John Feinstein

In the high-stakes of high-level basketball where every decision can make your break your future, “Foul Trouble” dives into the tempting dangers and decisions that come with fame.

This book is about a superstar athlete who faces conflicts on the way to making it to the NBA where he has to face decisions that are difficult to make that could put his career in jeopardy. For example, his agent puts the athlete in a situation where he is making decisions that either he could stay true to himself or get tempting advantages that are against the rules.

The superstar athlete named Terrell Jamerson who is getting looked at greatly by NCAA teams is going through struggles of making ethical decisions. He faces issues from agent Johnson who is all about shady deals to give Terrell advantages which are off limits to the NCAA. But Terrell has a best friend named Danny who always has Terrell's back and helps him out with the issues Terrell faces. He makes sure Terrell doesn't get lost in the hype and keeps his morale up. Also the head coach, Coach Anderson helps Terrell out quite a bit because he helps guide him through the pressures of basketball and also doesn't just care about winning but also cares genuinely about his players, like Terrell. Coach Anderson is like a mentor for Terrell.

I think the theme of the book “Foul Trouble” revolves around the challenges and pressures that young athletes face. Also the importance of right and wrong and staying true to yourself. The book really gives a good perspective on the darker side of sports in a way and shows how when an athlete is really great it can attract people trying to “help” them for personal gain. “Foul Trouble” shows the difficulties of making tough decisions and fighting through temptations.

I recommend this novel, Foul Trouble to anyone who is really in any sport because personally, I can relate to some pressure like the main character faces in the book just from being in sports throughout my life and also I recommend it because this book can teach you not only ethical decisions in sports but making them in the regular world and the darker side of pressure that athletes have to face. But the book was a little slow-paced and dragged out at some points in the story. Like for example the book isn't just about the action on the court but also about the interactions between coaches and players. So if you want to learn more about an athlete's world and ethical decision-making and don't mind a slow pace in books this would be the book for you.… (more)