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The Sports Beat #5
The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game
New York Times bestselling sportswriter John Feinstein investigates a covert op at the Army-Navy football game in this exciting sports mystery.
The Black Knights of Army and the Midshipmen of Navy have met on the football field since 1890, and it’s a rivalry like no other, filled with tradition.
Teen sports reporters Stevie and Susan Carol have been busy at West Point and Annapolis, getting to know the players and coaches—and the Secret Service agents. Since the president will be attending the game, security will be tighter than tight. Weeks and months have been spent on training and planning and reporting to get them all to this moment. But when game day arrives, the refs aren’t the only ones crying foul. . . .
John Feinstein has been praised as “the best writer of sports books in America today” ( The Boston Globe ), and he proves it again in this fast-paced novel.
The Black Knights of Army and the Midshipmen of Navy have met on the football field since 1890, and it’s a rivalry like no other, filled with tradition.
Teen sports reporters Stevie and Susan Carol have been busy at West Point and Annapolis, getting to know the players and coaches—and the Secret Service agents. Since the president will be attending the game, security will be tighter than tight. Weeks and months have been spent on training and planning and reporting to get them all to this moment. But when game day arrives, the refs aren’t the only ones crying foul. . . .
John Feinstein has been praised as “the best writer of sports books in America today” ( The Boston Globe ), and he proves it again in this fast-paced novel.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2010
221 people are currently reading
648 people want to read
About the author
John Feinstein
75 books591 followersJohn Feinstein was an American sportswriter, author, and sports commentator.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
February 8, 2021
A chapter or two in, The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game already feels different from the previous four books of the Sports Beat series. Switching between the moments right before kickoff at the 2010 Army-Navy college football game, and the controversial week leading up to it, the story reveals that teen sports reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are on the trail of two big stories, one of which could affect United States national security. Having been played almost every year since 1890, the Army-Navy game is steeped in tradition, a reality that Stevie and Susan Carol grow to understand as they take a deep dive into the culture of the teams. The Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen rarely attract top NFL prospects, but the schools are passionate about the rivalry, and Stevie and Susan Carol get caught up in it as they stand sideline to report on the final game before Army and Navy play each other this year in Washington, D.C.
Stevie's first encounter with an Army football game is relatively normal. However, the stakes elevate when Pete Dowling, a Secret Service operative whose job is to keep President Barack Obama safe at next week's Army-Navy game, shows signs of concern. He declines comment, but Stevie uses his reporter's wits to learn that a possible threat to the president has been traced to the father of two brothers, one of whom plays for Army and the other for Navy. How serious is it? That same weekend at the Navy game, Susan Carol falls into her own web of intrigue when a series of highly questionable officiating calls tilts the game's outcome in favor of Notre Dame. Stung by what she considers an unfair loss for Navy, Susan Carol writes a piece criticizing the game officials and questioning their motives, but she faces public recrimination from a representative of the conference's football officials. Right or wrong, Susan Carol has become part of the story, and the same officiating crew she complained about is slated to call the Army-Navy game.
Any whiff of a plot to harm the president is taken seriously by the Secret Service, and Pete Dowling has his work cut out as game day approaches. Stevie and Susan Carol happily reunite in D.C., and as they compare what they each witnessed last week, they realize this game has a lot of extra drama surrounding it. Is there a conspiracy against President Obama, or just a few disgruntled voters blowing off steam? Advised as always by adult journalists Bobby Kelleher and Tamara Mearns, Stevie and Susan Carol tread carefully, not wanting to compromise national security. As Army and Navy take the field for the game, it seems most of the controversy is behind them...until Stevie gets a hunch that something isn't right with the officiating crew. They're blowing calls at a worse rate than the Notre Dame game, seemingly on purpose. Can the rot be excised and the game restored to its rightful place of excitement and glory for the two military schools? Our pair of intrepid young reporters will do everything in their power to ensure it.
This book's narrative structure is notably different from the previous four, but that's not the only dissimilarity. The Rivalry feels like a passion project for John Feinstein, a story he made up his mind to write perhaps even before deciding it would be part of the Sports Beat series. Stevie and Susan Carol's involvement is much more than a token, but isn't on the same level as prior novels about them. I'm disappointed by the way the Secret Service storyline fizzles out, and the "evidence" that prompts Stevie to request an investigation into the other illegal scheme is tenuous at best, but there are a few moments that remind us why we love experiencing major sporting events alongside Stevie and Susan Carol. For that, I round my one-and-a-half-star rating to two, and I look ahead with some sadness to the finale of this series, Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics. I'll miss Stevie and Susan Carol when their story arc is over.
Stevie's first encounter with an Army football game is relatively normal. However, the stakes elevate when Pete Dowling, a Secret Service operative whose job is to keep President Barack Obama safe at next week's Army-Navy game, shows signs of concern. He declines comment, but Stevie uses his reporter's wits to learn that a possible threat to the president has been traced to the father of two brothers, one of whom plays for Army and the other for Navy. How serious is it? That same weekend at the Navy game, Susan Carol falls into her own web of intrigue when a series of highly questionable officiating calls tilts the game's outcome in favor of Notre Dame. Stung by what she considers an unfair loss for Navy, Susan Carol writes a piece criticizing the game officials and questioning their motives, but she faces public recrimination from a representative of the conference's football officials. Right or wrong, Susan Carol has become part of the story, and the same officiating crew she complained about is slated to call the Army-Navy game.
Any whiff of a plot to harm the president is taken seriously by the Secret Service, and Pete Dowling has his work cut out as game day approaches. Stevie and Susan Carol happily reunite in D.C., and as they compare what they each witnessed last week, they realize this game has a lot of extra drama surrounding it. Is there a conspiracy against President Obama, or just a few disgruntled voters blowing off steam? Advised as always by adult journalists Bobby Kelleher and Tamara Mearns, Stevie and Susan Carol tread carefully, not wanting to compromise national security. As Army and Navy take the field for the game, it seems most of the controversy is behind them...until Stevie gets a hunch that something isn't right with the officiating crew. They're blowing calls at a worse rate than the Notre Dame game, seemingly on purpose. Can the rot be excised and the game restored to its rightful place of excitement and glory for the two military schools? Our pair of intrepid young reporters will do everything in their power to ensure it.
This book's narrative structure is notably different from the previous four, but that's not the only dissimilarity. The Rivalry feels like a passion project for John Feinstein, a story he made up his mind to write perhaps even before deciding it would be part of the Sports Beat series. Stevie and Susan Carol's involvement is much more than a token, but isn't on the same level as prior novels about them. I'm disappointed by the way the Secret Service storyline fizzles out, and the "evidence" that prompts Stevie to request an investigation into the other illegal scheme is tenuous at best, but there are a few moments that remind us why we love experiencing major sporting events alongside Stevie and Susan Carol. For that, I round my one-and-a-half-star rating to two, and I look ahead with some sadness to the finale of this series, Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics. I'll miss Stevie and Susan Carol when their story arc is over.
April 29, 2022
Fun Story
I thoroughly enjoyed “The Rivalry”. Growing up in Philadelphia, the Army-Navy game with a part of the Philadelphia culture. My dad and all the guys on the street where we lived would get tickets and go to the game and then have a party afterwards.
So, I can honestly say the information about the game and it’s background was spot on accurate.
Really a fun book.
I thoroughly enjoyed “The Rivalry”. Growing up in Philadelphia, the Army-Navy game with a part of the Philadelphia culture. My dad and all the guys on the street where we lived would get tickets and go to the game and then have a party afterwards.
So, I can honestly say the information about the game and it’s background was spot on accurate.
Really a fun book.
September 3, 2023
bobby kelleher is to parking as i am to cheap gas
December 14, 2012
I really enjoyed this book! I thought this book really makes you want to read, and learn about the history of the Army-Navy Game. Reading this book gave me a great understanding on the players of both teams, and how life is, being in the Military.
The story is about a 14-year-old girl named Susan Collins Anderson, and a boy named Stevie, who set out to right a newspaper on the rivalry of the Navy-Army game. Susan visits Naval Academy, and rights a report on how Midshipmen live. Susan also, gets to go to the Navy vs. Notre Dame game. While being at the Notre Dame game Susan writes a report on how she thought the game went. While she was talking about the game, she talked about the referees. She said, “The Refs were being unfair, and were calling all of the penalties on Navy.” She also said, “Coach Kenny (Navy Coach) thought that the refs were making t hard on his players, and that this isn’t fair to treat the players like this.” At the end of the game the score was 21-14 Notre Dame.
On the other hand Stevie, set out to write a big report on West Point (Army). While being at Army he got to meet all of the coaches, and was able to interview many players on the Army team. When Stevie was visiting, he got to go to one of Army’s Practices before the big game. While being at the practices, he learned how hard it is to be in the military, and to be an athlete at the same time. Players were saying that they have to wake up, then they have to go to class, and they can’t miss the class, or they get in big trouble.
At the end of the story, the two teams come together, and play against each other. The only problem is the referees, are betting on the game, so no team is able to score. Every time a team scores there is a flag. Susan, and Stevie figure out that they are betting, and they call the FBI, and the refs get arrested for Federal Offense. Once they got arrested, the game had to go on, but they didn’t know what referees they could use. Until Susan Anderson came up with an idea, her idea was to have the high school referees ref. “The game wouldn’t be the best, but it will be better”, Susan Anderson said. At the end of the game Army won with a 53-yard field goal.
I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend this for any kid wanting to know more about Army-Navy. Also, I hope you would want to read this book, and if you do I hope you like it.
The story is about a 14-year-old girl named Susan Collins Anderson, and a boy named Stevie, who set out to right a newspaper on the rivalry of the Navy-Army game. Susan visits Naval Academy, and rights a report on how Midshipmen live. Susan also, gets to go to the Navy vs. Notre Dame game. While being at the Notre Dame game Susan writes a report on how she thought the game went. While she was talking about the game, she talked about the referees. She said, “The Refs were being unfair, and were calling all of the penalties on Navy.” She also said, “Coach Kenny (Navy Coach) thought that the refs were making t hard on his players, and that this isn’t fair to treat the players like this.” At the end of the game the score was 21-14 Notre Dame.
On the other hand Stevie, set out to write a big report on West Point (Army). While being at Army he got to meet all of the coaches, and was able to interview many players on the Army team. When Stevie was visiting, he got to go to one of Army’s Practices before the big game. While being at the practices, he learned how hard it is to be in the military, and to be an athlete at the same time. Players were saying that they have to wake up, then they have to go to class, and they can’t miss the class, or they get in big trouble.
At the end of the story, the two teams come together, and play against each other. The only problem is the referees, are betting on the game, so no team is able to score. Every time a team scores there is a flag. Susan, and Stevie figure out that they are betting, and they call the FBI, and the refs get arrested for Federal Offense. Once they got arrested, the game had to go on, but they didn’t know what referees they could use. Until Susan Anderson came up with an idea, her idea was to have the high school referees ref. “The game wouldn’t be the best, but it will be better”, Susan Anderson said. At the end of the game Army won with a 53-yard field goal.
I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend this for any kid wanting to know more about Army-Navy. Also, I hope you would want to read this book, and if you do I hope you like it.
September 25, 2024
I like football but could be better
February 8, 2022
The Rivalry by John Feinstein is about two teenage sports reporters named Stevie Thomas and Susan Caral who have been assigned by the Washington Post to report on one of the biggest games of the year. The book takes the palace at the Navy vs Army football game. This rivalry started back in 1890. The two teams have met annually since 1930. Stevie and Susan were also both invited to meet the president. Both have met players from the teams before the event and have met the secret service. While reporting on the game Stevie and Susan start to raise some suspicion on the referees. Stevie and Susan have reported on many games but something about this game did not feel right. The referees then start to make some very unfair calls. Then there were threats towards the president. Will the historic game get ruined by the refs and will the president have to get evacuated?
I think a common theme in this book is to never give up. Throughout the book, both reporters, Stevie and Susan never stop paying attention to their surroundings. They always were writing down important information about what was going on. By doing this led them to report on a very big game. I think that the author is teaching the reader to always follow you're dreams and to try and accomplish the most you can. This book is being told from a third-person point of view.
I think a common theme in this book is to never give up. Throughout the book, both reporters, Stevie and Susan never stop paying attention to their surroundings. They always were writing down important information about what was going on. By doing this led them to report on a very big game. I think that the author is teaching the reader to always follow you're dreams and to try and accomplish the most you can. This book is being told from a third-person point of view.
Read
March 9, 2017This book the rivalry is about the Army and the Navy playing football.Army are going to different plan to go over and try to beat. And the Navy is try to do the same thing but watching it on tv and calculate the exact move of the defense of playing that how they are going to win and read the book to find out what is going to happen.
October 16, 2019
The story “The Rivalry” starts off talking about when the army-navy football game is scheduled and what time it will start. Towards the middle of the book the ACC Football Officials sent Susan Carol a letter about how Susan Carol’s story she wrote was false. It says at the end of the letter "Yours Truly, Harold Neve, supervisor, ACC football officials". And towards the end they were talking about how the team had a miracle field goal for the overtime like when it says, “and finally it hit the goalpost and bounced through!”. The main characters are Susan Carol, And Stevie because they are in multiple of John Feinstein’s books. Susan is supposedly beautiful and Stevie is her boyfriend and they both make news and stories. The story is set at the army navy football game. My favorite part is the miracle overtime winner. Because I love when them and game winners happen and I would recommend this to a friend who likes sports.
February 18, 2020
Aiden gagliardi
Book review
Mystery at the army-navy game: the rivalry by: john feinstein
This book is about stevie thomas and susan carol, two teens who are sport reporters and covering Army-Navy game for their jobs.Other characters are bobby kelleher, and tamara mears.They learn about the two teams rivalries going back about 110 years ago. These highschool students have to face secret service and unfair officials. They have a lot going on like writing there papers , being young in highschool, and feelings for each other.
This book was ok, personally i did not like it. There was not a lot that caught my attention or a lot of exciting parts.At the end of the story they gave you facts about the real army-navy game like George W. bush had been at the games.I also did not like how they ended the game at 25-25. It was a boring ending to a game , there could have been more excitement to it to satisfy the reader.
If you want to read this book it's about football and mystery.It was not a book that caught my attention , maybe it was just the setting and how things played out but the whole army-navy theme did not catch my eye.
Book review
Mystery at the army-navy game: the rivalry by: john feinstein
This book is about stevie thomas and susan carol, two teens who are sport reporters and covering Army-Navy game for their jobs.Other characters are bobby kelleher, and tamara mears.They learn about the two teams rivalries going back about 110 years ago. These highschool students have to face secret service and unfair officials. They have a lot going on like writing there papers , being young in highschool, and feelings for each other.
This book was ok, personally i did not like it. There was not a lot that caught my attention or a lot of exciting parts.At the end of the story they gave you facts about the real army-navy game like George W. bush had been at the games.I also did not like how they ended the game at 25-25. It was a boring ending to a game , there could have been more excitement to it to satisfy the reader.
If you want to read this book it's about football and mystery.It was not a book that caught my attention , maybe it was just the setting and how things played out but the whole army-navy theme did not catch my eye.
January 16, 2013
The Rivalry
By John Feinstein
This book is a must-read for any sports fan ages 15 and under, and any mystery fan. Two teen reporters are assigned a huge project…………. The Army-Navy game, being played in Washington D.C. The reporters, Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson, have been at it for two years since winning a writing award, and have never been more excited for an assignment. Before the big game, in the weeks leading up to it, they have to report on both teams. All the while, the government is getting involved, and sniffing through each team in preparation for the President’s arrival. Stevie and Susan Carol also think something is fishy, and are putting together clues to figure out the mystery. They are on the right track, but something goes wrong, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. This book really hit my tastebuds in the right way, as it gave a lot of insight on the Army-Navy game, and it's just one of the better sports-mystery books, as the mystery plot is very hard to guess. I guarantee you will be on the edge of your bed reading a mystery about the most historic sports event in the U.S.
By John Feinstein
This book is a must-read for any sports fan ages 15 and under, and any mystery fan. Two teen reporters are assigned a huge project…………. The Army-Navy game, being played in Washington D.C. The reporters, Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson, have been at it for two years since winning a writing award, and have never been more excited for an assignment. Before the big game, in the weeks leading up to it, they have to report on both teams. All the while, the government is getting involved, and sniffing through each team in preparation for the President’s arrival. Stevie and Susan Carol also think something is fishy, and are putting together clues to figure out the mystery. They are on the right track, but something goes wrong, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. This book really hit my tastebuds in the right way, as it gave a lot of insight on the Army-Navy game, and it's just one of the better sports-mystery books, as the mystery plot is very hard to guess. I guarantee you will be on the edge of your bed reading a mystery about the most historic sports event in the U.S.
December 11, 2014
I really like my book Mystery At The Army Navy Game The Rivalry. I like how it has a lot of informational sports facts. Another thing I like about it is that they use real people like President Obama and also has real team rivalries in this book.The mystery part of the book i really intruiging when the refs are sided with a bet that the game score will be zero to zero, so they make very bad calls and change the game completely.Word gets around and the two main characters Stevie Thomas and Susan Caroll went to the president and told him about what was going on.The refs are soon replaced before the start of the second half. One thing I did not like about the book was the ending, the game was tied twenty four to twenty four going into over time and then it ends. But a positive about that you can make your own ending and see who you want to win the rivarly. Over all this was a very good book!
November 5, 2016
I absolutely fell in with The Rivalry and I couldn't stop reading it. All though, I had higher expectations at how the start of the book was written, it got better by the end. The Rivalry had a really good plot, that it made the book impossible to put down. One con of this book though is that it took a long time to build up to the plot. The plot was very detailed but I thought it took to long to build up to the rivalry game against Army. I also think the plot took so long to build up because there was too much detail. But, overall, I thought it was a good book. I really liked this book because there was a mystery going with the refs at the Navy and Notre dame game and it carried on until the Navy and Army game until two teenage reporters solved the case. I recommend reading The Rivalry if you are into mysteries and football.
Want to read
March 7, 2010After the last Stevie/Susan Carol book, I'm not so sure about Feinstein anymore, but I'm hoping this will be just as good as the first three books of the series.
November 10, 2010
Average at best. Gave it 2 stars out of respect to Army & Navy.
Read
May 25, 2021 already feels different from the previous four books of the Sports Beat series. Switching between the moments right before kickoff at the 2010 Army-Navy college football game, and the controversial week leading up to it, the story reveals that teen sports reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are on the trail of two big stories, one of which could affect United States national security. Having been played almost every year since 1890, the Army-Navy game is steeped in tradition, a reality that Stevie and Susan Carol grow to understand as they take a deep dive into the culture of the teams. The Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen rarely attract top NFL prospects, but the schools are passionate about the rivalry, and Stevie and Susan Carol gets caught up in it as they stand sideline to report on the final game before Army and Navy play each other this year in Washington, D.C.
Stevie's first encounter with an Army football game is relatively normal. However, the stakes elevate when Pete Dowling, a Secret Service operative whose job is to keep President Barack Obama safe at next week's Army-Navy game, shows signs of concern. He declines to comment, but Stevie uses his reporter's wits to learn that a possible threat to the president has been traced to the father of two brothers, one of whom plays for the Army and the other for the Navy. How serious is it? That same weekend at the Navy game, Susan Carol falls into her own web of intrigue when a series of highly questionable officiating calls tilts the game's outcome in favor of Notre Dame. Stung by what she considers an unfair loss for the Navy, Susan Carol writes a piece criticizing the game officials and questioning their motives, but she faces public recrimination from a representative of the conference's football officials. Right or wrong, Susan Carol has become part of the story, and the same officiating crew she complained about is slated to call the Army-Navy game.
Any whiff of a plot to harm the president is taken seriously by the Secret Service, and Pete Dowling has his work cut out as game day approaches. Stevie and Susan Carol happily reunite in D.C., and as they compare what they each witnessed last week, they realize this game has a lot of extra drama surrounding it. Is there a conspiracy against President Obama, or just a few disgruntled voters blowing off steam? Advised as always by adult journalists Bobby Kelleher and Tamara Mearns, Stevie and Susan Carol tread carefully, not wanting to compromise national security. As Army and Navy take the field for the game, it seems most of the controversy is behind them...until Stevie gets a hunch that something isn't right with the officiating crew. They're blowing calls at a worse rate than the Notre Dame game, seemingly on purpose. Can the rot be excised and the game restored to its rightful place of excitement and glory for the two military schools? Our pair of intrepid young reporters will do everything in their power to ensure it.
This book's narrative structure is notably different from the previous four, but that's not the only dissimilarity. feels like a passion project for John Feinstein, a story he made up his mind to write perhaps even before deciding it would be part of the Sports Beat series. Stevie and Susan Carol's involvement is much more than a token but isn't on the same level as prior novels about them. I'm disappointed by the way the Secret Service storyline fizzles out, and the "evidence" that prompts Stevie to request an investigation into the other illegal scheme is tenuous at best, but there are a few moments that remind us why we love experiencing major sporting events alongside Stevie and Susan Carol. For that, I round my one-and-a-half-star rating to two, and I look ahead with some sadness to the finale of this series, I'll miss Stevie and Susan Carol when their story arc is over
Stevie's first encounter with an Army football game is relatively normal. However, the stakes elevate when Pete Dowling, a Secret Service operative whose job is to keep President Barack Obama safe at next week's Army-Navy game, shows signs of concern. He declines to comment, but Stevie uses his reporter's wits to learn that a possible threat to the president has been traced to the father of two brothers, one of whom plays for the Army and the other for the Navy. How serious is it? That same weekend at the Navy game, Susan Carol falls into her own web of intrigue when a series of highly questionable officiating calls tilts the game's outcome in favor of Notre Dame. Stung by what she considers an unfair loss for the Navy, Susan Carol writes a piece criticizing the game officials and questioning their motives, but she faces public recrimination from a representative of the conference's football officials. Right or wrong, Susan Carol has become part of the story, and the same officiating crew she complained about is slated to call the Army-Navy game.
Any whiff of a plot to harm the president is taken seriously by the Secret Service, and Pete Dowling has his work cut out as game day approaches. Stevie and Susan Carol happily reunite in D.C., and as they compare what they each witnessed last week, they realize this game has a lot of extra drama surrounding it. Is there a conspiracy against President Obama, or just a few disgruntled voters blowing off steam? Advised as always by adult journalists Bobby Kelleher and Tamara Mearns, Stevie and Susan Carol tread carefully, not wanting to compromise national security. As Army and Navy take the field for the game, it seems most of the controversy is behind them...until Stevie gets a hunch that something isn't right with the officiating crew. They're blowing calls at a worse rate than the Notre Dame game, seemingly on purpose. Can the rot be excised and the game restored to its rightful place of excitement and glory for the two military schools? Our pair of intrepid young reporters will do everything in their power to ensure it.
This book's narrative structure is notably different from the previous four, but that's not the only dissimilarity. feels like a passion project for John Feinstein, a story he made up his mind to write perhaps even before deciding it would be part of the Sports Beat series. Stevie and Susan Carol's involvement is much more than a token but isn't on the same level as prior novels about them. I'm disappointed by the way the Secret Service storyline fizzles out, and the "evidence" that prompts Stevie to request an investigation into the other illegal scheme is tenuous at best, but there are a few moments that remind us why we love experiencing major sporting events alongside Stevie and Susan Carol. For that, I round my one-and-a-half-star rating to two, and I look ahead with some sadness to the finale of this series, I'll miss Stevie and Susan Carol when their story arc is over
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2021
The mystery novel The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army – Navy Game by John Feinstein takes the reader on a fascinating journey between the rivalry of the football teams of the Army and Navy schools.
The novel takes the reader along an in-depth history of both schools, through the eyes of two young sportswriters, Steve Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson. The biggest game for both teams each year is when they go head-to-head in The Army – Navy football game. Not only is this game one of the biggest football showdowns of all time, but it was so important the president of the United States at the time, Barack Obama, would be attending. It seemed as if nothing would go wrong for the pair of sportswriters, but that was subject to change. Throughout the novel, the two main characters are faced with cold weather, injuries, incompetent referees, and more. Without anybody’s warning, the Army – Navy game is about to be a complete disaster. Can Stevie and Susan Carol crack the case, or will it be game over?
Steve Thomas, also known as Stevie, is a high school freshman who is also a sportswriter at the Washington Post. He and his partner, Susan Carol Anderson, are the perfect couple, even though they write for different newspapers. Stevie’s favorite topic outside of writing about sports is food, which can be sometimes used to entice him into doing certain things. Susan Carol Anderson is also a high school freshman and Stevie’s girlfriend. She is a sportswriter at the Washington Herald. She and Stevie work for different newspapers, and they are often separated because of it. Susan Carol’s favorite hobby outside of sports writing is swimming. The two main characters love their jobs as sports writers and love being around each other, too.
Overall, I really liked this book, and I only think it had a few parts that I would reconsider. For one thing, this book was very interesting to read, because I like sports. Something I also liked about this book was that, unlike other books I have read in the past, this book always kept me on my toes wondering what would happen next. With other books, I would normally get bored quickly. This book was completely different, as I was always looking forward to reading it. The only thing I did not like about this book was how it went into depth about the events leading up to the Army – Navy football game. Even though I think it is okay for a book to go into depth about certain events leading up to the main event, I think this book went into too much detail of the events leading up to the Army – Navy game. The climax of the book is towards the end rather than closer to the middle of the book, which I find a little strange. Other than this grievance, I enjoyed every minute reading the book.
This book appeals to more than one type of reader, because the main genre of this book is mystery, but it also includes sports. For the mystery readers, this book has a big mystery for them to keep them on their toes. For sports readers, this book is filled to the spine with football terminology and fun facts. The biggest fun fact of the book is that even though the book is a fiction mystery novel, the Army – Navy football game exists in the real world. At the end of the book, the last few pages contain information about the real-life history of the big game, the presidents who attended it, where and when the game was played, superstar players, and more additional information about the real-life traditions of the Army – Navy football game.
The novel takes the reader along an in-depth history of both schools, through the eyes of two young sportswriters, Steve Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson. The biggest game for both teams each year is when they go head-to-head in The Army – Navy football game. Not only is this game one of the biggest football showdowns of all time, but it was so important the president of the United States at the time, Barack Obama, would be attending. It seemed as if nothing would go wrong for the pair of sportswriters, but that was subject to change. Throughout the novel, the two main characters are faced with cold weather, injuries, incompetent referees, and more. Without anybody’s warning, the Army – Navy game is about to be a complete disaster. Can Stevie and Susan Carol crack the case, or will it be game over?
Steve Thomas, also known as Stevie, is a high school freshman who is also a sportswriter at the Washington Post. He and his partner, Susan Carol Anderson, are the perfect couple, even though they write for different newspapers. Stevie’s favorite topic outside of writing about sports is food, which can be sometimes used to entice him into doing certain things. Susan Carol Anderson is also a high school freshman and Stevie’s girlfriend. She is a sportswriter at the Washington Herald. She and Stevie work for different newspapers, and they are often separated because of it. Susan Carol’s favorite hobby outside of sports writing is swimming. The two main characters love their jobs as sports writers and love being around each other, too.
Overall, I really liked this book, and I only think it had a few parts that I would reconsider. For one thing, this book was very interesting to read, because I like sports. Something I also liked about this book was that, unlike other books I have read in the past, this book always kept me on my toes wondering what would happen next. With other books, I would normally get bored quickly. This book was completely different, as I was always looking forward to reading it. The only thing I did not like about this book was how it went into depth about the events leading up to the Army – Navy football game. Even though I think it is okay for a book to go into depth about certain events leading up to the main event, I think this book went into too much detail of the events leading up to the Army – Navy game. The climax of the book is towards the end rather than closer to the middle of the book, which I find a little strange. Other than this grievance, I enjoyed every minute reading the book.
This book appeals to more than one type of reader, because the main genre of this book is mystery, but it also includes sports. For the mystery readers, this book has a big mystery for them to keep them on their toes. For sports readers, this book is filled to the spine with football terminology and fun facts. The biggest fun fact of the book is that even though the book is a fiction mystery novel, the Army – Navy football game exists in the real world. At the end of the book, the last few pages contain information about the real-life history of the big game, the presidents who attended it, where and when the game was played, superstar players, and more additional information about the real-life traditions of the Army – Navy football game.
December 15, 2017
“The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game” by John Feinstein, is a fictional mystery book that was published in 2010. It takes place during the cold harsh winters. Susan Carol Anderson and Stevie Thomas are two 14 year old kids aspiring to be sportswriters for the newspaper. These two together are deemed a dynamic duo of sports writing. They are given an unique opportunity of covering the Army-Navy rivalry game. However, they will run into a bit of a bit of trouble. I found this book in my closet and the storyline sounded interesting to me.
Stevie and Susan Carol get invited to cover the Army-Navy football game. This game is arguably the best rivalry in college football. They go through the procedures that the secret service must endure because the president was going to attend the game. Although nothing goes wrong for the secret service’s protection, something happens that nobody would expect. Stevie and Susan Carol start to find things fishy when everytime a team scored during the game, there was a penalty flag thrown by an official. They soon find out that the officials are betting on the game. Therefore, they are not allowing either team to score to win the game. In the end, Stevie and Susan Carol get the officials arrested during the game and the game continues with new officials.
The ending of the book was interesting. The whole book was informative and all of the sudden it turned into a mystery with a plot. Even though this was the 5th book in a series. I was still able to understand what was happening because it was only the characters. My favorite part of the book was when it started to get interesting; introducing the plot and adding suspense to the story.
It seemed like I was waiting for some sort of plot to happen until the end of the book. The entire book was about the traditions and procedures that go on during the Army-Navy Rivalry games. Learning about the traditions was interesting except if I wanted to read about the Army-Navy game I could get a pamphlet. Some similar books to this novel would be sports and mystery books. I would suggest this book to anyone that likes to learn about the traditions of certain aspects in college and professional football.
Stevie and Susan Carol get invited to cover the Army-Navy football game. This game is arguably the best rivalry in college football. They go through the procedures that the secret service must endure because the president was going to attend the game. Although nothing goes wrong for the secret service’s protection, something happens that nobody would expect. Stevie and Susan Carol start to find things fishy when everytime a team scored during the game, there was a penalty flag thrown by an official. They soon find out that the officials are betting on the game. Therefore, they are not allowing either team to score to win the game. In the end, Stevie and Susan Carol get the officials arrested during the game and the game continues with new officials.
The ending of the book was interesting. The whole book was informative and all of the sudden it turned into a mystery with a plot. Even though this was the 5th book in a series. I was still able to understand what was happening because it was only the characters. My favorite part of the book was when it started to get interesting; introducing the plot and adding suspense to the story.
It seemed like I was waiting for some sort of plot to happen until the end of the book. The entire book was about the traditions and procedures that go on during the Army-Navy Rivalry games. Learning about the traditions was interesting except if I wanted to read about the Army-Navy game I could get a pamphlet. Some similar books to this novel would be sports and mystery books. I would suggest this book to anyone that likes to learn about the traditions of certain aspects in college and professional football.
March 1, 2018
The Rivalry Mystery at the Army-Navy Game is about writers Stevie Thomas and Susan Anderson reporting on the story of the army and navy game. The book starts with Stevie and Susan getting assigned to different jobs for a backstory of the Army-Navy game. Stevie goes to Westpoint to report on the life of a cadet. Susan goes to the Army-Notre Dame game and writes a story. She completely talks down about how bad the referees were. At the pregame of the Army-Navy game Stevie and Susan began to realize this was not an ordinary game. There were secret service agents everywhere sweeping the stadium for possible threats. They were looking for potential dangers to the president. For three chapters the story follows Stevie and Campbell meeting very important people and delivering the gun to the head ref. These were the same refs as the ones at the Notre Dame game. There was something suspicious about these read this book to find out.
I believe that this book has a lot of sport related action, however, I did not find it drawing me in as a mystery book. I found the nostalgia of the game the only thing that was able to hold my interest. For me I enjoyed the references to Duke and North Carolina, also the references to the blue bloods of college football. This book was an amazing source of fun and history for me because I enjoy college football.
If I were to recommend this book to a friend they would have to understand college football like I do. Not anyone can pick up this book and expect to understand it. If you are looking for just a mystery novel this book is not for you. If you are looking for a book full of references to college sports you will enjoy this book.
“When it finally came, the players streamed from the tunnel. Two players carried the American flag, and five cheerleaders streaked across the field carrying massive flags that said N, A, V, Y, and GO MIDS! The crowd on the navy side went crazy. Stevie noticed Dobbs and Middleton, escorted by cops and at least one Secret Service agent, break away to head for midfield.” This quote represents one of the peak moments in the novel, right before the game starts.
I believe that this book has a lot of sport related action, however, I did not find it drawing me in as a mystery book. I found the nostalgia of the game the only thing that was able to hold my interest. For me I enjoyed the references to Duke and North Carolina, also the references to the blue bloods of college football. This book was an amazing source of fun and history for me because I enjoy college football.
If I were to recommend this book to a friend they would have to understand college football like I do. Not anyone can pick up this book and expect to understand it. If you are looking for just a mystery novel this book is not for you. If you are looking for a book full of references to college sports you will enjoy this book.
“When it finally came, the players streamed from the tunnel. Two players carried the American flag, and five cheerleaders streaked across the field carrying massive flags that said N, A, V, Y, and GO MIDS! The crowd on the navy side went crazy. Stevie noticed Dobbs and Middleton, escorted by cops and at least one Secret Service agent, break away to head for midfield.” This quote represents one of the peak moments in the novel, right before the game starts.
November 17, 2025
The Rivalry by John Feirnstein is a Realistic Fiction novel about two young sportswriters that go to different college football games and events, the story highlights multiple different themes such as having pride in who you are and what your opinions are, for example when people were criticising one of the young writers she stood tall and took pride in her statement about the officiating at a game. Another theme explored in the story is Tradition and history, tradition and history is portrayed by the Army Black knights and the Navy Midshipmen is the pregame routines and rallies. A third theme explored in the story is Honoring the military. The players on the Army and Navy teams aren’t just athletes, they are cadets and future soldiers and that they want to be valued as such, not just people on the opposing team. Overall, the story explores a multitude of important themes that prove that the Army/Navy rivalry is more than just a contest. It is a representation of the United States military full of traditions and history that have been happening for decades.
I liked The Rivalry by John Feinstein because it captures the atmosphere of a college game and the life of what it is like as a very young sportswriter. The story is written from the perspective of a teenager who has connections with secret service agents and sportswriters who go to many college football games. The story showcases the traditions and emotions of the Army/Navy rivalry and portrays the sacrifice and meaning of what it is to play for those teams. The book highlights the atmosphere surrounding the game and its deeper meaning than just football and football players, the players are the future leaders and officers of the United States military. The story highlights the values of the symbols within football, such as commitment, camaraderie, and sacrifice for your team, fans, and friends. The author's storytelling creates a new picture for the reader about what college football rivalries are really about and the background behind them. This book reminds the reader that the Army/Navy rivalry isn’t just a rivalry, it's also a sense of brotherhood between the two teams at the same time.
I liked The Rivalry by John Feinstein because it captures the atmosphere of a college game and the life of what it is like as a very young sportswriter. The story is written from the perspective of a teenager who has connections with secret service agents and sportswriters who go to many college football games. The story showcases the traditions and emotions of the Army/Navy rivalry and portrays the sacrifice and meaning of what it is to play for those teams. The book highlights the atmosphere surrounding the game and its deeper meaning than just football and football players, the players are the future leaders and officers of the United States military. The story highlights the values of the symbols within football, such as commitment, camaraderie, and sacrifice for your team, fans, and friends. The author's storytelling creates a new picture for the reader about what college football rivalries are really about and the background behind them. This book reminds the reader that the Army/Navy rivalry isn’t just a rivalry, it's also a sense of brotherhood between the two teams at the same time.
June 22, 2019
If you have a reluctant upper elementary/middle school reader who likes sports, especially football, this is the book for them.
Stevie and Susan Carol are only fourteen but have been chosen to report on the 11th playing of the Army-Navy game for the Washington Post newspaper - one from the West Point cadet's point of view and the other from the Naval Academy midshipmen's point of view. Throughout the two weeks leading up to the game, both Stevie and Susan Carol not only meet the players and coaches, they learn about the tradition of the two schools, the traditions of the game itself, and they also meet the many Secret Service Agents that are called in to protect the President of the United States as he visits each locker room before the game, tosses the game coin, and finally switches sides at half-time.
While Stevie and Susan Carol are enjoying the rich tradition of the rivalry, they uncover a plot that will make every sports lover cringe. How can they prove their theory to the correct authorities without seeming like "stupid teenagers"? Will their theory be correct? Will they be able to save the rivalry in time?
John Feinstein's knowledge of sports shines through his writing of the novel. The history of the game is told in such a way that it doesn't seem like a 'textbook' but it fits with the whole premise of the two protagonists reporting on the story. The only drawback was that every chapter seemed to have some type of history in it, which at times made the book seem to go on for extended periods of time.
Feinstein also included famous sports names (at least famous in the late 1990s/early 2000s), throughout the chapters. Some seemed legitimate to the story (former students at both military academies who played football), while others seemed far-fetched (Bob Woodward meeting both Stevie and Susan Carol at the Washington Post's offices). At times this felt like a popularity contest to see how many sports names Feinstein could put in the novel.
Stevie and Susan Carol are only fourteen but have been chosen to report on the 11th playing of the Army-Navy game for the Washington Post newspaper - one from the West Point cadet's point of view and the other from the Naval Academy midshipmen's point of view. Throughout the two weeks leading up to the game, both Stevie and Susan Carol not only meet the players and coaches, they learn about the tradition of the two schools, the traditions of the game itself, and they also meet the many Secret Service Agents that are called in to protect the President of the United States as he visits each locker room before the game, tosses the game coin, and finally switches sides at half-time.
While Stevie and Susan Carol are enjoying the rich tradition of the rivalry, they uncover a plot that will make every sports lover cringe. How can they prove their theory to the correct authorities without seeming like "stupid teenagers"? Will their theory be correct? Will they be able to save the rivalry in time?
John Feinstein's knowledge of sports shines through his writing of the novel. The history of the game is told in such a way that it doesn't seem like a 'textbook' but it fits with the whole premise of the two protagonists reporting on the story. The only drawback was that every chapter seemed to have some type of history in it, which at times made the book seem to go on for extended periods of time.
Feinstein also included famous sports names (at least famous in the late 1990s/early 2000s), throughout the chapters. Some seemed legitimate to the story (former students at both military academies who played football), while others seemed far-fetched (Bob Woodward meeting both Stevie and Susan Carol at the Washington Post's offices). At times this felt like a popularity contest to see how many sports names Feinstein could put in the novel.
November 12, 2024
“The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game” by John Feinstein, is a fictional mystery book that came out in 2010. The Army-Navy football rivalry is one of the greatest traditions in college sports, and John Feinstein captures its hype perfectly. What makes this matchup unique is that it features future military officers who will fight for their country later on.
This story shows two 14 year old kids, Susan Carol Anderson and Stevie Thomas, who really want to be sportswriters for the newspaper. These two together are striving to be amazing at sportswriting. They are given a unique opportunity of covering the Army-Navy rivalry game. However, they will run into a bit of trouble. Feinstein does an amazing job following student athletes throughout the story while they are balancing military training, football, and school.
It seemed like I was waiting for some sort of plot to happen until the end of the book. The entire book was about the traditions and procedures that go on during the Army-Navy Rivalry games. Learning about the traditions was super interesting. But I would rather read about the game itself and go play by play. Some similar books to this novel would be sports and/or mystery books. One thing I did not really enjoy about John’s writing style was how much detail he went into before we even got to the the actual game. I did enjoy how this book kept me wanting to keep reading and not out it down.
(4/5 stars) - Overall anyone interested in Military, football, traditions, or mysteries would highly enjoy this book. It is very interesting and has a plot twist which keeps you on your toes.
This story shows two 14 year old kids, Susan Carol Anderson and Stevie Thomas, who really want to be sportswriters for the newspaper. These two together are striving to be amazing at sportswriting. They are given a unique opportunity of covering the Army-Navy rivalry game. However, they will run into a bit of trouble. Feinstein does an amazing job following student athletes throughout the story while they are balancing military training, football, and school.
It seemed like I was waiting for some sort of plot to happen until the end of the book. The entire book was about the traditions and procedures that go on during the Army-Navy Rivalry games. Learning about the traditions was super interesting. But I would rather read about the game itself and go play by play. Some similar books to this novel would be sports and/or mystery books. One thing I did not really enjoy about John’s writing style was how much detail he went into before we even got to the the actual game. I did enjoy how this book kept me wanting to keep reading and not out it down.
(4/5 stars) - Overall anyone interested in Military, football, traditions, or mysteries would highly enjoy this book. It is very interesting and has a plot twist which keeps you on your toes.
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January 24, 2025 John Feinstein’s book, “The Rivalry: Mystery At The Army-Navy Game,” is a sports book about the famous Army-Navy game in Washington D.C. It follows two young journalists, Susan and Stevie, who are meant to cover the events around the sports game. In preparation for the football game, Susan writes and documents all the Navy games, while Stevie writes the Army games. Eventually, they catch up with each other and discuss what they have been able to capture on tape and their thoughts on the events.
The book also tends to focus on the US President’s protection with regards to the security services which opens a new range of viewing from the Secret Service. This helps to add further tension to the narrative.
Even though I found some parts interesting, by the middle of the book, I found myself losing interest. In particular, I remember the story's beginning as bad because John Feinstein did not do a good job introducing the characters and the plot to the readers. This made some parts difficult for me and at times, I felt annoyed and had to reread certain parts to figure out what the author was trying to convey in the story and figure out the plot.
Concerning the above problems in the story, ¨The Rivalry: Mystery At The Army-Navy Game.¨ this book reminded me of ‘The President Has Been Shot’ by James L. Swanson as both books describe, in rich detail, the efforts put in place by the Secret Service to protect the presidency. Nevertheless, I would still recommend this novel to get an experience for yourself, as to see if you enjoy it. In my opinion it just personally it was not for me.
The book also tends to focus on the US President’s protection with regards to the security services which opens a new range of viewing from the Secret Service. This helps to add further tension to the narrative.
Even though I found some parts interesting, by the middle of the book, I found myself losing interest. In particular, I remember the story's beginning as bad because John Feinstein did not do a good job introducing the characters and the plot to the readers. This made some parts difficult for me and at times, I felt annoyed and had to reread certain parts to figure out what the author was trying to convey in the story and figure out the plot.
Concerning the above problems in the story, ¨The Rivalry: Mystery At The Army-Navy Game.¨ this book reminded me of ‘The President Has Been Shot’ by James L. Swanson as both books describe, in rich detail, the efforts put in place by the Secret Service to protect the presidency. Nevertheless, I would still recommend this novel to get an experience for yourself, as to see if you enjoy it. In my opinion it just personally it was not for me.
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February 29, 2024The story is about a 14-year-old girl named Susan Collins Anderson, and her boyfriend Stevie, who are writing on the rivalry of the Navy-Army game. The week before the game, Susan visits the Naval Academy, and rights a report on how Midshipmen live. On the other hand, Stevie visits the Army team and writes a report about their lifestyle. During the rivalry game, Stevie and Susan uncover a big controversy that affects the whole game. I was immediately interested in the book because it started out by jumping between the week before the game and the tension from minutes before kickoff. The characters solved the conflict by looking back at some of their previous interactions with members of the game. Susan also came up with a solution for the conflict, and she said “The game wouldn’t be the best, but it will be better. One of my issues with the book was that the main characters were hard to relate to. For example, Stevie says "For me, school is just something I have to get through." The climax of the book came at halftime of the game when the game is paused as the mystery is unfolding. I think the book started off pretty fast but I didn't like some of the boring parts in the middle. I finished the book because it was easy to read, interesting, and fast-paced. I thought the ending was unexpected, but I didn't like how it all came together so simply and I felt that it was kind of unrealistic. I would give this book a 3.5/5 because it was good with some tiny flaws, and I think sports and mystery fans would enjoy it.
December 16, 2019
The book I chose to read was The Rivalry. This book started off slow to introduce the main characters Stevie and Susan. This book is about The army navy game. Stevie and Susan are assigned to cover the Army and Navy game. During the weeks leading up to the games they get to cover the team dinners and hotel to get player coach interview. On game day Stevie and Susan are given a tour of the whole stadium. During this tour they meet secret agent Feinstein who shows and tells them about the thousands of undercover officers in the stance. Once the game began there was a penalty almost every play. Every time navy was close to scoring there was a penalty. Every time army was close to scoring there was a penalty. What was going on?
This book has a lot of foreshadowing. During the weeks leading up to it Notre Dame and Air Force game there was bad calls for navy all game. For example in the Notre Dame game navy recovered a fumble on the 5 yard line and took it all the way for a touchdown but was brought back because a penalty. I’m the army navy game no one scored at all in the first half and part of third. It turns out the referees were betting on the games the whole time. I don’t know if this happened real life but that is how it needed in the book.
This book has a lot of foreshadowing. During the weeks leading up to it Notre Dame and Air Force game there was bad calls for navy all game. For example in the Notre Dame game navy recovered a fumble on the 5 yard line and took it all the way for a touchdown but was brought back because a penalty. I’m the army navy game no one scored at all in the first half and part of third. It turns out the referees were betting on the games the whole time. I don’t know if this happened real life but that is how it needed in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2024
Overall, “The Rivalry” by John Feinstein was a generally good book. The book is pretty easy to keep up with, while still having many things going on all at once. It’s much more than just a sports book, and there’s an entire story to it beyond the football field.
In the story, there are two main characters; being Stevie and Susan Carol. Stevie and Susan’s story is that they are young sports reporters that are going to the army-navy game to report, but also to spend time with each other and have a good time - bringing in another factor to the story beyond just football.
Feinstein did a good job at keeping the story interesting and making sure there’s a lot going on, but still to an understandable point. There’s always at least three different things going on at the same time on every page. He wrote it in a way that makes the reader always want to know what happens next, and not a single page gets boring.
This book is worth reading for anyone. It’s comprehensible enough for a kid to read it, yet still good for anyone else to also read. There are multiple different stories that all take different paces throughout the book, yet always end together.
In the story, there are two main characters; being Stevie and Susan Carol. Stevie and Susan’s story is that they are young sports reporters that are going to the army-navy game to report, but also to spend time with each other and have a good time - bringing in another factor to the story beyond just football.
Feinstein did a good job at keeping the story interesting and making sure there’s a lot going on, but still to an understandable point. There’s always at least three different things going on at the same time on every page. He wrote it in a way that makes the reader always want to know what happens next, and not a single page gets boring.
This book is worth reading for anyone. It’s comprehensible enough for a kid to read it, yet still good for anyone else to also read. There are multiple different stories that all take different paces throughout the book, yet always end together.
January 20, 2017
This year I read the book The Rivalry by John Feinstein. Overall, this book was an ok book. It's not one of my favor books but it's also not one of my worst books on my lists. One reason why I didn't really like this book is because it is a slow pace book. I really liked the two main characters (Susan and Stevie). I did like the book because of the sports ties and the events inside the story. I really liked how during the plays of the football games you would feel like you are actually there.
Overall, I would recommend this book to someone. This book may not be the best book of all but it is definitely a book to put on your list. I would recommend this book to someone that enjoys reading books about football. I would recommend this to a person that likes football because the book is based around football. If you don't really like this sport the book will not interest you that much. So if you are looking for a fun book to read and enjoy watching, playing, or reading about football this is a book that you will want to read.
Overall, I would recommend this book to someone. This book may not be the best book of all but it is definitely a book to put on your list. I would recommend this book to someone that enjoys reading books about football. I would recommend this to a person that likes football because the book is based around football. If you don't really like this sport the book will not interest you that much. So if you are looking for a fun book to read and enjoy watching, playing, or reading about football this is a book that you will want to read.
October 18, 2017
The rivalry book review
Aidan OHern
5th hour Ten Hoven
10/16/17
The rivalry book review
By Aidan O’Hern
The book The Rivalry by John Feinstein is an amazing book on the history and passion within the Famous rivalry of the Army-Navy game. This book is a realistic sports mystery meaning it never happens but it could happen. The book starts off with Stevie trying to convince his parents to let him go to army navy game and all the events he’s asked to cover leading up to it. Throughout the story Stevie and Susan encounter some troubles including the referees and the calls they make in the navy army game and previously in the navy neater dame game. This book will keep you wondering why the refs would do such a thing until then end the ending I would recommend this book to sports fans in 6th-8th grade and boys and girls because there is a boy character and a girl character. This book deserves a 4.5 stars because of the story and history behind the army-navy game and John Feinstein does a very good job in the end talking about true facts in the end.
Aidan OHern
5th hour Ten Hoven
10/16/17
The rivalry book review
By Aidan O’Hern
The book The Rivalry by John Feinstein is an amazing book on the history and passion within the Famous rivalry of the Army-Navy game. This book is a realistic sports mystery meaning it never happens but it could happen. The book starts off with Stevie trying to convince his parents to let him go to army navy game and all the events he’s asked to cover leading up to it. Throughout the story Stevie and Susan encounter some troubles including the referees and the calls they make in the navy army game and previously in the navy neater dame game. This book will keep you wondering why the refs would do such a thing until then end the ending I would recommend this book to sports fans in 6th-8th grade and boys and girls because there is a boy character and a girl character. This book deserves a 4.5 stars because of the story and history behind the army-navy game and John Feinstein does a very good job in the end talking about true facts in the end.
October 10, 2019
Riddled by how the Army-Navy game was going, Stevie and Susan Carol were determined to unravel the mystery.
"The Rivalry" is a fictional sports book. It is a stand alone book that isn't in a series. The book is a relatively easy read at just about 266 pages. "The Rivalry" takes place in present day along the east coast. You can easily imagine the book in your head. The main characters of this book are Stevie and Susan carol, who are a couple. They are easy to like due to them being so nice.
Stevie and Susan Carol believed something was off about the Army-Navy game, so they used their reporter skills to figure out what's happening. The overall theme of this book is "the curiosity of others." I think that other people would enjoy this book for the curiosity it brings up. I like how the author would often switch between Stevie and Susan Carol's perspective. This book is very much worth your time to read.
Overall, if you like suspense or curiosity then you'll like this book.
"The Rivalry" is a fictional sports book. It is a stand alone book that isn't in a series. The book is a relatively easy read at just about 266 pages. "The Rivalry" takes place in present day along the east coast. You can easily imagine the book in your head. The main characters of this book are Stevie and Susan carol, who are a couple. They are easy to like due to them being so nice.
Stevie and Susan Carol believed something was off about the Army-Navy game, so they used their reporter skills to figure out what's happening. The overall theme of this book is "the curiosity of others." I think that other people would enjoy this book for the curiosity it brings up. I like how the author would often switch between Stevie and Susan Carol's perspective. This book is very much worth your time to read.
Overall, if you like suspense or curiosity then you'll like this book.
November 21, 2017
This a very challenging books for a number of reasons. First, there are so many names of people/characters that it gets very confusing and difficult to keep track of them all. Second, the first half of the book switches time and place. It starts out current day at the site of the big game, then switches to a couple weeks before the game, then back to current day, then back to a week before etc...
I also thought the conflict(s) were too much. There really were two major conflicts: security at the game when the president arrives, and second- bad reffing. I thought both problems were dealt with in an anticlimatic kind of way. Last, I thought it got a bit political.
I'm a middle school ELA teacher and I would not recommend this book to any of my students because it's just too confusing and not very engaging. If you like learning about army/navy traditions then you might enjoy it, otherwise choose something else.
I also thought the conflict(s) were too much. There really were two major conflicts: security at the game when the president arrives, and second- bad reffing. I thought both problems were dealt with in an anticlimatic kind of way. Last, I thought it got a bit political.
I'm a middle school ELA teacher and I would not recommend this book to any of my students because it's just too confusing and not very engaging. If you like learning about army/navy traditions then you might enjoy it, otherwise choose something else.
December 16, 2017
The book starts with Steve and Susan Carol going to both Army and Navy’s campuses. They are looking for the story when they meet Secret Service agent Pete Downing. Downing explains what he is doing at the game. Since the President is attending the game all security has to be at the highest level so nobody is able to even get near President Obama. There are two brothers on Army and Navy with the last name Arnott. They are consistently being called to meet with Mr. Downing but why? It’s because their dad has connections to hate groups. But the Arnott father is not the guy you really have to worry about, the referees have people placing bets on the game and that the game will end with the score 0-0. Stevie and Susan Carol figure this out and do not let it get past anyone they write a story about it and the referees are exposed as a fraud.
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