstar future pro, but a dedicated, talented, hardworking team member.
There are books like this, that make you care so deeply about the characters, that show teenagers grappling with real life issues. Smart kids who are trying to grow up right, but don't have all the answers yet. Kids from crappy families who find their own mentors and support systems. As an adoptive mom, I was so in awe of the way he shows us all the reasons why Annie should cut her losses and count herself lucky to never see her bio family again, yet makes us understand why she's unwilling to do so. This is also one of those rare YA novels in which there's not a hint of romance, which is so refreshing. Annie has other shit to deal with, thank you very much.
I may have a tiny bit of a crush on Walter, and I'd like to kick Pop Howard in the teeth. Or possibly an easier-to-reach place.
How do I love Chris Crutcher? Let me count the ways. There's his foul mouthed, big hearted FB rants about the state of the country and the role of old white guys like himself. There's the humor that slides into even his darkest books. There's the way his work is all rooted firmly in eastern Washington/northern Idaho, just like he is. There's the way he populates that territory with diversity, and is honest about how challenging it is to live in the rural west if you don't look and act like a cowboy. There's his willingness to tell it like it is instead of how it should be. There's the way every single one of his protagonists is a high school athlete--no superstar future pro, but a dedicated, talented, hardworking team member.
There are books like this, that make you care so deeply about the characters, that show teenagers grappling with real life issues. Smart kids who are trying to grow up right, but don't have all the answers yet. Kids from crappy families who find their own mentors and support systems. As an adoptive mom, I was so in awe of the way he shows us all the reasons why Annie should cut her losses and count herself lucky to never see her bio family again, yet makes us understand why she's unwilling to do so. This is also one of those rare YA novels in which there's not a hint of romance, which is so refreshing. Annie has other shit to deal with, thank you very much.
I may have a tiny bit of a crush on Walter, and I'd like to kick Pop Howard in the teeth. Or possibly an easier-to-reach place.
May 10, 2018
The narrator of this novel is a high school senior named Annie Boots. Annie has had a tough life, bouncing between her tres dysfunctional family and a foster one. There is no question she's been dealt a hard lot. However, this seems to be a case of tell rather than show. Annie mentions the difficulties frequently and seems to feel pretty darn sorry for herself. Granted, she is so entitled. However, as a reader, it got on my nerves because I prefer to develop my own impressions of characters rather than be told what to think.
Although I appreciate the effort to depict the struggles of a child bouncing through socials services I didn't particularly care for Annie as a main character and the story was depressing. One thing I did like is that it takes place in my home state of Washington.
Although I appreciate the effort to depict the struggles of a child bouncing through socials services I didn't particularly care for Annie as a main character and the story was depressing. One thing I did like is that it takes place in my home state of Washington.
May 31, 2019
We haven't seen a book from Chris Crutcher in a while. This one is really good. Short enough, tense enough and clean...Annie, the protagonist, is a foster child living with a prominent family and has for quite a while after being shuffled back and forth from foster care to her biological family. The Boots family are quite dysfunctional, drug users, thieves, and poor parents. Annie is caught in the middle of her foster family and wanting to be connected with her biological family. Pops, the foster father, forbids Annie to have contact with the Boots. The Boots family does visit Annie's games sometimes, so she purposefully stays in the "loser's bracket" so that she can see her family.
Walter, Annie's mothers' boyfriend, an aging biker guy is a great character who brings all together. I believe that his voice is the persona of Chris Crutcher himself. It could be read in middle school, but due to the heavy emphasis on therapy, it might be better for grades 8 and up.
Walter, Annie's mothers' boyfriend, an aging biker guy is a great character who brings all together. I believe that his voice is the persona of Chris Crutcher himself. It could be read in middle school, but due to the heavy emphasis on therapy, it might be better for grades 8 and up.
April 7, 2018
A 'mad as a bucket of frogs' family, a fostered daughter struggling with loyalties, and a missing boy...
Annie has the maddest birth family I think I've ever read about, the sort you see on TV but pray doesn't really exist. Put through the system so many times, they KNOW the answers to the parenting tests, yet Annie was regularly removed into foster care. And now her nephew is in the same situation with her sister Sheila.
Now in a secure foster family, Annie is nearly through high school, she's part of some sports groups, a teenage book club at her local library and hoping for a scholarship to college. She keeps getting sucked back into her birth family's dramas though - you can see she has real unshakable feeling for them, despite past neglect - and it also causes friction in her new family (a part I wasn't as keen on or felt particularly realistic).
This was a short read, with a strong voice in Annie, who is pretty matter of fact about her unconventional history and relatives, and a rather shocking story about abduction in the second half. I found little Frankie rather annoying, but that might be the voice out on for his by the Audible narrator I listened to, his speech patterns are meant to sound stunted and immature, but here they sounded whiney and too like a baby.
The book works well on audiobook, with the first person narrator talking to us, and a plot with scenes at a book club of internalising teens, a crazy family and its never-ending spiralling problems, and Annie's coaching sessions she just wants her birth mother to turn up and watch.
Easy to listen to, I really enjoyed Annie's story, with a cast of eccentric/memorable characters and equally bizarre happenings.
Older teenagers might like this, aged 13+.
With thanks to Nudge Books for the sample Audible copy.
Annie has the maddest birth family I think I've ever read about, the sort you see on TV but pray doesn't really exist. Put through the system so many times, they KNOW the answers to the parenting tests, yet Annie was regularly removed into foster care. And now her nephew is in the same situation with her sister Sheila.
Now in a secure foster family, Annie is nearly through high school, she's part of some sports groups, a teenage book club at her local library and hoping for a scholarship to college. She keeps getting sucked back into her birth family's dramas though - you can see she has real unshakable feeling for them, despite past neglect - and it also causes friction in her new family (a part I wasn't as keen on or felt particularly realistic).
This was a short read, with a strong voice in Annie, who is pretty matter of fact about her unconventional history and relatives, and a rather shocking story about abduction in the second half. I found little Frankie rather annoying, but that might be the voice out on for his by the Audible narrator I listened to, his speech patterns are meant to sound stunted and immature, but here they sounded whiney and too like a baby.
The book works well on audiobook, with the first person narrator talking to us, and a plot with scenes at a book club of internalising teens, a crazy family and its never-ending spiralling problems, and Annie's coaching sessions she just wants her birth mother to turn up and watch.
Easy to listen to, I really enjoyed Annie's story, with a cast of eccentric/memorable characters and equally bizarre happenings.
Older teenagers might like this, aged 13+.
With thanks to Nudge Books for the sample Audible copy.
February 24, 2018
Annie reminds me of a friend growing up-- drawn and pulled back into the dysfunctionality of her biological family's issues though she has a stable foster family to encourage her. It's the draw and the need to stay connected even when you shouldn't. It's the affect of drugs and neglect and apathetic parenting.
So Annie about-faces on her sports of choice (basketball) to swimming and pushes through a scary incident where her nephew that she keeps close ties with goes missing. Ultimately as the glue unravels and people get involved, it's layers of problems that Annie must work through. Not always perfect, generally always difficult, but surviving nonetheless. This is the tale of overcoming obstacles in a way that Crutcher is good at. It's a quick read. Definitely hard at times but a book that is a mirror for many who want to remain loyal to biological family even though it might not be healthy.
The glimpse into this system is up Crutcher's alley as he works in this field and always lends perspective to the resiliency and fortitude teens must have.
So Annie about-faces on her sports of choice (basketball) to swimming and pushes through a scary incident where her nephew that she keeps close ties with goes missing. Ultimately as the glue unravels and people get involved, it's layers of problems that Annie must work through. Not always perfect, generally always difficult, but surviving nonetheless. This is the tale of overcoming obstacles in a way that Crutcher is good at. It's a quick read. Definitely hard at times but a book that is a mirror for many who want to remain loyal to biological family even though it might not be healthy.
The glimpse into this system is up Crutcher's alley as he works in this field and always lends perspective to the resiliency and fortitude teens must have.
April 4, 2018
Annie definitely comes from a messed up family, but she's actually pretty together. It was only when others start to interfere that her life becomes crazy. I liked how she tried to keep in touch with her blood family, knowing that where she was was better for her in the long run. Annie really learned a lot about herself over the book and by the end was in a good place, one where she can be free with all of her families.
July 2, 2018
In Chris Crutcher’s, Loser’s Bracket, family matters... a lot ...to Annie Boots. Loser’s Bracket introduces us to the unpredictable Boots family and into the life of Annie who tries to balance foster home and bio family. The characters are relatable and endearing in their own quirky ways. As a reader I found myself rooting for Annie the whole way! I couldn’t put this one down!!
January 15, 2019
I love me some Chris Crutcher, and his latest did not disappoint. Thoughtfully addressed issues of foster care, family, trauma, and friendship. The narcissist in me loved that there was a minor character named Janine who is a swimmer at Whitworth University in Spokane ;)
November 22, 2018
I will never not love anything that Chris Crutcher writes. Tough and gritty, but Crutcher's kids always have at least one excellent, caring (but often complicated) adult who helps them navigate the sometimes shitty reality they face. Love this main character and all the other characters who support and cheer her on.
July 21, 2025
So we’re not gonna talk about how I started this on January 2nd…
Overall, pretty messy. I liked the concept of the story tho
3 stars for the occasional insightful analysis
Overall, pretty messy. I liked the concept of the story tho
3 stars for the occasional insightful analysis
July 10, 2018
Audiobook was good. I wanted a deeper emotional connection to the characters. This just grazed the surface.
June 17, 2019
Always a good author to turn to for those kids who have problems in high school.
June 1, 2018
I received an ARC copy of Loser's Bracket through my local book club the Dymocks Joondalup YA Book club.
I went into this book blind, I didn't read the blurb prior to throwing myself into it, and if I'm honest I wasn't expecting much having had a recent downward spiral with books published under the '"YA"' moniker.
I was however pleasantly surprised by Chris Crutcher's novel. The story revolves around our protagonist Annie who is a foster child (teenager) and her struggles with finding a balance between the family that are unable to provide the love and support she so desperately craves from them with her new family and life of relative affluence and a dominating male character that she finds herself at odds with. This book would be perfect for young adults to read in a class setting and examine the familial relationships and portrayal of families and gender.
Perhaps my favourite element of this book was the complete lack of romance for our main character Annie, in a world where insta-love seems to be de jour this was exceptionally refreshing and something I'd commend the author on.This lack of romance for the protagonist also added to the authenticity of this character's story and struggles.
I'd highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys contemporary YA novels and especially those who enjoy seeing grittier elements within the YA genre. Chris Crutcher is now a name I intend to keep my eyes out for to see how his writing develops with future works. (This was the author's 11th novel for those interested in looking into his backlist)
I went into this book blind, I didn't read the blurb prior to throwing myself into it, and if I'm honest I wasn't expecting much having had a recent downward spiral with books published under the '"YA"' moniker.
I was however pleasantly surprised by Chris Crutcher's novel. The story revolves around our protagonist Annie who is a foster child (teenager) and her struggles with finding a balance between the family that are unable to provide the love and support she so desperately craves from them with her new family and life of relative affluence and a dominating male character that she finds herself at odds with. This book would be perfect for young adults to read in a class setting and examine the familial relationships and portrayal of families and gender.
Perhaps my favourite element of this book was the complete lack of romance for our main character Annie, in a world where insta-love seems to be de jour this was exceptionally refreshing and something I'd commend the author on.This lack of romance for the protagonist also added to the authenticity of this character's story and struggles.
I'd highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys contemporary YA novels and especially those who enjoy seeing grittier elements within the YA genre. Chris Crutcher is now a name I intend to keep my eyes out for to see how his writing develops with future works. (This was the author's 11th novel for those interested in looking into his backlist)
January 22, 2019
I've read Chris Crutcher's books for years, but last week was the first time I saw him speak in public! His latest book is set in Spokane, Washington, and a central event in the book was Hoopfest, the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Annie Boots was drawn to her "bio" family (mother and sister) like a horse to water. But their relationship was tragically dysfunctional --every single interaction. Every June, Annie made sure her basketball team lost the first game and wins the rest so she can win her way up the loser's bracket, giving her mother and sister a chance to at least see her. Annie had a great foster family, except for the controlling, rigid father. It was interesting to see Anne's reasoning when she insisted on doing things that seemed against her best interests. The story revolved around her battle to keep in touch with her bio family but not lose her foster family. Annie was determined, smart, athletic, hot-tempered, and loyal to a fault. I enjoyed the interplay between the characters-adults and children alike. The crisis and resolution were a little contrived, but still believable.
May 14, 2018
This is true Crutcher, from his heart. When I met Chris Crutcher years ago he told us about his work, not as an author, but as a therapist especially helping to protect children. His character shows up in this story.
Annie is in a long term foster care family and at age 17 has a year before she will be on her own. She has conflicts with her foster dad, and often sneaks off to see her bio family who have multiple issues. Her older sister, who has a 5 year old son who she conveniently drops off with Annie and her family, has drug issues and leaves for days. Annie’s mother is mostly verbally abusive to both her daughters. There are some positive role models and friends who are helpful to Annie along with social workers she has known over the years. A crisis comes when Sheila’s son goes missing.
Annie is in a long term foster care family and at age 17 has a year before she will be on her own. She has conflicts with her foster dad, and often sneaks off to see her bio family who have multiple issues. Her older sister, who has a 5 year old son who she conveniently drops off with Annie and her family, has drug issues and leaves for days. Annie’s mother is mostly verbally abusive to both her daughters. There are some positive role models and friends who are helpful to Annie along with social workers she has known over the years. A crisis comes when Sheila’s son goes missing.
October 26, 2018
Maybe I would've liked this book more if I was a troubled teen; I don't know.
The first-person narrator of this book, Annie, comes from a messed-up, white-trash, drug-addled family. Her mother Nancy is fat and gross and always with some loser guy or another. Her older sister Sheila is a mess and well on the way to becoming just like Nancy. Her nephew Frankie is troubled to the extent that he likes to smear his own poop into the cracks of walls and floors. Somehow Annie had the good fortune to end up in a stable foster family, complete with stable foster brother Marvin. But even though Annie has found stability, she can't escape the pull of her messed-up biological family. Stress, drama, and personal growth all result.
Not a bad book, just one I might be a little too old for.
The first-person narrator of this book, Annie, comes from a messed-up, white-trash, drug-addled family. Her mother Nancy is fat and gross and always with some loser guy or another. Her older sister Sheila is a mess and well on the way to becoming just like Nancy. Her nephew Frankie is troubled to the extent that he likes to smear his own poop into the cracks of walls and floors. Somehow Annie had the good fortune to end up in a stable foster family, complete with stable foster brother Marvin. But even though Annie has found stability, she can't escape the pull of her messed-up biological family. Stress, drama, and personal growth all result.
Not a bad book, just one I might be a little too old for.
March 31, 2018
Loser’s Bracket by Chris Crutcher
I met Chris Crutcher at a National Council of Teachers of English convention in Orlando (could have been Anaheim) in the late 1980’s where he was giving a presentation on Young Adult fiction. He was a trim, handsome, athletic looking man who was a school counselor and an athlete. Someone asked him what set young adult fiction aside from other fiction works. He responded, “The length.” I was intrigued, bought a couple of his books and devoured them avidly. I was teaching English at the time and chair of a large English Department in a Pennsylvania school district. I enjoyed the books, thought them useful for non-readers and less able students in our district, and encountered strong resistance to using them as assigned reading when I suggested it to my colleagues. Since heading in other directions, I rarely read Young Adult (also called Adolescent Literature) these days, but when I do, I usually enjoy a good read dealing with the problems of developing young people whose feelings are close to the surface and whose experience is limited, to be interesting and arresting reads while not demanding too much of me. They deal with the real problems adolescents encounter: popularity, over-weight, dis-functional family life, adjustment to sexuality, and maturation, and more. These are all real problems that young people often find it difficult to discuss with adults. Thus the novels can provide help to them, or a platform for such discussions. As such, reading them can be crucial to helping with problems young people are encountering in their real life in ways that can displace the problem onto others they encounter in the pages of a book. They can discuss these issues with other kids or adults who know how to listen in constructive and useful ways. English teachers who say, “I’m a teacher, not a therapist” are missing the point as well as a chance to involve their students in literature which can turn them into lifelong readers.
Loser’s Bracket by Chris Crutcher (Greenwillow Books, 2018, 256 pp, $17.99/9.99) is told in first person narrative by Annie Boots, both a gifted athlete and student, whose life has been fractured. Her mother Nancy is over-weight, an alcoholic and drug abuser. Her sister Sheila a drug abuser in and out of rehab, an absent father, and Sheila’s son, who has his own problems. Nancy has been removed from custody, and Annie has been fostered by an upper middle-class family named Howard, which has its own problems, but, despite the father’s controlling needs to make her a star athlete, which she is anyway, Annie’s in a good situation while yearning to stay connected to her biological family. The story revolves around the interactions between and within these two families and the custody system. Annie describes the situation in breezy, accessible language with a degree of understanding and anxious good humor. She comes across as likable and insightful while trying to deal with her own problems.
In the guise of a book club held at the local library, and definitely not in school, Crutcher includes a chapter about the writing process that, for any student struggling with writing anything contains some of the best advice I’ve ever read about how to achieve a desired outcome, no matter what emerges and how surprising it might be. Annie, carrying all her load of Nancy, her mother, Sheilla, her sister and Sheila’s missing son, as well as her foster parents and all the talents and skills she has remains, as she has been throughout the book, an open conduit to experience with a blockage for internalizing what she learns. As the story moves along, the characters learn that unlike in the books they read to each other, they are the authors of their own stories. Thus, the novel moves the characters and the reader toward an understanding of each of our capabilities for taking charge of our own lives. The disappearance of her brother creates dramatic tension, keeping the story moving forward as does the tension between Annie’s foster parents and within her biological family.
Chris Crutcher has written nine critically acclaimed novels, an autobiography, and two collections of short stories. Drawing on his experience as a family therapist and child protection specialist, Crutcher writes honestly about real issues facing teenagers today making it through school, competing in sports, handling rejection and failure, and dealing with parents. He has won three lifetime achievement awards for the body of his work: the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the ALAN Award, and the NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award. Chris Crutcher lives in Spokane, Washington. (Amazon profile)
Chris Crutcher writes stories that address issues not unlike similar issues dealt with in any novel focused on adults, but revolving around the lives, concerns, and developmental problems of teenagers. Telling this story in first person put the reader inside the skin of an adolescent girl facing and surmounting problems that would be difficult for anyone. He uses lively dialogue bringing the kids to life while the adults are not the adult stereotypes often found on television and in lesser books. These are real people living real lives. Loser’s Bracket is not just a good young adult novel, it’s a good novel. I was supplied a digital copy of the book by the publisher through Edelweiss. I read it using my Amazon Fire tablet.
I met Chris Crutcher at a National Council of Teachers of English convention in Orlando (could have been Anaheim) in the late 1980’s where he was giving a presentation on Young Adult fiction. He was a trim, handsome, athletic looking man who was a school counselor and an athlete. Someone asked him what set young adult fiction aside from other fiction works. He responded, “The length.” I was intrigued, bought a couple of his books and devoured them avidly. I was teaching English at the time and chair of a large English Department in a Pennsylvania school district. I enjoyed the books, thought them useful for non-readers and less able students in our district, and encountered strong resistance to using them as assigned reading when I suggested it to my colleagues. Since heading in other directions, I rarely read Young Adult (also called Adolescent Literature) these days, but when I do, I usually enjoy a good read dealing with the problems of developing young people whose feelings are close to the surface and whose experience is limited, to be interesting and arresting reads while not demanding too much of me. They deal with the real problems adolescents encounter: popularity, over-weight, dis-functional family life, adjustment to sexuality, and maturation, and more. These are all real problems that young people often find it difficult to discuss with adults. Thus the novels can provide help to them, or a platform for such discussions. As such, reading them can be crucial to helping with problems young people are encountering in their real life in ways that can displace the problem onto others they encounter in the pages of a book. They can discuss these issues with other kids or adults who know how to listen in constructive and useful ways. English teachers who say, “I’m a teacher, not a therapist” are missing the point as well as a chance to involve their students in literature which can turn them into lifelong readers.
Loser’s Bracket by Chris Crutcher (Greenwillow Books, 2018, 256 pp, $17.99/9.99) is told in first person narrative by Annie Boots, both a gifted athlete and student, whose life has been fractured. Her mother Nancy is over-weight, an alcoholic and drug abuser. Her sister Sheila a drug abuser in and out of rehab, an absent father, and Sheila’s son, who has his own problems. Nancy has been removed from custody, and Annie has been fostered by an upper middle-class family named Howard, which has its own problems, but, despite the father’s controlling needs to make her a star athlete, which she is anyway, Annie’s in a good situation while yearning to stay connected to her biological family. The story revolves around the interactions between and within these two families and the custody system. Annie describes the situation in breezy, accessible language with a degree of understanding and anxious good humor. She comes across as likable and insightful while trying to deal with her own problems.
In the guise of a book club held at the local library, and definitely not in school, Crutcher includes a chapter about the writing process that, for any student struggling with writing anything contains some of the best advice I’ve ever read about how to achieve a desired outcome, no matter what emerges and how surprising it might be. Annie, carrying all her load of Nancy, her mother, Sheilla, her sister and Sheila’s missing son, as well as her foster parents and all the talents and skills she has remains, as she has been throughout the book, an open conduit to experience with a blockage for internalizing what she learns. As the story moves along, the characters learn that unlike in the books they read to each other, they are the authors of their own stories. Thus, the novel moves the characters and the reader toward an understanding of each of our capabilities for taking charge of our own lives. The disappearance of her brother creates dramatic tension, keeping the story moving forward as does the tension between Annie’s foster parents and within her biological family.
Chris Crutcher has written nine critically acclaimed novels, an autobiography, and two collections of short stories. Drawing on his experience as a family therapist and child protection specialist, Crutcher writes honestly about real issues facing teenagers today making it through school, competing in sports, handling rejection and failure, and dealing with parents. He has won three lifetime achievement awards for the body of his work: the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the ALAN Award, and the NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award. Chris Crutcher lives in Spokane, Washington. (Amazon profile)
Chris Crutcher writes stories that address issues not unlike similar issues dealt with in any novel focused on adults, but revolving around the lives, concerns, and developmental problems of teenagers. Telling this story in first person put the reader inside the skin of an adolescent girl facing and surmounting problems that would be difficult for anyone. He uses lively dialogue bringing the kids to life while the adults are not the adult stereotypes often found on television and in lesser books. These are real people living real lives. Loser’s Bracket is not just a good young adult novel, it’s a good novel. I was supplied a digital copy of the book by the publisher through Edelweiss. I read it using my Amazon Fire tablet.
August 15, 2018
The thing I like most about Chris Crutcher as both an author and a person is that he doesn’t pull any punches; he presents things as they are in all of their complexity. As Sharon the librarian in LOSERS BRACKET says, “Good stories come from life…And for most writers, it’s the easiest place to start” (p. 152). Crutcher has long pulled from his experiences working with children and families to craft honest and real stories that reflect the realities that many children and young adults face. LOSERS BRACKET is no different as it shows the tenuous situations that Annie Boots navigates throughout her life.
Annie has a lot going for her. She is smart. She is a talented athlete, particularly in basketball and track. She has grit and determination --- and she is a reader. Annie says of books, “It’s like, the world you have is the world you have, but books are the secret tunnel to the world you want” (p. 66). However, Annie has one major area in which she doesn’t have it all together --- her feelings about her biological family. Annie knows that her biological mother, Nancy, her half-sister, Shelia and Shelia��s son Frankie are trouble and that they leave destruction in their wakes everywhere they go, but Annie can’t help but be tethered to her family and can’t resist their magnetic pull. She goes out of her way to see them as often as she can even if it means breaking rules and tampering her athletic talent.
Over the years Annie has developed the “losers bracket” approach in order to create more opportunities to see her biological family as Pop Howard has forbidden Annie to see her family and the system would prefer that she didn’t see them either. Annie always invites her biological family to her sporting events and she discovered that if she and her teammates lost their initial games and became part of the “losers bracket” that they would ultimately end up playing more games, which provided Annie more opportunities to see her biological family at these events. This approach has annoyed Annie’s teammates over the years and it has led Annie to participate in sports, such as swimming, that she is not good at in order to ensure that she wasn’t on the best teams, which tend to be traveling teams.
Somehow Annie has been able to keep this balancing act going but as she prepares to enter her senior year of high school and looks forward to a more independent life her worlds collide and start to crumble around her. As smart as Annie is she can’t pull herself away from her biological family, even though she knows that they weigh her down more than they lift her up. It is this conflict that I believe to be the most real and raw in LOSERS BRACKET and which Crutcher gets just right.
As much as I like LOSERS BRACKET I felt that its one failing is that there is often too much going on, especially in the secondary stories, and that this sometimes took away from Annie’s story. However, as I write this I also recognize that it is not unrealistic for a young adult’s life, especially for those in foster care, to have too much going on in the periphery, which results in chaos for the young adult. While this certainly may be a realistic portrayal it made the novel more difficult to follow overall.
Annie has a lot going for her. She is smart. She is a talented athlete, particularly in basketball and track. She has grit and determination --- and she is a reader. Annie says of books, “It’s like, the world you have is the world you have, but books are the secret tunnel to the world you want” (p. 66). However, Annie has one major area in which she doesn’t have it all together --- her feelings about her biological family. Annie knows that her biological mother, Nancy, her half-sister, Shelia and Shelia��s son Frankie are trouble and that they leave destruction in their wakes everywhere they go, but Annie can’t help but be tethered to her family and can’t resist their magnetic pull. She goes out of her way to see them as often as she can even if it means breaking rules and tampering her athletic talent.
Over the years Annie has developed the “losers bracket” approach in order to create more opportunities to see her biological family as Pop Howard has forbidden Annie to see her family and the system would prefer that she didn’t see them either. Annie always invites her biological family to her sporting events and she discovered that if she and her teammates lost their initial games and became part of the “losers bracket” that they would ultimately end up playing more games, which provided Annie more opportunities to see her biological family at these events. This approach has annoyed Annie’s teammates over the years and it has led Annie to participate in sports, such as swimming, that she is not good at in order to ensure that she wasn’t on the best teams, which tend to be traveling teams.
Somehow Annie has been able to keep this balancing act going but as she prepares to enter her senior year of high school and looks forward to a more independent life her worlds collide and start to crumble around her. As smart as Annie is she can’t pull herself away from her biological family, even though she knows that they weigh her down more than they lift her up. It is this conflict that I believe to be the most real and raw in LOSERS BRACKET and which Crutcher gets just right.
As much as I like LOSERS BRACKET I felt that its one failing is that there is often too much going on, especially in the secondary stories, and that this sometimes took away from Annie’s story. However, as I write this I also recognize that it is not unrealistic for a young adult’s life, especially for those in foster care, to have too much going on in the periphery, which results in chaos for the young adult. While this certainly may be a realistic portrayal it made the novel more difficult to follow overall.
October 28, 2020
Annie Boots has lived a difficult life full of challenges and issues. She lives with her foster parents and brother but keeps trying to go back to her dysfunctional family. Her mom Nancy and sister Shelia are drug users, shoplifters, alcoholics, and constantly in bad or abusive relationships. Annie plays basketball and she also uses it as an excuse to try to see her biological family even though her foster dad Pops has told her not to. Dealing with the challenges of trying to figure out her identity, Annie is caught in the middle by her foster parents and her biological family. She does have good relationships with her foster brother Marvin, her nephew Frankie, and her friends. She uses the book club at the library as another way to escape the reality of her situation. Because of Shelia's actions, Frankie is oftentimes dropped off at Annie's foster parent's house for them to watch him. One day he comes over and has bruises from Shelia's abusive boyfriend who has hurt both of them. Her relationship with her sister and mother continues to be all over the place as her pops put his foot down and forbid her from interacting with them. Frankie disappears one day at one of Annie's swim meets which causes panic in the family. Annie blames herself and opens herself up to Walter, her mom's boyfriend. Through chaotic events including Shelia's disappearance and the rocky relationship between pops and mom, CPS becomes involved with Frankie's situation. Walter confides in Annie that he took Frankie. Sheila tries to go through rehab and Nancy tries to make amends but it ends badly as Sheila tries to drown both Frankie and herself. Towards the end, Annie finally realizes not only who she is but who her family is. The book concludes with a family thanksgiving where even though they all have their own problems, they are all a family.
Loser's Bracket is definitely a wild ride to read. Chris Crutcher does an amazing job of taking the reader through a story that talks about real issues and problems that people deal with. His characterization of all his characters is so in-depth, especially with Annie. As she is the protagonist you learn about her struggles and views in her life and you see how she starts to find her place while also trying to help and stay close to others she cares about. This book definitely startled me a little bit with some of the content and language that is used which is why I have given it a 3-star rating. I would have to say that this book is definitely meant for the older young adults as it touches on topics that I don't think are necessarily appropriate for younger ages. Overall it was a good read, but one that I probably won’t revisit.
Content Warnings:
Heavy Language (includes multiple f-bombs, b-word, and s--t, among others)
Physical and emotional abuse are present (Frankie gets beat up by Sheila's boyfriend, constant arguing between Sheila, Annie, Nancy)
Violence (mention violent things that have happened to Annie when she was living with Nancy)
Attempted suicide
Drug abuse (smoking and pills) and Alcoholics
Mentions of sexual content (masturbation)
Loser's Bracket is definitely a wild ride to read. Chris Crutcher does an amazing job of taking the reader through a story that talks about real issues and problems that people deal with. His characterization of all his characters is so in-depth, especially with Annie. As she is the protagonist you learn about her struggles and views in her life and you see how she starts to find her place while also trying to help and stay close to others she cares about. This book definitely startled me a little bit with some of the content and language that is used which is why I have given it a 3-star rating. I would have to say that this book is definitely meant for the older young adults as it touches on topics that I don't think are necessarily appropriate for younger ages. Overall it was a good read, but one that I probably won’t revisit.
Content Warnings:
Heavy Language (includes multiple f-bombs, b-word, and s--t, among others)
Physical and emotional abuse are present (Frankie gets beat up by Sheila's boyfriend, constant arguing between Sheila, Annie, Nancy)
Violence (mention violent things that have happened to Annie when she was living with Nancy)
Attempted suicide
Drug abuse (smoking and pills) and Alcoholics
Mentions of sexual content (masturbation)
April 2, 2018
Unless you are playing during March Madness where a lose is an automatic ejection from further play, there are two pathways to winning a basketball tournament. You can win your way to the top spot, or you can lose and play the other losers into the winner's circle.
That's the way Annie Boots prefers to win, by playing the other losers then besting the winning team in Loser's Bracket by Chris Crutcher. This route may take a little longer, but it gives her a better chance of meeting up with her family. Perhaps her life is a metaphor for the loser's bracket, since her deadbeat mom, Nancy can't quite get her act together enough to keep her dysfunctional family intact. Annie ends up in a foster home where the Howard's (Momma and Pop) are able to provide her a decent lifestyle. Unfortunately, her slightly older sister Sheila is not so fortunate, being bounced between foster families until she became a parent herself. Little Frankie seems as messed up as his mom and his quirky habits also make him an unlikely candidate for a loving home.
Despite Annie's assured pathway to success, she can't forsake her biological family, even if Pop pushes her to do just that, but if her mom or sister just show up at a game, then who can blame her for meeting up with them. The draw of blood is just too strong and no threat can keep them apart, even though everyone agrees that Nancy is a bad influence with her frequent shoplifting and drug use. Sheila isn't much better and often foists Frankie off on her sis. Luckily Momma doesn't mind and even has a bunch of playthings stashed away for his frequent visits. They just have to watch for meltdowns where he smears his excrement as if it were caulking, a little habit which is less than endearing. Both Annie and Frankie inexplicably need that link with their birth mothers to stay whole, even though a fresh start would be better for their mental health.
Chris Crutcher has the pulse of today's youth, so when you find his name on any book, you know that it will be a worthwhile read. He creates complex scenarios reflecting the tangled, mixed up lives of the average teen, many from families which also have a convoluted trajectory. While the main characters in this book are white, Annie's friends represent the diversity found in the average urban high school. There needs to be more YA books which reflect the nitty gritty of teen life and not the dream family dynamics, which even when their flaws are portrayed are still too far from the norm.
Crutcher, not afraid to show the underside of life including the warts, still finds a pathway to a realistic, yet hopeful conclusion. Warning: This one is full of four letter words reflecting the language commonly heard outside of public settings. Four stars and a thank you to Edelweiss for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This review also appears on my blog, Gotta Read:
https://ellenk59.wordpress.com/2018/0...
That's the way Annie Boots prefers to win, by playing the other losers then besting the winning team in Loser's Bracket by Chris Crutcher. This route may take a little longer, but it gives her a better chance of meeting up with her family. Perhaps her life is a metaphor for the loser's bracket, since her deadbeat mom, Nancy can't quite get her act together enough to keep her dysfunctional family intact. Annie ends up in a foster home where the Howard's (Momma and Pop) are able to provide her a decent lifestyle. Unfortunately, her slightly older sister Sheila is not so fortunate, being bounced between foster families until she became a parent herself. Little Frankie seems as messed up as his mom and his quirky habits also make him an unlikely candidate for a loving home.
Despite Annie's assured pathway to success, she can't forsake her biological family, even if Pop pushes her to do just that, but if her mom or sister just show up at a game, then who can blame her for meeting up with them. The draw of blood is just too strong and no threat can keep them apart, even though everyone agrees that Nancy is a bad influence with her frequent shoplifting and drug use. Sheila isn't much better and often foists Frankie off on her sis. Luckily Momma doesn't mind and even has a bunch of playthings stashed away for his frequent visits. They just have to watch for meltdowns where he smears his excrement as if it were caulking, a little habit which is less than endearing. Both Annie and Frankie inexplicably need that link with their birth mothers to stay whole, even though a fresh start would be better for their mental health.
Chris Crutcher has the pulse of today's youth, so when you find his name on any book, you know that it will be a worthwhile read. He creates complex scenarios reflecting the tangled, mixed up lives of the average teen, many from families which also have a convoluted trajectory. While the main characters in this book are white, Annie's friends represent the diversity found in the average urban high school. There needs to be more YA books which reflect the nitty gritty of teen life and not the dream family dynamics, which even when their flaws are portrayed are still too far from the norm.
Crutcher, not afraid to show the underside of life including the warts, still finds a pathway to a realistic, yet hopeful conclusion. Warning: This one is full of four letter words reflecting the language commonly heard outside of public settings. Four stars and a thank you to Edelweiss for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This review also appears on my blog, Gotta Read:
https://ellenk59.wordpress.com/2018/0...
October 1, 2020
Losers Bracket is the story of Annie Boots, a foster child, who struggles with the hand life has dealt her and the unhealthy need to control her future. The beginning of the book opens with a memory of Annie being in third grade and her biological mother causing a scene at her school. This leads to Annie being taken away and placed with the Howards for good; she blames herself for this. When we catch up with Annie she is a senior in high school and still trying to navigate the incessant need to be loved and wanted by her biological family who don’t seem to need or want her. Momma, Pop, and Marvin (Annie’s foster family) are good people but Pop has a big issue with Annie having “chance” meetings with her biological mother, sister, and nephew, Freddie. Pop is pretty difficult throughout the book and likes to control Annie and her choices. She is a star basketball player and likes to play other sports. Pop always critiques her performances, but not in a helpful way. Occasionally, the Howards will take Freddie in when Annie’s sister, Sheila, disappears or is high. Annie also attends a book club where they talk in depth about God and other hard subjects. She’s on a swim team, though she’s not very good at swimming, and towards the middle of the book her foster family, book club friends, and her biological family are there to support her at one of her meets. A fight breaks out with her bio mother in the middle of it and suddenly Yvonne (Sheila’s wannabe girlfriend) screams that Freddie is missing. The rest of the book, Annie is distraught about her nephew’s disappearance and things seem to hit the fan the longer he’s missing. Sheila disappears, Pop threatens to kick Annie out if she keeps meeting up with her bio mother and Walter (her mom’s boyfriend). Eventually, things calm down and answers are given. The book ends a year later with Annie realizing that she makes her own future and she gets to choose her destiny; family is important and while we don’t get to choose ours, we can choose how our lives will turn out.
Losers Bracket is not my kind of book. I had a really hard time getting through it and staying engaged. I thought it was very well written and the story of Annie Boots does tug on your heart strings, however it was very much a downer. I try to read books that are happy-go-lucky- and this book was not that! Again, very well written—I have no qualms with that. But, it wasn’t my favorite and I think it was a little mature for the age range that is listed (middle school). I’d say this is more a book for high schoolers.
Content Warnings:
• Strong language
• Mental health issues
• Suicide
• Drug use
• Talk about sexual themes
• Abuse
• Religious connotation
• LGBTQ involvement
Losers Bracket is not my kind of book. I had a really hard time getting through it and staying engaged. I thought it was very well written and the story of Annie Boots does tug on your heart strings, however it was very much a downer. I try to read books that are happy-go-lucky- and this book was not that! Again, very well written—I have no qualms with that. But, it wasn’t my favorite and I think it was a little mature for the age range that is listed (middle school). I’d say this is more a book for high schoolers.
Content Warnings:
• Strong language
• Mental health issues
• Suicide
• Drug use
• Talk about sexual themes
• Abuse
• Religious connotation
• LGBTQ involvement
January 2, 2020
Annie Boots has one year left in the system, and then she will finally be able to live her life on her own terms. It's just too bad that one year can feel so dang long. Though Annie is in a long-term foster care placement with a loving family, the Howards, things have become very strained. In fact, she is afraid that her ongoing connection to her bio-family has been straining her relationship with Pop Howard so much that she might not last another year in that house. Pop Howard is always arguing with Momma Howard about how to handle Annie's rebellious behavior and lies, and he thinks they should just completely cut ties with the entire Boots clan. Annie is torn, though, because she is holding out hope that she can somehow save her mom and sister from themselves and their self-destructive choices so that they can be a family again -- especially since her nephew, Frankie, is in the mix. Thank goodness she has a strong support system (including her foster brother, a few close friends, a social worker, and a local youth services librarian) to help her navigate the chaos in her life.
One of the things I love most about Chris Crutcher's books is just how real all of his characters feel. It's not truly surprising to see how accurately he portrays young people in his books, though, when you take into account his experiences as a family therapist and child-protection specialist. He's not just guessing at how kids and teens might react to these terrible sitations; he has been in the trenches and seen kids and teens living stories just like these. This novel is relatively short and weaves in sports, action, and mystery, so it has multiple doors through which to attract readers. Best of all, the heaviness of this story is balanced out with humor and a sense of hope.
Happy Reading!
One of the things I love most about Chris Crutcher's books is just how real all of his characters feel. It's not truly surprising to see how accurately he portrays young people in his books, though, when you take into account his experiences as a family therapist and child-protection specialist. He's not just guessing at how kids and teens might react to these terrible sitations; he has been in the trenches and seen kids and teens living stories just like these. This novel is relatively short and weaves in sports, action, and mystery, so it has multiple doors through which to attract readers. Best of all, the heaviness of this story is balanced out with humor and a sense of hope.
Happy Reading!
May 21, 2019
Overall, this book was mediocre. Losers Bracket, was about a girl named Annie. She is a foster child who had just settled with her newest family. She is very good at basketball and likes to play in tournaments with her friends. One day after an argument, they lose her nephew. They soon have to look for him. One major thing I did like about this book is that it was very realistic. It is up to date on all the trends like YouTube and social media. Many books do not include many things like this. This really enhanced the experience. One major thing I really disliked about this book was it was not very organized. In my opinion, it tend to slowly move away off the plot then snapped back after a few pages. This made it very hard to read and understand. A minor problem with the book was that it wasn’t super interesting. Some parts would be more interesting but others, not so much. This book really shows the negative of what it means to be American. Annie had constant family struggles throughout her life. She talks about how she constantly switched foster homes constantly which was scary and hard for her. “But the bouncing back and forth makes you crazy. So what you do--or at least what I do--is a figure a way to get as much bio-family time as possible..” (Crutcher 4) Annie claims that changing families can make you crazy, and it made her crazy. Many children in America are exposed to the same idea. Children will have to keep changing foster homes and it becomes very stressful. I would recommend this book to young teenagers. They may have a hard time following along. I would not recommend this book to someone who has a very short attention span. They could lose control of what is going on. But, overall the book was mediocre.
April 3, 2018
ARC Given in exchange for an honest review
I don’t think I’ve been more divided about a book review as I currently am with this book. Was it good or was it bad? Did I even enjoy it? To be honest it’s a hard question to answer for me. At the start I had no idea what was happening (which made me almost stop reading the book) but I pushed through and thought it picked up a little bit in the middle but not enough to make me think “WHOA! I LOVE THIS BOOK!” but it was enough to make me rate it roughly 3 stars.
As said before I seriously did not understand the beginning of it which was around the first 10 pages. Luckily it got better around the 50-100 mark but most of the time I just read in total confusion. Basically, this book is about this girl called Annie who lives half with her foster parents and brother and the other half with her outspoken against-the-law mother, sister and her sister’s son Frankie. She lives in between them but when her nephew goes missing her whole world turns around. Basically this plotline played out around the page 150 mark but beforehand I was so lost in the story and not in the good way.
I liked how the author portrayed the way that Annie had to go in between families and her sister Sheila’s whole abusive relationship thing with her partner and also divorce. He wrote this really powerfully and I think this was what made the book and boosted my rating a little bit higher otherwise I think I would’ve rated it much much lower considering that I didn’t even understand the whole loser’s bracket thing either.
Before you read this book please know that there are a few trigger warnings! All in all this book was alright. I’d rate it a 2.1 in terms of an actual rating. But then again that’s my own personal opinion so if you think this book seems like your thing then definitely give it a go.
ACTUAL RATING 2.1 STARS
I don’t think I’ve been more divided about a book review as I currently am with this book. Was it good or was it bad? Did I even enjoy it? To be honest it’s a hard question to answer for me. At the start I had no idea what was happening (which made me almost stop reading the book) but I pushed through and thought it picked up a little bit in the middle but not enough to make me think “WHOA! I LOVE THIS BOOK!” but it was enough to make me rate it roughly 3 stars.
As said before I seriously did not understand the beginning of it which was around the first 10 pages. Luckily it got better around the 50-100 mark but most of the time I just read in total confusion. Basically, this book is about this girl called Annie who lives half with her foster parents and brother and the other half with her outspoken against-the-law mother, sister and her sister’s son Frankie. She lives in between them but when her nephew goes missing her whole world turns around. Basically this plotline played out around the page 150 mark but beforehand I was so lost in the story and not in the good way.
I liked how the author portrayed the way that Annie had to go in between families and her sister Sheila’s whole abusive relationship thing with her partner and also divorce. He wrote this really powerfully and I think this was what made the book and boosted my rating a little bit higher otherwise I think I would’ve rated it much much lower considering that I didn’t even understand the whole loser’s bracket thing either.
Before you read this book please know that there are a few trigger warnings! All in all this book was alright. I’d rate it a 2.1 in terms of an actual rating. But then again that’s my own personal opinion so if you think this book seems like your thing then definitely give it a go.
ACTUAL RATING 2.1 STARS
July 9, 2018
Imagine a porcupine speeding toward a train wreck and you have the Zen capsulation of this book. Annie Boots is extremely prickly for very good reasons. She pretty much parented herself as a child, thanks, or rather no thanks to her absent mostly zoned out father and her overweight, thieving, drug addict/alcoholic mother, Nancy. She was rescued by Wiz, her social worker and the somewhat straight-laced, but very supportive foster parents he found for her. Annie's smart, athletic and uber prickly. Even so, she has two best friends and Walter, an enigmatic aging biker who served in the Vietnam War and has stuck with Annie's mom for a long time. Her biggest problem is an addiction to her crazy Boots family. She'll lie, drag her heels, even make her basketball team lose so they have to play extra games, all in a mostly futile hope that her mother and even more messed up sister, Sheila, will come watch her play.
The mini train wrecks keep piling up, leading to a major crisis at a swimming meet, created by Annie's mother. It results in her five year old nephew, Frankie vanishing. Days, then weeks go by without any word about him. What transpires at the end of the story results in a couple people getting hurt, but more getting a new chance at the straight and narrow.
This isn't a book for people who want smooth and sparkly. It is definitely for those who know what hardscrabble is all about and like flawed, but strong and gutsy heroines. Two pluses are the great book group Annie's in and the transcripts of meetings with her therapist.
The mini train wrecks keep piling up, leading to a major crisis at a swimming meet, created by Annie's mother. It results in her five year old nephew, Frankie vanishing. Days, then weeks go by without any word about him. What transpires at the end of the story results in a couple people getting hurt, but more getting a new chance at the straight and narrow.
This isn't a book for people who want smooth and sparkly. It is definitely for those who know what hardscrabble is all about and like flawed, but strong and gutsy heroines. Two pluses are the great book group Annie's in and the transcripts of meetings with her therapist.
September 27, 2018
So...I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but it sure wasn't this! When I finished the last page and hubby asked what I thought of it, I didn't even have the words. I told him I was going to need to process it. It's been a couple days now, and I'm still processing. It was so...raw. Rich, but filled with pain and confusion and some seriously messed up love. And yet, I think the power here comes from the message. You see, no matter how messed up our pasts may be...due to our fault or not, there comes a point when we have to openly acknowledge the damage, at least to ourselves, and realize that that pain can be part of a future we are still writing. Thank you to the librarian in this tale: No, our lived don't have rewrites or edits. What is done is done. However, we don't have to limit our stories to 350 pages. So while we can't rewrite the past, we can, perhaps, have do-overs and, just maybe, a chance to write a story for ourselves that will make us proud. I loved this book, although the pain made it a hard read. Note: The content advisory list here is pretty long, but it all feels like it belongs in the story. So unless there's a specific content area that you just can't read for one reason or another, I'd encourage you to give this one a try even though there may be some content you wouldn't normally prefer. It's worth it.
Content Advisory: cursing, sex, violence, attempted murder, attempted suicide, abuse, drug use, homosexuality, homosexual slurs, religion
Content Advisory: cursing, sex, violence, attempted murder, attempted suicide, abuse, drug use, homosexuality, homosexual slurs, religion
May 4, 2018
Annie Boots lives in two worlds- that of her low-class bio family the Boots and that of her upper middle class foster family the Howards. Even though she knows she shouldn't, she constantly looks for her bio family in the stands of her sporting events. In fact, she deliberately looses the first fame in tournaments so that she will have to play more games in the loser's bracket, giving them more time to show up.
Her bio family reads like a caricature of "white trash trailer park". Mr. Crutcher pains a vivid picture for you, often humorous. The Howards seem too good to be true with a loving foster mother and a loyal foster brother, but Pop Howard is very controlling and rigid, forbidding Annie any contact with her bio family. But Annie can't help herself; even though she knows how toxic the Boots are, she is continuously drawn to them like a moth to a flame. This causes problems in her relationship with the Howards.
I really enjoyed the main character, Annie's, voice. She was refreshing and honest and it helped to convey what it was like straddling the two worlds of her bio family and her foster family. I found the Boots family to be humorous and tragic, but that being said, I could clearly picture them in my head.
I do wish Mr. Crutcher has spent more time on the dynamic within Annie's foster family especially Pop Howard. He kept alluding to some reason he was so controlling but never really explored it.
Her bio family reads like a caricature of "white trash trailer park". Mr. Crutcher pains a vivid picture for you, often humorous. The Howards seem too good to be true with a loving foster mother and a loyal foster brother, but Pop Howard is very controlling and rigid, forbidding Annie any contact with her bio family. But Annie can't help herself; even though she knows how toxic the Boots are, she is continuously drawn to them like a moth to a flame. This causes problems in her relationship with the Howards.
I really enjoyed the main character, Annie's, voice. She was refreshing and honest and it helped to convey what it was like straddling the two worlds of her bio family and her foster family. I found the Boots family to be humorous and tragic, but that being said, I could clearly picture them in my head.
I do wish Mr. Crutcher has spent more time on the dynamic within Annie's foster family especially Pop Howard. He kept alluding to some reason he was so controlling but never really explored it.
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