Mark A. SalterCritiques

I read this book in just a couple of sittings, because I couldn't seem to put it down. It wasn't necessarily because I loved it, but more like I felt compelled to finish it. It is a good read overall, and I did enjoy it, but it also has kind of a dark undertone that makes it a difficult read. The author does such a good job of immersing the reader in the story, that its almost impossible not to feel the angst of the characters involved. Set in something that is such a huge part of our culture (I live in the south), this book forces one to re-examine what many consider "just a game." If one isn't ready to do that, then this book is definitely not for you. It's not all dark though, as it also shows some of the personal benefits that come with being part of a team, such as confidence and a sense of belonging.

I'm not really a football fan myself, so some of the technical talk about football plays lost me. That is a minor complaint though. Overall, this is a compelling read for anyone, regardless of how much one does or does not enjoy football at any level.

A remarkable look at big time college football through a fiction lens. What is amazing about this book is that I have heard similar stories from college athletes that sound s familiar to what I read in this book.If you are interested about big time college football this book shows some the ugly side of a sport I love.

I grew up in the southern United States where college football was/is king. Especially in my home state of Arkansas, where cotton, rice, soybeans and the Razorback football made up most conversations. (When I was planning my wedding, Daddy told me that he was unavailable September through December, non-negotiable. Such is the power of college football. I married in July.)
Mark A. Slater’s first novel takes on the dark underbelly of college football and combines it with the deep human need for connections, to be with one’s own. Football teams are the perfect example of a tribe working, playing, protecting each other and dominating the other teams. And wow, does Slater pack a punch!
The story centers two young Georgia men, Wally and Henry. Henry suffers from an undiagnosed medical condition that I would describe as autism, but I’m not a doctor. Henry’s talent is his ability to kick a football. As long as Wally is the holder, Henry NEVER MISSES, whether it’s from twenty yards or sixty yards. Henry NEVER MISSES.
As kids, Wally suffered parental abuse while Henry was left largely ignored. Wally dreamed of attending Bastille University and becoming a member of the Tribe football team. (So much symbolism in that choice of moniker.) He had the grades to be accepted but not the financial resources. When the scouts come calling, Henry is offered a full ride, provided he can do he scholastic work, and where Henry goes, Wally goes, so the university makes it happen.
In the first half of the book, the team is led by Coach John Oldham. He and his coaching staff are trying to build decent young men as well as win football games. The team coalesces into a tribe that works hard and plays hard. Coach Oldham reminded of what I thought Bear Bryant would have been like.
In the second half of the book, Coach Oldham is replaced by Coach Castritt. The staff he brings with him have the same belief: Winning is the only thing and everything.
Castritt and his staff don’t care about the team as individuals. Players are dehumanized and believe they can get away with anything and everything, from treating others as dirt to committing a horrendous crime. How Wally navigates this new regime is what makes this book a page turner.
One thing did irritate me though. One of the teams that the Tribe played against with the Arkansas A&M Aggies. No such school. It’s Texas A&M. All the other colleges/universities were given the correct name.
“Sins of the Tribe” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

An interesting look into the world of collegiate sports culture. While I do think having a philosophy professor show up several times to deliver monologues about the themes of the novel was a tad clumsy, overall Sins of the Tribe is a well-written and compelling read.

This was really powerful and dark, and I really enjoyed reading it. This has some similar themes to Beartown (but with football), but is handled in a really different way
*
This is about Wally and his brother Henry and their dreams to play football for Bastille, a fictional powerhouse in college football. Henry is a star kicker but because of his mental deficiencies requires Wally to help him in school and with the game. When their beloved coach dies, a new coach comes in and changes everything they loved about the team and the sport.
*
I don't think the topic of toxic masculinity or corruption within football, or any elite sport, would surprise anyone. What stood out to me was the comparison between the original coach and the new one, and what that did to the atmosphere of the team. It makes it so obvious how much of a role one person can have in creating a healthy (or unhealthy) environment, and how kids react when they're trained a certain way in a sport, and how that relates to life.
*
There's a lot more to this than just the coach being mean -- there's a lot of politics behind it all, and what a school is willing to do to keep donor money coming in, such as overlooking problems with academics or even heinous crimes.
*
I wouldn't consider myself super knowledgeable on football, and I did not see that as a deterrence here. Maybe I would have understood some scenes differently if I knew all the terminology, but I still thought it was easy to follow and had some exciting scenes.
*
My only thing keeping this from 5 stars was the ending, which honestly felt pretty sudden and a bit too perfect. But otherwise I very much enjoyed this! Just beware of some serious trigger warnings for sexual assault and abuse.

I'm not a huge football fan, but the premise of this story was compelling enough for me to give it a shot. It did not disappoint. The characters are so well written and believable. The beginning of the book is written so it pulls you right into the story and it doesn't let go until the end.

Wow! By the end of the second paragraph I had already begun to be drawn into the mind and soul of our protagonist, Wally Hestia.

Through his multilayered characters and their lives, Salter builds a deeply engaging story, both individual and general. He takes us through the pain and joy, the peaks and descents of life through Wally, always feeling on the periphery yet so integrally important to his friends and especially to his autistic savant brother Henry. Integrated into the story are critically important values (demonstrated, never preached) such as relationship, loyalty, integrity--and mentorship. We are all members of tribes, which can free us to become our best selves or enslave us within their entropic degeneration. This is a tale of ascent followed by descent, followed by a yet higher ascent; of being broken by the forces of a malevolent tribe, and healed by the nurturance of one that is compassionate.

You don't have to be a football fan to enjoy this book (I'm not); football is the medium through which the tale is told. My one criticism is some incorrect grammar (laid instead of lay; and use of subjective rather than objective pronouns). If those were corrected, I would definitely suggest this excellent book for high school reading lists.