Windrew Haynes has finished his last year at college. After getting second place in the Cross-Country Nationals, he has decided to pursue a career in teaching. His Honor, Judge Haynes, would rather see his son become an upstanding lawyer, but Windrew is determined to help teach underprivileged African American kids from Douglas High School. Douglas High School is an educationally deprived institution. To the people running the show, all that matters is if you can play basketball. Basketball is what has kept this school open for years. So, when Windrew marches in, looking to invoke change, the principal and athletics department are unhappy. Windrew has to dodge conspiracy after conspiracy to keep his job intact and not be railroaded by those with hidden agendas.

In Run to Win, by author Eric Johnson tells the story of what it means to have a dependable adult helping nurture young kids to be more than what they are, what they could be, and not letting where they come from define their future. This story touches on many significant societal issues like race, sexuality, and socialism. Windrew’s background is interesting. Being from a mixed family, he feels like he doesn’t belong entirely to either culture. He feels he has to prove something to his family and himself by working with underprivileged children in an economically challenged neighborhood. This societal conflict is highly relatable for this demographic, and I would have liked for it to be explored more throughout the book.

The chapters are long at times, but this is necessary for building the plotline. Johnson adds context to the main character’s internal conflicts through his story building, imparting the heavyweight of the expectation he feels from others. The author uses strong tension and suspense to engage the reader and keep the story interesting.

There are multiple points of view in the novel, allowing readers to experience the action from different vantage points and gain further insight into the situations. The author’s use of profanity is mild initially, but as the story’s action ramps up, the students’ and teachers’ profanity increases. Profanity can add to the character’s relatability and be used to give readers a feel for the environment and setting. Given the amount of profanity used by the author in this novel, I think it is appropriate for mature audiences.

Run To Win is a riveting sports fiction novel about a teacher’s efforts to enact positive change in the lives of underprivileged children. Focusing on many societal issues, this is a relatable story for many.

Pages: 252 | ISBN : 1499021828