“Gym Candy,” by Carl Deuker is a fascinating novel about a teenage boy who turns to steroids to achieve his dreams of football fame.Mick Johnson has always loved football, even from the time when he was a young boy playing football in the backyard with his father. Mick’s Dad was once a famous high school football star. Unfortunately, he never made it big in the NFL, but he is determined that his son Mick will. Mick’s Dad teaches him everything that he knows about football, and even goes out of his way to make sure that Mick will always have an advantage. Mick is even entered into school nearly a year late so that he will always be older than the other kids and therefore he will have an edge of them when he is on a football team.
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Review of "Gym Candy" by Carl Deuker
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8 replies so far. What are your thoughts?
It's a shame about what some parents are putting their kids through. They try to relive their "glory days" by getting their kids in to sports or pushing them to do things that they wanted to do when they were younger. The child will go through hell and a lot don't make it, making them miserable. If they do make it, I would guess that some are still miserable because that isn't what they really wanted.
I agree. Many time the expectations of parents can be very harmful for their children, and I feel that "Gym Candy" does a good job of showing this.
But at the same time it also balances the situation by showing that Mick also desires fame, popularity, and power for himself. He enjoys the rush of power and invincibility that steroids give him, even though he knows that steroids are damaging his body, and giving him 'roid rages.
So deep down, there are two forces pushing Mick: his father, and his own desires.
That's very true, if some people obtain a form of power, they abuse it and lose control. If they don't know how to use that power sparingly, or as a benefit to others, they can lose it horribly. Withering away to a forgotten and weak version compared to their past where they were stronger.
Some children aren't taught the importance of self-control. Like you said, desires along with determination, are the key to getting what you want. But patience helps with the long run. As they say, practice, practice, practice.
Right. Children don't have the patience to practice and train right, and that's why so many turn to steroids, because they want quick results with a minimum of effort.
I think it's true, people expect so much from their kids sometimes, and at the end, they mess up more than if you would of just supported them to a normal level.
This book is a good example of putting pressure on a kid. Most of kids with parents like Mick Johnson's have enough talent without steroids, but they don't want to put in the time of work. In this book Mick told his father once that he is quitting football because of a coach. His dad said, " No you are not. I mean it." Mick started thinking that he wasn't good enough on his own, so he turned to steroids. This is mostly his fathers fault for overworking his son. Parents like this have to know when to let the kid have some fun for once. It isnobvious that Mick wanted to please his father by playing good in football. He just didn't think he could do it withou steroids.
i thought it a really good and thoughtful book it just wasn't cool of how it ended.
It just shows what kid athletes are going through. It shows the pressure and lonliness of teenage years. I love this book because it didnt but a glamerous look on football stars. It goes behind the sences. Fantasatic book
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