I recently finished reading the book "Ironman", and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The book started off pretty slow and I almost wanted to put it down within the first few chapters, but about a third of the way through, it picked up the pace, and I ended up feeling glad that I stuck with it. This book took place in a Spokane, Washington, and is about a boy named Bo Brewster. Bo Brewster is a troubled youth, often having problems with his father at home, and then his English teacher at school. Both like to put him down and embarrass him, which frustrates Bo to the point of breaking. Before being completely expelled, Bo chooses to take an anger management class. Here is where Bo learns to deal with his anger in productive ways. Bo also listens to all the other student's stories in the class about their home life, and it goes to show Bo how bad things really can be, and that Bo may not have it that bad afterall. In the midst of all this, Bo continues to train for a race similar to the Ironman. Training gives Bo something to focus on and to look forward to as well as burn off some of his anger that is built at his home and school. Throughout the book, Bo makes a few very close friends who help him deal with these problems, and finds out secrets of those friends and his very own father. I feel like this book teaches several very good life lessons such as forgiveness and mercy, along with providing its readers a sense of what some people have to go through in the real world, allowing readers to relate their everyday lives to those of the characters in this book. All in all I think this was a great book, and I would reccomend it to anyone who is looking for a book with not only an enjoyable and unique storyline, but one that can teach a few valuable life lessons that can be applied into the readers on lives as well.
Thanks to a professor in an adolescent lit class, I first picked up this marvelous book. Being a consummate couch potato, the sports that permeate Crutcher's novels was initially a turn-off. However, once I read this book, I was hooked. Chris Crutcher has a background in psychology and his depiction of kids in crisis is always insightful and often heartbreaking. He is a master of the problem novel.Beau Brewster is a 17 year old boy who gets into a power struggle with a teacher who is very much like Beau's dad (ie. extremely controlling and not willing to listen). After Beau calls this teacher an asshole (true, but, alas, not allowed at school) he is ordered to attend Mr. Nak's before school anger management group. At first, Beau refuses to believe that he belongs in the group, but eventually becomes a willing participant and forms deep relationships with the rest of the "Nak pack." Beau's story is told mainly through his letters to his idol, Larry King. Beau plans to compete in a triathalon. Though labeled a quitter by his father, Beau trains relentlessly for the triathalon, eventually finding support from a source he never expected, even as his jerk of a father actively attempts to sabatoge Beau's chances in the race.Anyone who has a difficult relationship with a parent will find much to think about in Beau's story.
Do You like book Ironman (2004)?
I pretty much thought this was a great book, I could really relate to it. I could relate to this novel because it has to do with anger in school, and anger towards adults that dont respect you... Now I know the saying "Respect your elders" but it would be hard when you are getting picked on by this older person Mr. Redmond, who is Bo Brewsters teacher (Bo is the main character in this story too), and football coach. Redmond was picking on Bo because Bo decided he did not want to play football anymore beacuse Redmond was embarrassing him. The next day Bo was in class and called Redmond an a-hloe, and then the story is just basically about Bo in anger management and trying to go through life without flipping out on everyone.
—Jared Lindley
i liked it but it was just some of the things that he went through that made me on the edge of linking what he would do to get into trouble. His dad wanted him to open and shut the door quietly 23 times and he refused so the consequences that he got was he would come home and go straight to his room without any question or words about it. Bo's dad made him miss christmas becuase he had to stay in his room. he maybe stayed in his room for months. other than the bad things he learned alot from going to angermanagement class and learing the true meaning of anger and how to control it and how to not be so angry all the time. how to use his time wisely and not so much over pitty things. If he would not of called Mr. Redmond a bad name then maybe he would still be needing help right now. I'm very glad i read this book because if didn't im pretty sure i wouldn't of learned any of the leasons that Bo learned on my own. Bo is a very nice boy that wont stop until he gets what he wants. If i were to recomend a book about trust and honesty and love i would pick this book deffinately if you need a book to learn some thing on anger and how to help a friend that has ager. im very proud of how the ending came up half way through the book i didn't think that i was going to like the ending but i loved it and its all because of how he made his life out to be.
—Devin Clabough
The narrator is an angry kid with an angry father. His nemesis is his English teacher and football coach, Mr. Redmond. He calls him an a-hole and is forced to attend anger management classes where he meets a girl he really respects. The others in the group become his crew, the leader his mentor, along with his swim coach. It's an inspiring story about family, loyalty, hard work, and integrity. There aren't any easy answers, and I think those are the best kinds of books. I cried at the end, and I'm not sure I remember the last young adult book that did that.I have to be honest in that I have passed this book by many times because I think it has a boring cover. The author really surprised me. One of my summer school students told me that he just really likes Crutcher's style, and I would have to agree. He's funny, his characters are funny, but they face serious issues. I so appreciate that his books and stories, many of which highlight athletes, also contain homosexual characters. I love that his straight protagonists have to work through their fears. There is, what I consider, some mature content in this book.
—Jackie
