sad
LEVERAGE by Joshua C. Cohen (Dutton 2011) is a story about bullying in its extreme. Kurt is a new student at his high school, having been transferred from yet another group home. His sheer size has caused the high school football coach to recruit him for the team. With dreams of state championships dancing in his head, the coach has made Kurt the centerpiece of his new offense. The football team is basically a group of thugs who are given pretty much free reign at the school either through intimidation (many of them are on steroids) or through charm (the quarterback can be quite charming when he wants to be). Other athletes do not count here, especially not the gymnasts who must compete for time in the weight room. When the coach of the gymnastics team decides to show up the football players in terms of sheer strength, he unwittingly sets off a conflict that will erupt into a battle and then a war. Danny, a talented gymnast, is placed at the center of this warfare. As events escalate, neither Kurt nor Danny can see a way out. Brutal, intense, and riveting, the sports scenes are well written and certain to draw in <213>