The real concern in this book when considering this book revolves around the “good” characters.
Troy, the main character, is what the world likely sees as a “typical teenager”. He is willing to lie, sneak around, bend the rules, etc. He has his friend sit in his room with the door closed and play video games loud while he sneaks out to deceive his mom. One major part of the plot triggers another time he sneaks out of his house, into a rich neighborhood to steal a football in order to quiet a kid he is feuding with. This unkind boy brings all types of negative behavior out of Troy. He calls him a jerk and says he hopes the boy, who unfairly starts in front of him on the football team because his dad is the coach, would literally break his leg. Later his friend Tate gets in on this, saying she would like to cut his hamstring. Later Troy gets really angry and ends up jumping off a bridge into dangerous water, even though they have heard stories of someone who broke their back. At another place Troy is frustrated with all the adults in his life and calls them stupid. At one point we see him thinking that he would rather their car go off the road than face a tough situation.
Even grandpa who is supposed to be the kind, loving, wise older character brings one the most concerning moments. At a key point in the story, he wants Troy’s mom (his daughter) to allow Troy to do something. She says no and an argument ensues, at which point Troy leaves the house. When Grandpa finally comes out, he tells Troy privately a story of a time when his mom was younger and completely disobeyed at her age, sneaking out of the house. When it came time to punish her Gramps says he “realized she was right about” going. He follows this by implying sometimes grownups are wrong and “sometimes a kid’s heart tells him to do something and he needs to listen, even if it means getting in trouble”. Obviously, this is a dangerous, awful message for a child to hear that flies in the face of biblical parenting. Gramps also tells Troy that something that happens is no reason to stop living or being a Falcons fan, which he says that in his mind “is one and the same thing”.
The football character Troy and everyone looks up to is said to do a lot of good work in the community, but when asked if he has a girlfriend he says, “A couple girls you might call friends, I guess. Nothing serious”. When the topic of Troy’s dad running out and leaving his mom and unborn baby behind this same character comments that “sometimes things happen” and that “most people are good people”.
Troy’s mom makes the comment that, “You’re all I’ve got honey. I’d die if I didn’t have you”. Later when he admits to sneaking out, disobeying her directly and having his friend sit in his room to trick her she basically does nothing to discipline him. She also makes a comment to Gramps that “no one wants a woman with a 12-year-old”.
Another one of Troy’s friends pulls his pants halfway down and “half moons” his friends (one of which is a girl). Later he similarly reveals his “fully naked butt”.
Other items to be aware of:
A security guard is said to “curse”. Football coach says “holy heck”, “holy crow” and “holy shoot”. Terms “idiot” (multiple times), “sucks” and “hellfire” are all used. Someone is said to have the face of a villain in a horror movie and the term “crazy ghoul” is used. Someone commented that they should kick a coach “in the astronaut”. The derogatory term “ambulance jockey” is used.
Troy and his friend Tate (a girl) are alone a lot. Nothing ever happens beyond a peck near the end of the book, but good to know.