Genre: Sports
Age Level: 14 and up
# of pages: 313 p.
RAC Book: Yes
Mick Johnson wanted to be the starting running back on his football team from the moment his father put a football into his hands at the age of four. Mick was raised to believe his father was a tremendous football player who played for the NFL, but later realizes he did not get the full story. He vows never to make the same mistakes his father made.
In junior high Mick starts to really gain speed and agility, but finds he is not as strong as he would like. He starts to lift weights constantly, but he has a difficult time exceeding his past personal goals. His father offers to get him some time with a personal trainer at a nearby gym and Mick goes, despite his coach’s concerns that it would be better to work out with his own teammates. His personal trainer, Peter, offers Mick some steroid enhancements that he refuses. After Peter assures him that they are harmless and will give him unimaginable strength, he relents and vows to stop taking them when the football season begins.
Mick loves the power and strength he gets when he takes the steroids, but when it comes time to quit he wonders if he has the strength to do that. Carl Deuker is one of the most popular sports writers around because he combines exciting sports moments with real people who have real problems. His books are interesting for anyone, despite their athletic ability, and this one is another hit. Recommended
Young Adult Book Reviews 
This is a really good book. I recomend it to all sports fan.
Just checked gym candy out from the library sounds like a good book cant wait to read it.
i wasnt a sports fanatic but soon after i read the book i was im giving a book talk on it but i have some compition 2 boys r also doing it wish me luck
this book was absolutely pointless and had no meaning
I think the point was that the lure of sports and success can be so strong that you will do whatever it takes to get to the top and that the consequences may be disasterous.
i highly disagree it had a lot of meaning and it was a great book everyone i have talked to loved the book dont say anything about the book if your just going to be completely rude!
Then you do not know football. It was amazing and felt as if I were in the game again.
I highly recommend “Everyone Hates a Ball Hog but They All Love a Scorer” http://www.JumpStartHoops.com if you are interested in a great sports YA book.
he creates a character that u can’t help but feel for and a person that you want to quit the steroids but at some moments you hate that character. Mick as a charater is so diverse. The books great….read it!
i totally agree with what others have said. mick is just someone that you love. you want him to go to the parties and hang with Drew and Kaylee and all of them, but he just doesnt. you want him to get off the steroids, but peter just keeps on pusing him. on the last page before the epoluge my jaw dropped i couldnt beleive it. i has a surprising ending. this is a great book though. read it 🙂
Great book. I loved reading it. And if you do read it make sure to read the epilouge or else! anyways just wanted to say that it was a fantastic book and Carl Deuker is a great author!!!!
ya i almost forgot to read the epilogue and o man i read that first sentence and it was such a relief!
this is a AWSOME BOOK i read it for my book report at school you should read it its awsome 🙂
yea the book is really intense and if you dnt read it..you missin out because although your not on steroids you maay hav somethin els on ya plate that you tryin to hide but it wont be hidden forever..think about it. this book has a great moral to it
This book kept me on my toes and made me think of how important and difficult a sport can be. I just wished he never did the steroids or at some point stop taking them. The end of the story kind of keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering if he’ll return to the steroids when he gets out of the facility. Overall this book was SUPER!!! I recommend all those in a sport to read this book.
This was an awesum book!!! It’s like mixing adrenaline-packed sports with edge-of-your-seat drama!!! You dont have to be a sports fan to read this book, but it just so happens so it made it more exciting. love it love it LOVE IT!!!
This book gets u on the edge of ur seat.I don’t want to spiol the book for u u will have to read it for urself but i can tell u this is the best book i have ever read in my whole life.I recommend this book to anybody that loves sports.
Best book I’ve ever read. Carl Deuker is the best author. Gotta read High Heat if you liked this!
The author in this book makes this book experience so great because evrything he says about high school football is absolutly true.
One of the best book of all time in the 21st centery i wished it never ended and i did wish he got off the steroids
this book was great! i’m trying to read it again!!!
This book was such a waste of my time
book was amazing dont know what ur reading
ur crazy if u think the book was a waste!!! i read the book and i HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE football books! but i luv the sport) and this book was awesome!!!!! but i can promise u i will never willingly read another football book again unless its written by carl deuker or if like 50 billion ppl threaten to take immediate physical action if i don’t read it.
i cant believe u dont like it
you have got to be stupid bob 4real or your a nerd hahah no just joking it is an amazing book
this book was a waste of my time!! it was worse than reading the dictionary!!!
this book is the best book in the world. i recommend it for all young adult readers
I liked it a lot. It kept me at the edge of my seat! But the ending caught me off guard:( I still give it 5 stars though!
-Elle
this book is really great im on part3 chapter 9 and this book is having want to read more and more i hope to finish in a couple days
It is a very good book. I liked it because it was intense and excitng.
Is their going to be a sequale to this book??? One of the best books I have ever read!!!
THIS BOOK IS VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
This book is the best book i have ever read…..ii read it twice already and ii think it is an excellent book for an underdog or person who is second string……and it made me think twice about steroids
This is a very good book to read for running backs in football or any postion
amazing book. everyone should read till the end
absoulty a tremoundous book one of my favs. i have just finished heart of a champion by carl deuker that book has to be read as well there both great love them if u get a chance read them. i did and i hate to read…………………<3 Jocelyn
Awesome book I read it for English and absolutely loved it
Greatest book i’ve read hands down…I hate reading, i only read because of my english class, but i was reading this book anytime i got the chance. Definitley a great read.
how old is he im doing a school project on this book?
I think he is around 17 or 18.
the best book ever. i cant believe he amazing but, i don’t know., awesome ending. it was sad how he turned up but i really hope theres a sequal
one of the best books i have ever read
i personaly think gym candy is great from beginning to end the character mick is so real the way he says stuff in the story it makes you feel like your in the book your even watching a movie he explains every single detail and right before the epilogue my heart started pounding i started too feel so sad like after every thing mick did this is how it was gonna end up.You should read the book Gym Candy its great!!
This book was amazing! It made me feel as if I were and outsider actually looking in on Mick Johnson! Phonemonal
best book ever
Gym Candy is very good book
Ohmygoshhhh! Gym Candy is an amazing book! I couldn’t put it down. I got in trouble in all my classes for reading instead of doing the work! I would recommend this book to anyone!
to thumbs up for Gym Candy!!!!! 🙂 its a very good book… i really enjoyed it!!!!!!
I LOVE THIS BOOK
this was such an amazing book! loved it!
This book was amazing. I couldn’t stop reading it and i dont even like reading. i recommend gym candy to everyone and u dont have to b a sports fan to read it either
best book ive every read!
i lov this book
Loved it! It’s summer break and i had to read it for my book report and from the first chapter i was hooked. I thought i wouldn’t understand it because i know absolutly nothing about football but it explains everything so clearly.
i loved this book it reminded me of my high school life when i also took steroids…. great times 🙂
He tries to shoot himself, but because of recoil it skims his head. Mick then goes to a rehab center, and gets a 2nd chance at life. (just like real life)
cool book
I was looking for a good mike lupica book about football and came across this its a good book except when mick gets hit by the car and becomes paralized
Mick did not get paralized
This book was outstanding could not put it down. Wich is werid because i’m not a sports person but i loved it it was unexpecting to me and i loved how Mick always tried to strive for the best.
great book. ending was suprising
great book. i couldn’t it down. If you like sports books this book is just right for you.
couldnt put this book down. it took me 3 hours to read the full book. its an amazing book.
My class just finished reading this book it was amazing. The ending really shocked the class.
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