Mercy Rule

Danny's parents yanked him from the art school that let him wear a kilt and listen to bands that no one's heard of. Now he's starting sophomore year at the public high school—the one with the gymnasium at the heart of the building and the glorified athletes who rule it all. The smart thing would be to blend in, but Danny has always been about making statements. Brady just wants to get out. Go to college, play football, maybe reach the NFL. He definitely wants to stop waiting for his deadbeat mother to come home, sleeping on park benches, and going to bed hungry. But first he has to lead the team to the championships. It all adds up to a lot of stress. So who can really blame him when he and the football team turn their aggressions on the new freak? Even the quarterback needs to blow off steam sometimes. Coach turns a blind eye to his players' crimes—because this year, they're going to State. But maybe if Coach had paid more attention they could've caught it before it all happened. Maybe it could've been avoided. Maybe. With quick cuts between a large cast of unforgettable characters, and razor-sharp plotting, Tom Leveen takes readers on a countdown to an inevitable, horrifying act. This gripping novel offers an intense, smart perspective on the tragic, toxic mindsets behind the celebrated American sport and the monsters it creates.

Tom Leveen is the author of six teen novels, including his most recent titles, Shackled and Random; Zero, an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2013; and Sick, a YALSA Quick Pick 2014. A rocking and frequent speaker at schools and conferences, Tom lives and writes full-time in Phoenix, Arizona.