I thought that this book was extremely interesting and relateable. There were a lot of very interesting things that happened to the main character Louie. I think that the author did a terrific job on the whole story line of the book. It was a great book to read. I like how the author makes the book seem so real.tThere were a lot of interesting events that happened in the plot. The main character Louie worked very hard all summer to make a starting position on the football team. When football started he was the third best person on the team. The best person was his best friend Carter who probably will go to college for football. The second best was Boomer who was always a jerk to Louie and every one for that matter. Their football team was very good probably best in the state they won state three years in a row before. Then one week they played a team who had a very good player whose name was Washington and was African American. Washington was better than Carter. Their coach told them at practice if they ever got a good hit on him take it and hurt him so they would win. Louie didn't agree with that at all. When the game came Washington did really good and scored all his teams touchdowns.They were both tied at half time. Then in the second half Washington threw a pass deep and when he let go Boomer hit him as hard as he could and they landed on the bench. Washington broke most of his ribs. When that happened Louie threw of his helmet yelled at the reef for not calling anything yelled at their coach and left. He quit the football team but still had his girlfriend Becky who was the hottest girl in school. Then a couple months latter Becky died in a car accident. He was really sad for a long time because he loved her and she loved him. After that they had her funeral and he yelled at the preacher because he was saying how God worked in strange and mysterious ways. He was mad because he thought God didn't care. He was sad for a long time but then one of his old football coaches, which was nice and was also mad at the head coach for playing dirty, asked Louie to do track. He said yes but they had to convince the principal to let him because they banned him from school sports after football. They eventually said yes and Louie was going to run the one and two mile for their school. He trained really hard and took first every meet. Then his meet to qualify for regional's he had to run against Washington. Washington talked to Louie before the meet and said that he respected Louie a lot by the way he ran and how he stood up for him when Boomer tried to hurt him. Washington wanted competition that’s why he ran the two mile that meet. It was the first meet he ever ran the two mile, but Louie beat him but just barely. Louie ended the book very happy but he was still sad for Becky.I would recommend this book to all teenage males. It is very good, and I think they would like it because they can understand and relate to it.
I read the book "Running Loose" by Chris Crutcher. I thought that the book was very well written because it always kept you interested. When the book starts, the main character Louie has it all together. He is on the football team, has a hot girlfriend, and everything is going smooth. It all starts to change though when he quits the football team because his coach tells him to hurt one of the black kids. Then to make it all worse, his girlfriend dies in a tragic accident. The author makes a point of showing the reader that you never know what life is going to throw at you. Then, so he doesn't waste the rest of his senior year, he decides to go out for track and becomes a star two miler. He gets to run against the black kid from football, which really makes his senior year feel like it was worth something. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much. The main character is Louie. He is on the football team, works several jobs, and has the best girlfriend. As the book progresses though, he realizes that life isn't fair. He has a lot thrown at him in a short period of time and has to grow up really fast. Louie’s best friend is Carter and he is the star football player and helps Louie get through everything going on in his life. Louie’s girlfriend is Becky. She is a cheerleader and very smart. She loves Louie for some reason he can’t figure out and is the center of his world. Lednecky is the football coach at Trout, and he really tries to ruin Louie’s year after he quits football.The book is set in Trout. It is such a small town they can’t have a full eleven man football team. Because it is so small, everyone knows everyone and everything that happens. The book is set in the early 1980's.I would recommend "Running Loose" to anyone in their teens and up. Chris Crutcher does a very good job of keeping the book flowing and using an appropriate vocabulary for the age group. I would not recommend the book to a younger audience because it contains some language and situations not appropriate for a younger age group. Overall, I would give "Running Loose" four and a half stars out of five.
REQUIREDAt first, Louie's life and what appears to be a sports novel is almost too good to be true. He's a senior starting on the football team and a cute girlfriend, what more could he want? After his football coach asks players to severely injure a black player on the opposing team during a close game, Louie walks off the field and the trouble in his life begins. Running Loose is a novel about his self-discovery, something that becomes even more important after his girlfriend, Becky, dies in an automobile accident. I loved this book and think it could appeal and would recommend it to both genders.
—Katie
The book that was most clearly intended for young adults that we have read so far, this is a great book to give to reluctant readers as well as avid readers. The plot is gripping and moves at a steady pace, the characters are interesting and well-developed, and the ideas presented in the novel are very applicable to teens. The also has some slightly inappropriate content in my opinion, but I think students would actually just be intrigued by that, like they were getting away with something by re
—Becky Tucker
CATEGORY: REQUIREDRunning Loose is a coming-of-age story about Louie Banks. Starting his senior year of high school, Louie has a spot on the varsity football team, a popular girlfriend, and a good job. However, when Louie’s coach makes a racist remark against another team’s star player, Louie feels he cannot continue to play football. Throughout the school year, huge events change Louie’s life and force him to learn how to keep going. One interesting aspect of the novel is Louie’s relationship with adults. He has a complicated relationship with his principal and football coach, and he is unable to respect them. However, Louie finds role models in different people in the town. He has an untraditional relationship with his parents; they basically let him make his own decisions and do what he wants, and he calls them by their first names. The different relationships he has with adults shape his thinking and the way he learns to cope with his struggles. I liked this book a lot. At first, I thought it was going to be a sports novel, and it may sometimes be categorized that way, but it was more coming-of-age than that. I would recommend this book to ages 13-15.
—Jessica
