Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp

Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.Īutumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart their mothers are still best friends. However, this intriguing work demands an audience. An excess of down-home similes (“squirming like a bunch of copperheads on hot asphalt”) is a minor drawback. Jealousy, rage and tenderness are wrapped around the story’s core theme of self-discovery.

Blaine, desperately pursuing glory and playing George to Hampton’s Lenny, charges into reckless decisions assuming Hampton will always have his back.

Loyalty prevents him from distancing himself from his lifelong friend.

Narrating the story, Hampton feels like Blaine’s henchman, someone there to carry out the boss’s erratic orders. Star linebacker Hampton Green is a force on the field but finds himself kowtowing to Blaine, the team’s cocky running back. Tharp unveils the anger, frustration and uncertainty covered up by the Knights’ swagger. And meanwhile, his best friend and teammate Blaine-the true friend who first introduced Hampton to football back when he had nothing else-is becoming uncomfortably competitive, and he's demanding Hampton's loyalty even as Hampton thinks he's going too far.This unforgettable novel is the story of a boy whose choices will decide the kind of man he becomes, and raises powerful questions about sportsmanship, loyalty, and the deceptiveness of legends.From the Hardcover edition.The Kennishaw Knights personify Oklahoma hill country, where guys play football, drink beer, talk about sex (but not love), and players seek local immortality by achieving a fifth straight undefeated season. He's drawn to a smart, quirky girl at school-the type a star athlete just isn't supposed to associate with. His father walked out on him and his mom years ago, and now his mom has a new boyfriend every week. But his life off the field is a different story. On the field, he's so in control you'd think he was able to stop time. This year, the Kennisaw Knights are going for their fifth straight undefeated season, and if they succeed, they'll be more than the best high school team in the eastern Oklahoma hill country-they'll be legends.But the Knights' legacy is a heavy weight to carry for Hampton, linebacker and star of the team. In a small Oklahoma town, one star linebacker must decide what kind of man he wants to be-both on and off the field.Welcome to Kennisaw-where Friday night high school football ranks right up there with God and country, and sometimes even comes in first.

Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp