Not many gay teens experience their journey of self-discovery on a national stage. Then again, not many high school seniors inherit a team in the National Football League. Welcome to the coming of age, coming out, gridiron novel, Ready ... Set ... Pride!
Max Sparks-Picou only thought his last year at Shirley Chisholm High was confusing, with the gorgeous but horribly straight Silas Cannon roaming the halls, and Max still in the closet. At least he had two awesome best friends, a loving family, and time to figure things out quietly - or so he thought.
No one foresaw Max thrust into the gladiatorial world of football, a sport he barely followed, and only because his grandpa Gunnar owned the NFL's newest franchise, the Portland Rogues.
No one imagined Gunnar suddenly dying, leaving the team not to its general manager and his only son, Fen, but to ... 18-year-old Max!
And no one, least of all shy Max, ever dreamed he would be forced to face his own truth, find the love of his life, and run a professional football team, all under the harsh glare of social media, hardcore fans and brutal sports reporters.
Meanwhile on the field, Portland has never put together a winning season. They have plenty of talent, and Coach Curcio definitely commands respect. But is it even possible for the Rogues to overcome the war between their suddenly jilted GM and his young, "undeserving" nephew?
Can Max survive his peers' sudden interest, or the judgments of Reddit, Snapchat and Twitter? Will he overcome the scheming Uncle Fen and the skepticism of Rogues players? And what about the other owners - is accepting a teen colleague their biggest challenge, or the waving of a giant Pride flag?
Most of all, though, does Max believe enough in himself, whether it's leading the club, confronting his foes, or accepting the affections of an unexpected beau? Can he win the Super Bowl and the hottest guy in school?
Using his experience playing high school football and four years on a major college program's athletic staff, teaching World Issues to 12th graders, and as a once closeted teen himself, Truscott Jones probes what it means to uncover and accept who you are; to experience the gift of love and the blight of prejudice with equal resolve; and to learn that change is both hard, and inevitable.
