Raiders Night

The Nearmont High School football season looks promising. The entire town expects great things from them --- Division, even State Championships --- and the team is on track for just such a season when they take off for preseason camp: two-a-day practices, morning wakeup calls, and Raider Pride Night, the traditional freshman initiation. Unfortunately, the ritual goes places it never should in ways that might compromise their entire season and ruin any chances they might have in college football and the pros."The biggest enemy of best is good. If you're satisfied with what's good, you'll never be the best."Those words atop the Jerry Rice poster over Matt Rydeck's bed tell him everything he needs to know about football and life. He has to be willing to do what it takes, no matter what --- even if that involves staying loyal to his drug-using friends and even if that means using illegal steroids and Vicodin himself. They're supposed to take away the pain and help him heal faster. In the midst of all that, Matt would love to have a girl he could actually talk to, not just the typical girls who will follow any star receiver home after a party. He wants something more, someone with whom he can share his problems.What would Matt's life be like without all the stress? Without having to hide what really happened that night at camp? Without the responsibility that comes with being team captain? Without the baggage of former one-night flings? With Dad in his face loading on the pressure to succeed, Matt needs a way out of his slowly suffocating world, and breaking a few rules and hearts seems like the only way out of town, to a life with a little more freedom.In RAIDERS NIGHT, Robert Lipsyte has taken the experiences of "world-class athlete and sports psychiatrist" Michael J. Miletic, M.D. and re-molded them into a gripping story that's as fictional as it is real. The insider knowledge offers a glimpse into the competitive world of high school football players who are doing everything they can to make it to college and the pros, while at the same time navigate the complex webwork of their lives.Reviewed by Jonathan StephensFirst Published on TeenReads.© Copyright 1997-2006, TeenReads. All rights reserved.

Raiders Night is an excellent story about a high school football star facing a moral dilemma after a violent hazing incident in the locker room. Conflict and tension build from the first page to the last. Still, I didn't like the author's voice, and I doubt I'll read another of his novels. There was too much telling instead of showing - sometimes page upon page of narrative without any scenes. The dialogue was bland and uninteresting. Characterization was weak (other than the protagonist who was drawn fairly well). Finally, none of the characters were likeable, not even the hero. I'll give this book three stars based on the strength of the story, but young adults deserve better writing than this.

The plot was good and believable, but the characters were not well developed. None of the characters are likeable. Would be better if there was more background given on the main characters.

I am shocked that I still havent received the two books I ordered. I ordered These a Dec. 26th I believe and I received an email saying items have shipped but I still havent received the items. I have ordered 6 other items from other sellers a week ago and I have already received all of those items. I will NEVER order from here again. It was suppose to be a gift but I have since ordered from another seller and already gotten the item.

This was a bit more interesting with the sports element - so if you are an adolescent gay jock this would be a good read for you

My son read this for required reading and it is hard for him to find books to get into. The content of the book brought up a good discussion about bullying, hazing, and being an athlete and a man.

This is a short but well written book. One graphic scene (brief) will cause you to hesitate before passing it on to your teen but in my opinion the value of the lesson is strong and outweighs the desire to shelter your children. In the end it is about making the right choices, standing up, and doing the right thing. Our hero comes through!

This book had so much going on an action packed story definitely worth reading. The best football book I ever read.