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Don't Know Tough
Friday Night Lights meets Southern Gothic, this thrilling debut is for readers of Megan Abbott and Wiley Cash.
In Denton, Arkansas, the fate of the high school football team rests on the shoulders of Billy Lowe, a volatile but talented running back. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother’s abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, but when his savagery crosses a line, he faces suspension.
Without Billy Lowe, the Denton Pirates can kiss their playoff bid goodbye. But the head coach, Trent Powers, who just moved from California with his wife and two children for this job, has more than just his paycheck riding on Billy’s bad behavior. As a born-again Christian, Trent feels a divine calling to save Billy—save him from his circumstances, and save his soul.
Then Billy’s abuser is found murdered in the Lowe family trailer, and all evidence points toward Billy. Now nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the whole town apart on the eve of the playoffs.
WINNER OF THE PETER LOVESEY FIRST CRIME NOVEL CONTEST
In Denton, Arkansas, the fate of the high school football team rests on the shoulders of Billy Lowe, a volatile but talented running back. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother’s abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, but when his savagery crosses a line, he faces suspension.
Without Billy Lowe, the Denton Pirates can kiss their playoff bid goodbye. But the head coach, Trent Powers, who just moved from California with his wife and two children for this job, has more than just his paycheck riding on Billy’s bad behavior. As a born-again Christian, Trent feels a divine calling to save Billy—save him from his circumstances, and save his soul.
Then Billy’s abuser is found murdered in the Lowe family trailer, and all evidence points toward Billy. Now nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the whole town apart on the eve of the playoffs.
WINNER OF THE PETER LOVESEY FIRST CRIME NOVEL CONTEST
336 pages, Hardcover
First published March 22, 2022
351 people are currently reading
10163 people want to read
About the author
Eli Cranor
18 books480 followersEli Cranor played quarterback at every level: peewee to professional, and then coached high school football for five years. These days, he's traded in the pigskin for a laptop, writing from Arkansas where he lives with his wife and kids.
Eli's novel Don't Know Tough was awarded the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and will be published by Soho Press in 2022. Over the course of his career, Eli's fiction has garnered multiple awards (2018-The Missouri Review; 2017-Greensboro Review). Along with fiction, Eli writes a nationally-syndicated sports column, and his craft column, "Shop Talk," appears monthly over at CrimeReads. Eli is currently at work on his next novel.
Eli's novel Don't Know Tough was awarded the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and will be published by Soho Press in 2022. Over the course of his career, Eli's fiction has garnered multiple awards (2018-The Missouri Review; 2017-Greensboro Review). Along with fiction, Eli writes a nationally-syndicated sports column, and his craft column, "Shop Talk," appears monthly over at CrimeReads. Eli is currently at work on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 547 reviews
March 1, 2022
Denton, Arkansas
Billy Lowe is terrorized by his mother's abusive boyfriend. HIs family is troubled. He finds his place on the football field, but when he takes his anger out on the field, he faces suspension. His head coach, Trent Powers, knows the Denton Pirates won’t make the playoffs without Billy. Trent decides if he can save Billy, he can save his soul. Trent also has an agenda, he moved to town after being fired from his previous job and this is his chance at redemption. Billy is looking for redemption as well through a better life, and a future involving football.
Both Billy and Trent, have something to prove. Both are moving toward something; both have a lot riding on the game and on themselves.
When Billy's abuser is found dead in his mother's trailer, all evidence points to Billy. The playoffs are near and so is the hunt for a killer.
This book does have Christian themes as well as being about sports, family, redemption, and courage.
When I began listening to the audiobook, I wasn't sure if this book was for me. But I warmed up to this book fast. I love an underdog, especially one that is a little rough around the edges. Billy lives in a gritty world with toxic people. He is up against the wall but keeps moving. I also enjoy a good mystery and I have to say, I did not see the reveal coming!
He may have had 200 rejections, but Eli Cranor, kept at it and this book is proof that he has a promising career ahead of him.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to RB Media, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Billy Lowe is terrorized by his mother's abusive boyfriend. HIs family is troubled. He finds his place on the football field, but when he takes his anger out on the field, he faces suspension. His head coach, Trent Powers, knows the Denton Pirates won’t make the playoffs without Billy. Trent decides if he can save Billy, he can save his soul. Trent also has an agenda, he moved to town after being fired from his previous job and this is his chance at redemption. Billy is looking for redemption as well through a better life, and a future involving football.
Both Billy and Trent, have something to prove. Both are moving toward something; both have a lot riding on the game and on themselves.
When Billy's abuser is found dead in his mother's trailer, all evidence points to Billy. The playoffs are near and so is the hunt for a killer.
This book does have Christian themes as well as being about sports, family, redemption, and courage.
When I began listening to the audiobook, I wasn't sure if this book was for me. But I warmed up to this book fast. I love an underdog, especially one that is a little rough around the edges. Billy lives in a gritty world with toxic people. He is up against the wall but keeps moving. I also enjoy a good mystery and I have to say, I did not see the reveal coming!
He may have had 200 rejections, but Eli Cranor, kept at it and this book is proof that he has a promising career ahead of him.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to RB Media, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
June 20, 2022
When a whole bunch of the writers you’re a fan of are recommending a book, you should probably read it. I did, and they did not steer me wrong. This is a great one.
Billy Lowe is the star player of his high school football team in Denton, Arkansas, but he’s a dirt-poor kid with an abusive step-father, little understanding of social norms, and severe anger issues. When Billy assaults a teammate just as his team is getting ready for the state play-offs it puts Coach Trent Powers in a tough spot. Trent is a born-again Christian who screwed up his last coaching job in California so he’s brought his family to small town Arkansas to hopefully win big quickly and get a better job elsewhere. If Billy is suspended or arrested Trent has no chance of winning a state championship so even as pressure mounts he continues to insist that Billy can be transformed through reason and patience. Things get even more complicated when Billy’s step-father is found dead in their trailer.
That’s an excellent set-up for a crime novel, but what boosts this one up to the next level is the outstanding character work that’s done. We get shifting perspectives, mainly from Billy and his coach, and the differences are stark. In some ways, Billy is little more than an abused animal who has gone feral. His entire family is viewed as trash by the town, and nobody thinks he is worth anything unless he's on a football field. For Billy, the only thing he puts any value on is toughness, and he has nothing but contempt for those around him he sees as soft. He has his own reasons for lashing out, but to anyone not any Billy’s head he just seems violent and dangerous.
Powers isn’t exactly the win-at-any-cost type of coach you’d expect either. While he’s in a bad situation he also has his own tough background as a foster kid, and he tries to turn Billy into a decent young man by using the same sort of methods that worked on him. Yes, he’s rationalizing a lot to justify keeping Billy on the team, but he also seems to be buying what he’s selling even as everyone around him thinks he’s crazy to try because you can’t appeal to a rabid dog with reason. Instead of seeming cynical and opportunistic, Powers comes across as extremely naive.
There are several other complex and well-developed characters, and the whole atmosphere of a small town that was happy to use Billy to win football games even as they all treated him like shit on their shoes is incredibly authentic.
Overall, it’s a riveting character-based story that always zigs when you think it’s going to zag.
Billy Lowe is the star player of his high school football team in Denton, Arkansas, but he’s a dirt-poor kid with an abusive step-father, little understanding of social norms, and severe anger issues. When Billy assaults a teammate just as his team is getting ready for the state play-offs it puts Coach Trent Powers in a tough spot. Trent is a born-again Christian who screwed up his last coaching job in California so he’s brought his family to small town Arkansas to hopefully win big quickly and get a better job elsewhere. If Billy is suspended or arrested Trent has no chance of winning a state championship so even as pressure mounts he continues to insist that Billy can be transformed through reason and patience. Things get even more complicated when Billy’s step-father is found dead in their trailer.
That’s an excellent set-up for a crime novel, but what boosts this one up to the next level is the outstanding character work that’s done. We get shifting perspectives, mainly from Billy and his coach, and the differences are stark. In some ways, Billy is little more than an abused animal who has gone feral. His entire family is viewed as trash by the town, and nobody thinks he is worth anything unless he's on a football field. For Billy, the only thing he puts any value on is toughness, and he has nothing but contempt for those around him he sees as soft. He has his own reasons for lashing out, but to anyone not any Billy’s head he just seems violent and dangerous.
Powers isn’t exactly the win-at-any-cost type of coach you’d expect either. While he’s in a bad situation he also has his own tough background as a foster kid, and he tries to turn Billy into a decent young man by using the same sort of methods that worked on him. Yes, he’s rationalizing a lot to justify keeping Billy on the team, but he also seems to be buying what he’s selling even as everyone around him thinks he’s crazy to try because you can’t appeal to a rabid dog with reason. Instead of seeming cynical and opportunistic, Powers comes across as extremely naive.
There are several other complex and well-developed characters, and the whole atmosphere of a small town that was happy to use Billy to win football games even as they all treated him like shit on their shoes is incredibly authentic.
Overall, it’s a riveting character-based story that always zigs when you think it’s going to zag.
May 10, 2023
4.25⭐
Publication date ~ March 22, 2022
Page Count ~ 337
Audio length ~ 8 hours 14 minutes
Narrator ~ Eli Cranor (the author)
POV ~ dual 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ crime, noir
First and foremost I have to give props to the author on his narration skills. Eli Cranor did an OUTSTANDING job giving each character their own accent. Very impressive.
Billy Lowe is the running back on his high school team, The Denton Pirates. He's the best on the team and everyone in this small town is counting on him to bring them to the playoffs. But, one terrible night puts everything in jeopardy.
Trent Powers is the coach of the Pirates. When evidence points to Billy as a suspect in the murder of his mother's abusive boyfriend, Trent takes Billy into the home he shares with his wife and two daughters.
I really liked that it was told between alternating narrators. It was an intense and, at times, tough read. I was kept engaged throughout the entire book. I will for sure look for this authors work again.
*Thanks to Netgalley, RB Media and Eli Cranor for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
Publication date ~ March 22, 2022
Page Count ~ 337
Audio length ~ 8 hours 14 minutes
Narrator ~ Eli Cranor (the author)
POV ~ dual 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ crime, noir
First and foremost I have to give props to the author on his narration skills. Eli Cranor did an OUTSTANDING job giving each character their own accent. Very impressive.
Billy Lowe is the running back on his high school team, The Denton Pirates. He's the best on the team and everyone in this small town is counting on him to bring them to the playoffs. But, one terrible night puts everything in jeopardy.
Trent Powers is the coach of the Pirates. When evidence points to Billy as a suspect in the murder of his mother's abusive boyfriend, Trent takes Billy into the home he shares with his wife and two daughters.
I really liked that it was told between alternating narrators. It was an intense and, at times, tough read. I was kept engaged throughout the entire book. I will for sure look for this authors work again.
*Thanks to Netgalley, RB Media and Eli Cranor for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
July 13, 2023
when two of my all-time favorite authors; S.A. Cosby AND Jordan Harper praise someone's work to the rafters, imma (eventually) pay attention.
May 3, 2023
Billy is an outstanding high school football player in a small Arkansas town. Football is the only positive thing in his life, that includes his mother’s abusive boyfriend. The new football coach tries to help Billy, in part by indoctrinating him with a strong dose of born again Christianity. When the boyfriend winds up dead, both Billy and his mother come under suspicion. That is predictable, since Billy (and pretty much everyone in this book) reacts to any frustration or impediment with violence.
I thought that the beginning of this book was very slow and I almost quit reading. I could not fathom why this book won an Edgar Award. I was also irritated by the southern accent employed by the author, who narrated the audiobook. It was especially pronounced for Billy. The book did speed up in the last third and there was a twist that made the story more interesting to me. I would characterize this as grit lit, but not quite as testosterone heavy as some of the genre. There were several fierce female characters.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I thought that the beginning of this book was very slow and I almost quit reading. I could not fathom why this book won an Edgar Award. I was also irritated by the southern accent employed by the author, who narrated the audiobook. It was especially pronounced for Billy. The book did speed up in the last third and there was a twist that made the story more interesting to me. I would characterize this as grit lit, but not quite as testosterone heavy as some of the genre. There were several fierce female characters.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
January 31, 2022
Well, this was no "The Blind Side" or "Friday Night Lights" but I must say, the intensity with which I devoured every page took me by surprise. I'm not a huge fan of noir, but this book has made me rethink my position!
Fair warning - it is VERY dark so don't expect a feel good story but that being said, it is also a powerful read. Trent Powers moves his family from California to small town Arkansas, to be the coach of the town's high school football team, the Denton Pirates. Trent is still reeling from being let go from his previous coaching job and the palpable disappointment of his wife, Marley, and her influential father. The entire town is invested in the Pirates, and Trent is determined to show Marley and his father-in-law that he has what it takes, so when the Pirates make it to the playoffs, he thinks he has punched his ticket of out the backwoods small town. Things go south in a hurry though when the star player, Billy Lowe, from the wrong side of the tracks, beats up rich kid Austin Murphy at practice, putting Trent in a bind on whether to play or bench Billy. In the meantime, Billy Lowe's life is falling apart at home, and he takes out his frustration on his mother's abusive partner. Trent thinks he has the answer to both his and Billy's problems by taking Billy into his home. Soon though, the discovery of a body complicates matters, as does Trent's teenage daughter's interest in Billy; and by the conclusion, things in Denton, Arkansas, will never be the same.
I will say that I love football and I also love storylines that you don't see coming, and this book had both in spades. I read Cranor's bio and learned that he has played football at every level as well as a coach and it shows in his writing - the practice and games descriptions made me feel like I had a sideline view. The darker the storyline became, the more invested I became as well. Cranor uses complex, haunting characters and a clever POV shift from third person to first person to help build tension and make things memorable. I had a good idea where things were headed, and then - ah, nope! I was completely off base and didn’t see the ending coming in any way!
Overall, it's not always an easy read - at times, it is downright brutal, but it is so worth it. If this is Cranor's debut work, which I believe it is, he is an author to watch for. This is an all the stars read!
Fair warning - it is VERY dark so don't expect a feel good story but that being said, it is also a powerful read. Trent Powers moves his family from California to small town Arkansas, to be the coach of the town's high school football team, the Denton Pirates. Trent is still reeling from being let go from his previous coaching job and the palpable disappointment of his wife, Marley, and her influential father. The entire town is invested in the Pirates, and Trent is determined to show Marley and his father-in-law that he has what it takes, so when the Pirates make it to the playoffs, he thinks he has punched his ticket of out the backwoods small town. Things go south in a hurry though when the star player, Billy Lowe, from the wrong side of the tracks, beats up rich kid Austin Murphy at practice, putting Trent in a bind on whether to play or bench Billy. In the meantime, Billy Lowe's life is falling apart at home, and he takes out his frustration on his mother's abusive partner. Trent thinks he has the answer to both his and Billy's problems by taking Billy into his home. Soon though, the discovery of a body complicates matters, as does Trent's teenage daughter's interest in Billy; and by the conclusion, things in Denton, Arkansas, will never be the same.
I will say that I love football and I also love storylines that you don't see coming, and this book had both in spades. I read Cranor's bio and learned that he has played football at every level as well as a coach and it shows in his writing - the practice and games descriptions made me feel like I had a sideline view. The darker the storyline became, the more invested I became as well. Cranor uses complex, haunting characters and a clever POV shift from third person to first person to help build tension and make things memorable. I had a good idea where things were headed, and then - ah, nope! I was completely off base and didn’t see the ending coming in any way!
Overall, it's not always an easy read - at times, it is downright brutal, but it is so worth it. If this is Cranor's debut work, which I believe it is, he is an author to watch for. This is an all the stars read!
April 13, 2022
Thanks to the publisher - RB Media for providing ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
3/5 stars
I'm a slow reader, and I finished reading this book in two days, which for me is fast. So, yes, the story was fast-paced and really easy to read along. I listened to the audio edition of this book which was read by the author himself, and the narration was perfect.
Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor set in a small Arkansas town, tells the story of a troubled young man named Billy Lowe. He, along with his mother, younger brother, and stepfather lives in a small trailer park. Everything changes all of a sudden when his stepfather is found dead. Billy and his entire family are suspects in the murder. Everyone has secrets. Everyone is striving to live with it.
Although I was impressed with the effort taken by Cranor to bring the powerful story of poverty, pain, and anger before the audience, it somehow didn't resonate with me. The story wasn't something that will stay with me for a long time, and one that I will end up recommending to people.
Release Date: 22 Mar 2022.
Review Posted: 31 Mar 2022.
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3/5 stars
I'm a slow reader, and I finished reading this book in two days, which for me is fast. So, yes, the story was fast-paced and really easy to read along. I listened to the audio edition of this book which was read by the author himself, and the narration was perfect.
Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor set in a small Arkansas town, tells the story of a troubled young man named Billy Lowe. He, along with his mother, younger brother, and stepfather lives in a small trailer park. Everything changes all of a sudden when his stepfather is found dead. Billy and his entire family are suspects in the murder. Everyone has secrets. Everyone is striving to live with it.
Although I was impressed with the effort taken by Cranor to bring the powerful story of poverty, pain, and anger before the audience, it somehow didn't resonate with me. The story wasn't something that will stay with me for a long time, and one that I will end up recommending to people.
Release Date: 22 Mar 2022.
Review Posted: 31 Mar 2022.
Visit My Blog to read this and all my other reviews.
December 26, 2022
My introduction to the fiction of Eli Cranor is Don't Know Tough. Published in 2022, this novel blipped on my radar via a CrimeReads article of the best noir fiction of the year. Set in the fictional Arkansas town of Denton, as near as I can tell, the story involves a deeply troubled high school star football player environmentally, culturally and lots of other ways predisposed to violence standing up to his mother's abusive boyfriend, who lives with them in their trailer, and the efforts of the new football coach to cover up the boy's crime.
I abandoned this at the 20% mark.
In his ten rules of writing, Elmore Leonard cautioned against overdosing on patois and Cranor demonstrates why, including chapters in which the football player tells his story in his own dialect. His vernacular reads like rural Black but it's soon clarified that the boy and his family are white, hailing from a part of Arkansas closer to Memphis where the poor white folks speak the same as the poor Black folks. Whatever the dialect is or who's using it, I quickly grew exhausted by it. This is the sort of thing that gets tiring in between quotation marks, much less entire chapters.
Now it game time, and Coach still letting me run through the tunnel and the paper the cheerleaders spent all day coloring. Even say he gonna let me walk out on the field at halftime for Senior Night. But I ain't told Momma. He'd wanna walk too, and I'll be damned if He get to walk out there like He my daddy. I stay in the back. The band blow they horns, but they ain't blowing them for me. Used to blow them loud and sing the fight song when Billy Lowe run across the goal line.
There’s a wide gulf between despicable characters I need to keep an eye on and despicable characters I can ignore. This novel is full of the latter. I did not like the characters, not because I disapproved of them, but because their problems weren’t compelling. The football player is a menace, despised by his teammates for assaulting them in practice or during games. The coach is a doormat who was fired for posting a losing record at his previous job and has lost the locker room of his new one. The kids he wants to mentor think he’s a joke and so did I. He's under the thumb of his manipulative wife, who hates Arkansas and wants to win at all costs so they can find opportunity elsewhere.
I also didn't get the sense that any of these characters lived and breathed or even knew a lot about football. Not that I want a book to read like a John Madden play-by-play but based on their preparation or performance on the gridiron, they don't seem very competent at football. These characters could just as well been a wrestler and wrestling coach and wrestling coach's wife for all the football IQ they muster.
The description from the publisher compares the novel to the work of Megan Abbott, but in Abbott's expertly tailored noir fiction, where immortality is afoot in gymnastics or drill team or high school STEM programs, I learn something about those activities and the psychologies of those competing in them at the highest levels. I didn't feel this author had done his homework enough to competently place me in the world of small town football or invest me in his characters.
I abandoned this at the 20% mark.
In his ten rules of writing, Elmore Leonard cautioned against overdosing on patois and Cranor demonstrates why, including chapters in which the football player tells his story in his own dialect. His vernacular reads like rural Black but it's soon clarified that the boy and his family are white, hailing from a part of Arkansas closer to Memphis where the poor white folks speak the same as the poor Black folks. Whatever the dialect is or who's using it, I quickly grew exhausted by it. This is the sort of thing that gets tiring in between quotation marks, much less entire chapters.
Now it game time, and Coach still letting me run through the tunnel and the paper the cheerleaders spent all day coloring. Even say he gonna let me walk out on the field at halftime for Senior Night. But I ain't told Momma. He'd wanna walk too, and I'll be damned if He get to walk out there like He my daddy. I stay in the back. The band blow they horns, but they ain't blowing them for me. Used to blow them loud and sing the fight song when Billy Lowe run across the goal line.
There’s a wide gulf between despicable characters I need to keep an eye on and despicable characters I can ignore. This novel is full of the latter. I did not like the characters, not because I disapproved of them, but because their problems weren’t compelling. The football player is a menace, despised by his teammates for assaulting them in practice or during games. The coach is a doormat who was fired for posting a losing record at his previous job and has lost the locker room of his new one. The kids he wants to mentor think he’s a joke and so did I. He's under the thumb of his manipulative wife, who hates Arkansas and wants to win at all costs so they can find opportunity elsewhere.
I also didn't get the sense that any of these characters lived and breathed or even knew a lot about football. Not that I want a book to read like a John Madden play-by-play but based on their preparation or performance on the gridiron, they don't seem very competent at football. These characters could just as well been a wrestler and wrestling coach and wrestling coach's wife for all the football IQ they muster.
The description from the publisher compares the novel to the work of Megan Abbott, but in Abbott's expertly tailored noir fiction, where immortality is afoot in gymnastics or drill team or high school STEM programs, I learn something about those activities and the psychologies of those competing in them at the highest levels. I didn't feel this author had done his homework enough to competently place me in the world of small town football or invest me in his characters.
April 14, 2022
3.5 ⭐
Well, this is not a pick-me-up book, that's for sure.
I expected something a little bit different from the description. When I started listening to the audiobook, for a moment there I was pretty sure this book wouldn't be for me.
But I warmed up to the characters (especially Billy) pretty quickly into the book. And after that I just had to hear his story.
Don't Know Tough wasn't the easiest story to read, but I’m glad I did. All the characters were brought to life with all their flaws, struggles, hopes and agendas.
Their stories were often haunting. Unfortunately, most of the characters were unlikeable, which took away a good portion of enjoyment for me.
But the characters I liked - I’m sure they will stay with me for a very long time. I wish we got to see more of what happened to them after the events described in this book.
Don't Know Tough was emotional, hard hitting and surprising. Not my usual cup of tea, but it feels good to change pace every once in a while.
A huge thank you to RB Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio ARC of Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor in exchange for an honest review.
Well, this is not a pick-me-up book, that's for sure.
I expected something a little bit different from the description. When I started listening to the audiobook, for a moment there I was pretty sure this book wouldn't be for me.
But I warmed up to the characters (especially Billy) pretty quickly into the book. And after that I just had to hear his story.
Don't Know Tough wasn't the easiest story to read, but I’m glad I did. All the characters were brought to life with all their flaws, struggles, hopes and agendas.
Their stories were often haunting. Unfortunately, most of the characters were unlikeable, which took away a good portion of enjoyment for me.
But the characters I liked - I’m sure they will stay with me for a very long time. I wish we got to see more of what happened to them after the events described in this book.
Don't Know Tough was emotional, hard hitting and surprising. Not my usual cup of tea, but it feels good to change pace every once in a while.
A huge thank you to RB Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio ARC of Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2021
Imagine a noir Friday Night Lights written by a cross between Megan Abbott and Harry Crews, and you'll get close to what Eli Cranor's pulled off in DON’T KNOW TOUGH. It's propulsive, twisty, and unputdownable. Cranor cracks open the complex world of high school football in small town Arkansas, giving us characters who are at once savage and tender and tragic, who are capable of acts of great bravery and betrayal. This is a book that shocks us into a new way of seeing. It's lean, muscled up, no-holds-barred noir. I feel lucky to have read it.
January 19, 2022
I don’t give a shit about football, but I dearly love to read about people who understand that chicken houses smell like money. This book is meaner than hell! Nice work!!
October 14, 2021
In a small Arkansas town where hopes and dreams never stopped by, born again outsider coach Trent Powers, and sizzling hot tempered high school running back Billy Lowe's lives collide like two freight trains on a collision course.
In a story about finding yourself when you’ve spent all your life alone in a crowded world, Eli Cranor shows the readers of DON'T KNOW TOUGH, through the eyes of highschool football, that salvation and redemption comes in many form—and at many prizes.
What struck me instantly in DKT is the voice of Billy Lowe. Rarely have I been immersed as I was in Lowe's reality. And Cranor manages to do that in a couple sentences from the very first words of the book. It grabs you by the throat and make you face a world that might not be yours, only to let you catch a breather once in a while, but will shove you right back into it until you're completely absorbed by it.
Two people running.
Billy Lowe on the football field running away from his deadbeat and violent stepdad, from his mother, from the beaten track his older brother and father left before him, from secrets he refuses to acknowledge, from his own demons, dynamos generating an incommensurable amount of hate inside him.
Coach Powers, running from a life he left behind, from his father in law--the unreachable gold standard his wife hammers down on him day in and day out.
Two noticable tours de force in Eli Cranor’s debut novel here is how he plays so smoothly with both ends of different scepters. Courage and cowardness, facing adversity, fighting for what’s right and taking the easy way out, or just… running away.
Throughout DON’T KNOW TOUGH, the reader would easily be tricked into thinking the worlds of Powers and Lowe are nothing but a black and white living, only to be dragged across a rough and hard grey areas.
DON’T KNOW TOUGH might be Cranor’s debut novel, but it will quickly become a comparative novel and his author and comp one too!
In a story about finding yourself when you’ve spent all your life alone in a crowded world, Eli Cranor shows the readers of DON'T KNOW TOUGH, through the eyes of highschool football, that salvation and redemption comes in many form—and at many prizes.
What struck me instantly in DKT is the voice of Billy Lowe. Rarely have I been immersed as I was in Lowe's reality. And Cranor manages to do that in a couple sentences from the very first words of the book. It grabs you by the throat and make you face a world that might not be yours, only to let you catch a breather once in a while, but will shove you right back into it until you're completely absorbed by it.
Two people running.
Billy Lowe on the football field running away from his deadbeat and violent stepdad, from his mother, from the beaten track his older brother and father left before him, from secrets he refuses to acknowledge, from his own demons, dynamos generating an incommensurable amount of hate inside him.
Coach Powers, running from a life he left behind, from his father in law--the unreachable gold standard his wife hammers down on him day in and day out.
Two noticable tours de force in Eli Cranor’s debut novel here is how he plays so smoothly with both ends of different scepters. Courage and cowardness, facing adversity, fighting for what’s right and taking the easy way out, or just… running away.
Throughout DON’T KNOW TOUGH, the reader would easily be tricked into thinking the worlds of Powers and Lowe are nothing but a black and white living, only to be dragged across a rough and hard grey areas.
DON’T KNOW TOUGH might be Cranor’s debut novel, but it will quickly become a comparative novel and his author and comp one too!
April 7, 2022
Eli Cranor was kind enough to send me an ARC of his novel DONT KNOW TOUGH and damn I’m glad he did. The man can write his ass off. Keep an eye out for this book. It’s one of the best coming out in 2022. It’s sharp, tough, and will absolutely wreck you.
April 21, 2022
Billy Lowe is the star running back of his small town Arkansas football team, but has a mean streak a country mile long, almost crippling a weaker player. His own family situation is terrible: a father who ran off, a mother with questionable judgment, a violent stepfather, and a drunk brother, who was the last great talent from the backwater town. With Billy's talent, the team makes the playoffs for the first time in many years, when Billy knocks out his stepfather, who somehow ends up dead in their trailer. With his own deep secret, the new football coach, a born-again Christian, is convinced he can save Billy even when the police and school principal are certain of Billy's guilt. The coach's daughter also thinks Billy can be more, although possibly just to irritate her parents. Lots of bias, hate and anger percolating in a small town. Very dark, with an unorthodox but appropriate ending.
3.5 stars, rounded down because I found Billy's voice/dialect annoying and distracting
3.5 stars, rounded down because I found Billy's voice/dialect annoying and distracting
March 26, 2022
In Don’t Know Tough, Billy Lowe is a high school senior in small-town Arkansas where little else is bigger than the culture surrounding football. Lowe is a high school powerhouse running back known for an explosively violent intensity and is an almost uncontrollable beast both on and off the field.
Billy comes from a troubled home and is with legitimate reasons for his inner rage which when it becomes ignited, is almost impossible to stop until it burns itself out.
Trenton Powers, a California transplant, is the new high school football coach with few options of his own after a failing stint elsewhere as a football coach under his driven wife’s father. Trenton realizes if he fails at this coaching job, little else shines upon his own future as a football coach.
When Powers encounters Billy Lowe, he quickly determines if he can encourage massive change to Billy, Billy could possibly be both of their salvation. Powers then takes the troubled Billy under his tutelage, quickly learning this will be one of the most difficult experiences he has ever known.
My first impression after finishing the novel and upon learning from the author’s acknowledgments he received over 200 rejection letters was to question the wisdom of fiction publication. Yes, the novel is that good and especially for a debut novel.
Though I do have to admit, the syntax in the opening chapter does throw one for a loop until it is realized the story is told in alternating character chapters with the chapters of Billy Rowe purposely written in both form and substance of the intellectual capabilities of Billy Lowe. Once this was realized, the rest of the novel flowed very smoothly, with the Lowe chapters adding an appropriate layer to the storytelling.
Don’t Know Tough is highly recommended to those that enjoy stories of struggle, redemption, and hope.
Billy comes from a troubled home and is with legitimate reasons for his inner rage which when it becomes ignited, is almost impossible to stop until it burns itself out.
Trenton Powers, a California transplant, is the new high school football coach with few options of his own after a failing stint elsewhere as a football coach under his driven wife’s father. Trenton realizes if he fails at this coaching job, little else shines upon his own future as a football coach.
When Powers encounters Billy Lowe, he quickly determines if he can encourage massive change to Billy, Billy could possibly be both of their salvation. Powers then takes the troubled Billy under his tutelage, quickly learning this will be one of the most difficult experiences he has ever known.
My first impression after finishing the novel and upon learning from the author’s acknowledgments he received over 200 rejection letters was to question the wisdom of fiction publication. Yes, the novel is that good and especially for a debut novel.
Though I do have to admit, the syntax in the opening chapter does throw one for a loop until it is realized the story is told in alternating character chapters with the chapters of Billy Rowe purposely written in both form and substance of the intellectual capabilities of Billy Lowe. Once this was realized, the rest of the novel flowed very smoothly, with the Lowe chapters adding an appropriate layer to the storytelling.
Don’t Know Tough is highly recommended to those that enjoy stories of struggle, redemption, and hope.
April 25, 2022
I wanted to like this, but I couldn't. It gets two stars because the plot was engaging enough that I finished it, but that's about it. There are many flaws identified by other reviewers, so I'll just point out a couple that really bugged me. First, I felt like the relationship between the coach and his wife was awful, and that she was a terrible character (not only in that she was a terrible person, which she was, but that she was terribly unrealistic). Did she really ? Second, the author introduced a mysterious scary cave early in the novel, and then just had to . Overall amateurish and not believable.
February 25, 2022
4 stars
Title: Don’t Know Tough
Author: Eli Cranor
Genre: Sports/Mystery
Publisher: RB Media
Pub Date: March 22, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars
Coach Trent Powers was let go from his current job and accepts the position of head football coach of Denton High School in Arkansas. This is a big change from Anaheim, California and Trent is out to prove to everyone that he can do the job.
One of his star football players is Billy Lowe, who lives in a poor trailer park with his mother, little brother as well as his mother’s abusive boyfriend.
Billy takes the abuse and releases his anger on football field. One day he was too aggressive and beats up rich kid Austin Murphy at practice. The Principal wants to punish him.
However since the home situation is not ideal; Coach Trent believes the best for Billy is to take Billy into his home. However, when Billy’s abuser is murdered, Billy is suspected.
Eli Cranor did an excellent job performing the characters in this audiobook.
Personal Note: I am not a fan of authors reading their own books; typically they read and don’t perform the characters the way an actor does ~ however this was a great!
Additional I enjoyed reading about Eli Cranor. In his ‘Acknowledgements’, he, of course, thanks his many supporters. He gives specials thanks to his mom who continued to support and help him through his 200 rejections!!
This is a dark disturbing yet powerful read. When I started this …I thought hmm this may not work for me. It turned out much better than I expected; I could not put it down.
Want to thank NetGalley and RB Media for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 22, 2022.
Title: Don’t Know Tough
Author: Eli Cranor
Genre: Sports/Mystery
Publisher: RB Media
Pub Date: March 22, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars
Coach Trent Powers was let go from his current job and accepts the position of head football coach of Denton High School in Arkansas. This is a big change from Anaheim, California and Trent is out to prove to everyone that he can do the job.
One of his star football players is Billy Lowe, who lives in a poor trailer park with his mother, little brother as well as his mother’s abusive boyfriend.
Billy takes the abuse and releases his anger on football field. One day he was too aggressive and beats up rich kid Austin Murphy at practice. The Principal wants to punish him.
However since the home situation is not ideal; Coach Trent believes the best for Billy is to take Billy into his home. However, when Billy’s abuser is murdered, Billy is suspected.
Eli Cranor did an excellent job performing the characters in this audiobook.
Personal Note: I am not a fan of authors reading their own books; typically they read and don’t perform the characters the way an actor does ~ however this was a great!
Additional I enjoyed reading about Eli Cranor. In his ‘Acknowledgements’, he, of course, thanks his many supporters. He gives specials thanks to his mom who continued to support and help him through his 200 rejections!!
This is a dark disturbing yet powerful read. When I started this …I thought hmm this may not work for me. It turned out much better than I expected; I could not put it down.
Want to thank NetGalley and RB Media for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 22, 2022.
March 25, 2022
It’s the voice that grabs you first in Arkansas teacher and former quarterback Eli Cranor’s astonishing debut novel. Billy Lowe, a tough teen who shoulders the dreams of many in the backwater of Denton, Arkansas. A high school running back who lives in a trailer park and gets his neck used as an ashtray by the abusive boyfriend of his mother, who unleashes his rage on the football field. And sometimes off.
California high school coach Trent Powers didn’t envisage Denton in his plans, a town of poultry farms and trailer parks. But after he was banished by his father-in-law, it may be his last-chance saloon. His wife Marley wants a state title even more than he does: it’s their ticket to escape, to reclaim some of what they should have had. Billy’s a simmering volcano, but they need him. He crosses the line, but Trent takes him into his home, seeking redemption as well as wins. Then the rotting body of Billy’s abuser is found. Everyone has secrets, and is scrabbling to survive. Not all will.
Cranor delivers a powerful tale full of darkness, desperation, and humanity. Don’t Know Tough is an exceptional slice of Southern Gothic that heralds the arrival of a terrific new voice in rural noir. Cranor takes readers into the grimy underbelly of high school sports, but this tale is about far more than football. A clash of values and principles, between characters and within them. Evocative prose throughout, and an extraordinary first-person voice in Billy’s passages. A triumph of a debut.
California high school coach Trent Powers didn’t envisage Denton in his plans, a town of poultry farms and trailer parks. But after he was banished by his father-in-law, it may be his last-chance saloon. His wife Marley wants a state title even more than he does: it’s their ticket to escape, to reclaim some of what they should have had. Billy’s a simmering volcano, but they need him. He crosses the line, but Trent takes him into his home, seeking redemption as well as wins. Then the rotting body of Billy’s abuser is found. Everyone has secrets, and is scrabbling to survive. Not all will.
Cranor delivers a powerful tale full of darkness, desperation, and humanity. Don’t Know Tough is an exceptional slice of Southern Gothic that heralds the arrival of a terrific new voice in rural noir. Cranor takes readers into the grimy underbelly of high school sports, but this tale is about far more than football. A clash of values and principles, between characters and within them. Evocative prose throughout, and an extraordinary first-person voice in Billy’s passages. A triumph of a debut.
June 12, 2024
Am Ende einer unbefestigten Straße kommen sie an den Arkansas River. Der Fluss entspringt in Colorado, dort ist das Wasser frisch und kühl wie in einer Bierwerbung. Nachdem er die Ozarks passiert hat, wo er durch ausrangierte Matratzen und Geschirrspüler fließt und den ganzen übrigen Müll, den die Rednecks in den Bergen abladen, hat der Fluss die Farbe von Kakao und riecht wie abgestandenes Bier. (Auszug S. 138)
Denton ist ein Kaff in Arkansas, in den Hügeln der Ozarks. Irgendwo im Nirgendwo, im abgehängten Teil der USA. Größtes Aushängeschild des Ortes sind die Denton Pirates, das örtliche High School Footballteam. Die Pirates befinden sich nach langen harten Jahren auf Play Off-Kurs. Hoffnungsträger der Mannschaft ist Running Back Billy Lowe. Ein sehr talentierter junger Mann, der allerdings aus sehr schwierigen Verhältnissen kommt. Er wächst im einem Trailer mit seiner alkoholabhängigen Mutter und seinem gewalttätigen Stiefvater auf. In Billy brodelt es. Nur beim Football gibt hat er Gelegenheit, seine angestaute Wut und Aggressivität herauszulassen, was dazu führt, dass er die Grenzen nicht immer einhält. Als er beim Training einen Mitspieler verletzt, gerät eine tragische Spirale in Gang.
Mehrere Eltern und auch der Schulleiter fordern vom Footballcoach Trent Powers Konsequenzen. Doch dieser zögert, denn zum einen ist der Erfolg der Mannschaft stark von Billys Leistung abhängig und zum anderen erkennt er sich selbst in diesem wütenden und frustrierten Heranwachsenden wieder, da Powers als Kind durch verschiedene Pflegefamilien gereicht wurde. Dennoch droht Billy eine interne Sperre beim ersten Play off-Spiel. Zuhause kommt es zum einem Streit, Billy Mutter Tina verlässt mit Billys kleinem Bruder den Wohnwagen, der Stiefvater Travis bedroht Billy. Dieser schlägt ihn nieder und verlässt den Trailerpark. Später wird Travis von Tina tot aufgefunden, auch wenn sie zunächst nichts unternimmt, um den Tod zu melden. Währenddessen nimmt Coach Powers Billy bei sich zuhause auf, um ihn auf den rechten Pfad zu bringen. Doch damit bringt er zusätzlich noch seine Tochter Lorna, etwa gleichalt wie Billy, mit ins Spiel.
Ich nicke und lass den Kopf hängen. Will, dass sie glaubt, sie hätte mich erwischt. Ich hör, wie Lorna ausatmet, als ob sie auch nicht glaubt, dass ich das Buch gelesen hab. Ich schau hoch und guck nur Lorna an, will, dass sie mir bis in mein Herz guckt und weiß, dass sie mir vertrauen kann. Dass ich alles Mögliche bin – aber kein Lügner. (Auszug S. 196)
Mit diesem Roman gewann Eli Cranor als Debütant 2023 den Edgar Award. „Bis aufs Blut“ ist einer dieser typischen Country Noirs, die dem Leser vom abgehängten Teil der USA erzählen. Vom White Trash, von Trailerparks, Alkoholabhängigkeit, Perspektivlosigkeit. Von Rednecks, Rassismus, Konservatismus. Von Gegenden, in denen Leute schief angeguckt werden, wenn sie den Müll trennen oder ein Elektroauto fahren. Wie die Powers zum Beispiel, eine kalifornische Familie, die ein Jobangebot als Footballcoach für den bis dahin erfolglosen Trent in die Ozarks verschlagen hat und die am liebsten heute als morgen dort wieder wegwollen. Dafür ist aber eine erfolgreiche Footballsaison vonnöten. Insbesondere Trents Frau Marley ist bereit, einiges zu tun, um die Familie zu schützen und Denton bald hinter sich zu lassen. Wie viel, wird der Leser im Laufe des Romans herausfinden. Doch das betrifft auch Billys Mutter Tina. Wieder einmal sind es die Frauen, die der Geschichte nochmal eine entscheidende Wendung geben.
Der Roman erzählt aus mehreren Perspektiven, darunter aus Billys als Ich-Erzähler, eine Story von Wut, Perspektivlosigkeit und fehlendem Vertrauen. Dabei setzt Autor Eli Cranor auch auf den Kontrast zwischen den Lowes als Unterschicht und der Powers als (noch) gut situierte Familie. Dabei bewegt sich Cranor für meinen Geschmack an einigen Stellen hart am Schema F. Denn so mache der Figuren und manches im Plot glaubt man wiederzuerkennen. Dennoch ist „Bis aufs Blut“ bei allen (kleineren) Schwächen kraftvoll und stringent erzählt, besonders eindringlich in den Ich-Erzähler-Passagen von Billy. Insofern ist der Roman für alle Liebhaber dieses Genres sicherlich einen Blick wert.
Denton ist ein Kaff in Arkansas, in den Hügeln der Ozarks. Irgendwo im Nirgendwo, im abgehängten Teil der USA. Größtes Aushängeschild des Ortes sind die Denton Pirates, das örtliche High School Footballteam. Die Pirates befinden sich nach langen harten Jahren auf Play Off-Kurs. Hoffnungsträger der Mannschaft ist Running Back Billy Lowe. Ein sehr talentierter junger Mann, der allerdings aus sehr schwierigen Verhältnissen kommt. Er wächst im einem Trailer mit seiner alkoholabhängigen Mutter und seinem gewalttätigen Stiefvater auf. In Billy brodelt es. Nur beim Football gibt hat er Gelegenheit, seine angestaute Wut und Aggressivität herauszulassen, was dazu führt, dass er die Grenzen nicht immer einhält. Als er beim Training einen Mitspieler verletzt, gerät eine tragische Spirale in Gang.
Mehrere Eltern und auch der Schulleiter fordern vom Footballcoach Trent Powers Konsequenzen. Doch dieser zögert, denn zum einen ist der Erfolg der Mannschaft stark von Billys Leistung abhängig und zum anderen erkennt er sich selbst in diesem wütenden und frustrierten Heranwachsenden wieder, da Powers als Kind durch verschiedene Pflegefamilien gereicht wurde. Dennoch droht Billy eine interne Sperre beim ersten Play off-Spiel. Zuhause kommt es zum einem Streit, Billy Mutter Tina verlässt mit Billys kleinem Bruder den Wohnwagen, der Stiefvater Travis bedroht Billy. Dieser schlägt ihn nieder und verlässt den Trailerpark. Später wird Travis von Tina tot aufgefunden, auch wenn sie zunächst nichts unternimmt, um den Tod zu melden. Währenddessen nimmt Coach Powers Billy bei sich zuhause auf, um ihn auf den rechten Pfad zu bringen. Doch damit bringt er zusätzlich noch seine Tochter Lorna, etwa gleichalt wie Billy, mit ins Spiel.
Ich nicke und lass den Kopf hängen. Will, dass sie glaubt, sie hätte mich erwischt. Ich hör, wie Lorna ausatmet, als ob sie auch nicht glaubt, dass ich das Buch gelesen hab. Ich schau hoch und guck nur Lorna an, will, dass sie mir bis in mein Herz guckt und weiß, dass sie mir vertrauen kann. Dass ich alles Mögliche bin – aber kein Lügner. (Auszug S. 196)
Mit diesem Roman gewann Eli Cranor als Debütant 2023 den Edgar Award. „Bis aufs Blut“ ist einer dieser typischen Country Noirs, die dem Leser vom abgehängten Teil der USA erzählen. Vom White Trash, von Trailerparks, Alkoholabhängigkeit, Perspektivlosigkeit. Von Rednecks, Rassismus, Konservatismus. Von Gegenden, in denen Leute schief angeguckt werden, wenn sie den Müll trennen oder ein Elektroauto fahren. Wie die Powers zum Beispiel, eine kalifornische Familie, die ein Jobangebot als Footballcoach für den bis dahin erfolglosen Trent in die Ozarks verschlagen hat und die am liebsten heute als morgen dort wieder wegwollen. Dafür ist aber eine erfolgreiche Footballsaison vonnöten. Insbesondere Trents Frau Marley ist bereit, einiges zu tun, um die Familie zu schützen und Denton bald hinter sich zu lassen. Wie viel, wird der Leser im Laufe des Romans herausfinden. Doch das betrifft auch Billys Mutter Tina. Wieder einmal sind es die Frauen, die der Geschichte nochmal eine entscheidende Wendung geben.
Der Roman erzählt aus mehreren Perspektiven, darunter aus Billys als Ich-Erzähler, eine Story von Wut, Perspektivlosigkeit und fehlendem Vertrauen. Dabei setzt Autor Eli Cranor auch auf den Kontrast zwischen den Lowes als Unterschicht und der Powers als (noch) gut situierte Familie. Dabei bewegt sich Cranor für meinen Geschmack an einigen Stellen hart am Schema F. Denn so mache der Figuren und manches im Plot glaubt man wiederzuerkennen. Dennoch ist „Bis aufs Blut“ bei allen (kleineren) Schwächen kraftvoll und stringent erzählt, besonders eindringlich in den Ich-Erzähler-Passagen von Billy. Insofern ist der Roman für alle Liebhaber dieses Genres sicherlich einen Blick wert.
April 2, 2022
2.5 stars. Not really my style of writing that I enjoy. Dialogue wasn’t sharp and sentences weren’t crisp enough for me. Storytelling was just okay. Story switches from a third person POV to a first person POV. All in all I thought it was going to be better based on all the great reviews. A decent debut novel but not what I was expecting. The story is dark and is in no way Friday night lights.
September 6, 2022
This was decent for the most part... Then the ending happened and it all became pretty ridiculous.
I bought Billy's character but the coach and his wife and daughter were unbelievable. And by the end everyone's motivations became hazy.
Pretty disappointing.
I bought Billy's character but the coach and his wife and daughter were unbelievable. And by the end everyone's motivations became hazy.
Pretty disappointing.
March 8, 2024
A very good bit of Grit Lit, set in football-loving rural Arkansas.
Billy Lowe is a boy with two sides. At school, he's a Friday night star as the game winning running back for the Denton Pirates. But home is a trailer park where he, his mom and his baby brother live with his mom's psycho boyfriend Travis. Billy pours all his anger and frustration out on the field, and sometimes on his teammates, but everybody knows the school has no shot at the championship without Billy.
Head coach Trent Powers is a California transplant. He's not a very good coach, either; when he put up enough losses to get fired, the only place that would hire him is this podunk town in Arkansas. With a little help from the good Lord above, Coach Powers thinks he just might ride this angry kid all the way to a championship season - and back into his wife's good graces.
Things get complicated when the tension between Billy and Travis comes to a head. Mom and little brother take off before things go too far, but after only one solid clock to Travis' face, Billy decides it's best to leave - with a bottle of Early Times. Come the next morning he finds the trailer empty - except for Travis' body. Wtf, did Billy come back and kill him in a black out?! And where's his mom and baby brother?
Don't read this for the mystery; there's barely any. Read it for the well-done characters and for an unflinching look at hardscrabble people whose only joys are the fleeting heroics of high school sports.
Billy Lowe is a boy with two sides. At school, he's a Friday night star as the game winning running back for the Denton Pirates. But home is a trailer park where he, his mom and his baby brother live with his mom's psycho boyfriend Travis. Billy pours all his anger and frustration out on the field, and sometimes on his teammates, but everybody knows the school has no shot at the championship without Billy.
Head coach Trent Powers is a California transplant. He's not a very good coach, either; when he put up enough losses to get fired, the only place that would hire him is this podunk town in Arkansas. With a little help from the good Lord above, Coach Powers thinks he just might ride this angry kid all the way to a championship season - and back into his wife's good graces.
Things get complicated when the tension between Billy and Travis comes to a head. Mom and little brother take off before things go too far, but after only one solid clock to Travis' face, Billy decides it's best to leave - with a bottle of Early Times. Come the next morning he finds the trailer empty - except for Travis' body. Wtf, did Billy come back and kill him in a black out?! And where's his mom and baby brother?
Don't read this for the mystery; there's barely any. Read it for the well-done characters and for an unflinching look at hardscrabble people whose only joys are the fleeting heroics of high school sports.
February 26, 2022
Wow. This one grabbed me from the get go and didn’t let go until the end. The intensity of the story is so deep that you won’t be able to forget it hours and days after finishing it. And if you have the chance, I recommend the audiobook for it if you can get it, because it adds a whole other layer to it. The narrators are fantastic!
I went into this expecting something along the Blindside, but this was way so very different and so very dark. Yes, there are a few similarities, but they are sort of superficial as this book goes far deeper into the dark side of life for the average football family.
Trent Powers moves his family to Arkansas so he can be the coach of the high school football team. Like most souther towns, everyone in town is invested in the success of the team, especially his wife, who doesn’t want to live in Arkansas and her influential father. When he leads the team to the playoffs, he thinks maybe things will look up for him and his family, but it is in fact when throngs go very, very wrong. The Pirates’ star player, Billy Lowe is from the wrong side of the tracks and when he has had enough of his life & snaps one day at practice and beats the heck out of one of the rich kids on the team, Trent has to figure out how to punish him without effecting his career at the same time. He decides to bench him, but take him into his house to try to mentor him and get him saved because he knows from experience that Billy’s only hope out of all the bad in his life is to find Jesus. However, not long after he moves in, there is a body found in town, Trent’s daughter takes an interest in Billy and by the end of the story, life in the little town of Denton, Arkansas, will never be the same.
I am not a super huge football fan, and tbh the football is kind of the background to the story and not the focus, but at the same time, it highlights the differences in classes by using complex, haunting characters from both sides of the tracks and how they handle the same things very differently, and yet the same when it all comes down to it.
Overall, it’s hard to believe that this is the authors debut novel, but I will be watching out for his future work!
Thanks to Soho Crime and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.
I went into this expecting something along the Blindside, but this was way so very different and so very dark. Yes, there are a few similarities, but they are sort of superficial as this book goes far deeper into the dark side of life for the average football family.
Trent Powers moves his family to Arkansas so he can be the coach of the high school football team. Like most souther towns, everyone in town is invested in the success of the team, especially his wife, who doesn’t want to live in Arkansas and her influential father. When he leads the team to the playoffs, he thinks maybe things will look up for him and his family, but it is in fact when throngs go very, very wrong. The Pirates’ star player, Billy Lowe is from the wrong side of the tracks and when he has had enough of his life & snaps one day at practice and beats the heck out of one of the rich kids on the team, Trent has to figure out how to punish him without effecting his career at the same time. He decides to bench him, but take him into his house to try to mentor him and get him saved because he knows from experience that Billy’s only hope out of all the bad in his life is to find Jesus. However, not long after he moves in, there is a body found in town, Trent’s daughter takes an interest in Billy and by the end of the story, life in the little town of Denton, Arkansas, will never be the same.
I am not a super huge football fan, and tbh the football is kind of the background to the story and not the focus, but at the same time, it highlights the differences in classes by using complex, haunting characters from both sides of the tracks and how they handle the same things very differently, and yet the same when it all comes down to it.
Overall, it’s hard to believe that this is the authors debut novel, but I will be watching out for his future work!
Thanks to Soho Crime and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.
January 17, 2022
I became online friends with Eli because he’s from Arkansas. #WPS! Always a thrill when online author friends blow you away with their work. That’s when you work hard to make them your IRL friends. :)
This is my early morning bonkers review (maybe the only kind I will write anymore).
Don’t Know Tough is an incredible glimpse inside a small football-obsessed town in Arkansas and the lengths folks will go to for glory. The Ozarks, the people, the desperation all rang true for me—reminiscent of the kind of stories you hear around town after the fact and are just like [insert my redneck dad impression here] GODDAMN! I read this in two days, which for me is FAST. I’m slow as shit. Totally edible, totally crushing, totally my jam.
Definitely put this on your radar if you’re into grit lit, working class, southern literature.
Thanks to the author and Soho Press for the review copy.
This is my early morning bonkers review (maybe the only kind I will write anymore).
Don’t Know Tough is an incredible glimpse inside a small football-obsessed town in Arkansas and the lengths folks will go to for glory. The Ozarks, the people, the desperation all rang true for me—reminiscent of the kind of stories you hear around town after the fact and are just like [insert my redneck dad impression here] GODDAMN! I read this in two days, which for me is FAST. I’m slow as shit. Totally edible, totally crushing, totally my jam.
Definitely put this on your radar if you’re into grit lit, working class, southern literature.
Thanks to the author and Soho Press for the review copy.
July 3, 2022
Not at all what I expected - it was described to me as a twist on Friday Night Lights, but that description doesn't even touch the edges of accuracy.
It's far more a character study than a crime story, less of a mystery than a story of what people are and aren't capable of. Beautifully written, but often difficult to get through the intensity.
I listened to this novel, and I'd recommended anyone interested in it do the same. It was narrated by the author, and I can think of very few superior narrations. He really makes you feel every word, every emotion. I'm not sure the story could have as much impact in print.
It's far more a character study than a crime story, less of a mystery than a story of what people are and aren't capable of. Beautifully written, but often difficult to get through the intensity.
I listened to this novel, and I'd recommended anyone interested in it do the same. It was narrated by the author, and I can think of very few superior narrations. He really makes you feel every word, every emotion. I'm not sure the story could have as much impact in print.
May 24, 2024
“How many times I got to tell you?” Jesse say, hefting me over his shoulder, breathing hard. “There ain’t no bottom, Billy. It just keep going down.”
I guess this is more like a 3.5 ⭐ for me, I liked Ozark Dogs better. There is a decent enough story here, but unfortunately it gets a little muddled at times between Coach Trent's over the top Christian preaching and Billy Lowe's dialect it's hard to decide which is more irritating. It is a debut novel, and it was entertaining enough so I will probably continue to read books by the author.
I guess this is more like a 3.5 ⭐ for me, I liked Ozark Dogs better. There is a decent enough story here, but unfortunately it gets a little muddled at times between Coach Trent's over the top Christian preaching and Billy Lowe's dialect it's hard to decide which is more irritating. It is a debut novel, and it was entertaining enough so I will probably continue to read books by the author.
July 13, 2023
4.5 stars. Not as gritty as I thought it'd be going in, but things picked up, and by the fourth quarter it was one crazy ride. Thoroughly enjoyed this debut. Great job, Cranor!
July 26, 2022
A lot of hard words come to mind when I think of this book. Football and family are a given, but there is frustration, anger, grit, blood, and fire too. Hell, in a certain light, most of those words could define both football and family. Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor breaks them both down.
Denton, Arkansas is all about football. With a new coach on the sidelines and a volatile running back on the field, their chances at a winning season are shaky and getting shakier. Billy Lowe, the team’s star running back, has been exploding off the field. Violent incidents that are putting his life and his playing days at risk. No one can run the ball like Billy though. After Billy puts a beatdown on a teammate, Trent Powers, the new coach from California has some hard decisions to make. Play him or bench him. Trent recognizes Billy’s rage. He’s felt that same anger in his own life. So, Trent sets out to save Billy and his season. For reasons of his own, Trent has to win. The pressure to play and win and get out is intense for so many of the characters. You’ll feel the push and pull on the page and pumping away in your own blood. Especially when a murder amps up the tension even higher and tighter.
Mr. Cranor starts off by painting a strong, gritty picture of this town…”in a place like Denton, a small town nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains where poultry farms and trailers outnumber any other signs of civilization, the law is bendy like a chicken’s neck.” A town like Denton hardens people. Racism, poverty, drinking, and boredom live and breathe in this town and they carve away at you. Billy Lowe has all of that to deal with here and more. He’s been abused his whole life. And he’s angry. He’ll pound the softness out of anything or anyone. A blinding rage fuels him to run and hit on and off the field. Fuels him to win games. But the people of Denton treat Billy and his whole family like shit. Unless he’s on the football field, of course.
“This is football. This field the only place I feel right. My whole life just been hit after hit. Everything I ever learned been taught through pain.”
Football plays a big role in this book, but there are so many other layers and truths to find and feel. This mystery is one you have to dig into! Some of the scenes and characters are still on my skin and in my head. I can hear them! Cranor creates a full cast--players, coaches, sons, brothers, mothers, and daughters. And all of them are playing with fire. I might have to go back and read it all again just to see what or who I might have missed. Every single one of these voices are saying and not saying so much in so few words. Alternating points of view, gritty dialects, and huge globs of pain and tenderness blend together to bring the heartbreak and suspense to life. Along with some complex, hard to peg characters. Some who will haunt me for quite some time.
This review didn’t even scratch the surface of what this book is about or what it says about violence, sacrifice, and redemption. You have to read it for yourself. It’s one gut punch after another.
Highly recommended.
November 16, 2024
3.5 stars. Author’s debut…… enjoyed this one but he definitely got better with the next book he wrote. He’s good, perfect quick reads especially if in a reading slump.
January 1, 2023
As a lover of football and books about difficult family dynamics, I felt 200% certain I was going to love this book. And I think I would have if it didn't have such a strong religious overtone to it, and books with high levels of religion just aren't for me.
Although I read more than half, I'm not going to give it a star rating because I believe it's a solid book. I don't want to lower the book's average rating simply because I didn't like part of the genre.
That said, I do believe that Christianity should be listed somewhere in the GoodReads synopsis. It is listed in the synopsis in netgalley, however, I based my decision to read this on the GoodReads synopsis, which was my fault.
If you like football, mentoring, rough family dynamics, and Christianity... you will probably like this book.
Thank you to RB Media and Eli Cranor for the opportunity to read this book.
PS. I also wanted to add that the author narrated the audiobook himself. Initially, that was a turn-off because writing skill is different from narrating skill... but he did a fantastic job. I was really impressed.
Although I read more than half, I'm not going to give it a star rating because I believe it's a solid book. I don't want to lower the book's average rating simply because I didn't like part of the genre.
That said, I do believe that Christianity should be listed somewhere in the GoodReads synopsis. It is listed in the synopsis in netgalley, however, I based my decision to read this on the GoodReads synopsis, which was my fault.
If you like football, mentoring, rough family dynamics, and Christianity... you will probably like this book.
Thank you to RB Media and Eli Cranor for the opportunity to read this book.
PS. I also wanted to add that the author narrated the audiobook himself. Initially, that was a turn-off because writing skill is different from narrating skill... but he did a fantastic job. I was really impressed.
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