For this book, Samaha followed a Pop Warner football team form 2013-2014. Based in Brownsville, Brooklyn, the club has a storied past, but the concussion issue is causing all area teams to struggle for players. Focusing on the coaches, several of the best players, and the families, Samaha examines why these kids are playing, why their parents let them, and what they think about it all.

Brownsville is a rough neighborhood, and while some of these kids live there, some are the sons of dads who made it out, typically due to football. Football can get you into a good public high school, or even a private one. A good high school means graduating and the possibility of a good job. Or a college scholarship. And they like it. Just because these kids or their parents are from Brownsville does not mean they don't have hopes and dreams--but football doesn't protect them from the lure of the streets. They play football because it is a foot in the door, but there are easier ways to make money quickly, and one goal of the coaches is to keep the kids occupied and on the straight and narrow. I found the book got a little repetitive, with another practice and the same drills same dads, same shouts, another game, same things. I know this is how it is, having been a soccer mom. Repetitive.

Samaha follows up in 2017, when the main group of kids is in 10th grade. They are in high school. I found the follow up chapter to be weak--partly due to only few kids being covered, partly due to it only being 3 years later. These kids are in high school right now! He also follows up with a few coaches, but again, I wanted more.

This book is certainly interesting, but will be most interesting to people who like reading about football, youth sports, rough neighborhoods, and school choices.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Public Affairs/Perseus/Hachette for providing me with a galley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

NEVER RAN, NEVER WILL, by Albert Samaha, tells the story of the Brownsville Pop Warner football program called Mo Better Jaguars. Samaha dives deep into the kids lives, their parents, and the coaches and community supporters that all meld together to tell the story of the Mo Better Jaguars.
Rich in history and community pride, Samaha writes of the Mo Better Jaguars with a certain reverence and respect to all the people currently and previously associated with the team. He paints a clear picture of Brownsville and its history, how it has been a neighborhood that has never escaped a high crime rate and that New York City has kind of ignored this downtrodden and mostly forgotten neighborhood and whatever help that was given to Brownsville, like building projects within the community has only aided the lack of prosperity. By looking at the community and how it relates to the team, the reader sees how intertwined the collective yearning of a neighborhood for a better life is and these teams of boys who are learning discipline, respect, and pride really are. Samaha approaches much of the book presenting the facts and then considering the pros and cons of each situation. For example, Samaha juxtaposes the idea that parents try to achieve enough financial stability to escape from Brownsville, and yet many of those same parents feel like living in Brownsville or other like communities can provide a yearning and drive to escape that can help young men, especially those with a Mo Better pedigree, achieve success in life.
Not only are their many societal questions that are considered, but Samaha also tells of the Mo Better teams and their games with such an emotional feel and clear description that the reader gets wrapped up in the kid's seasons. By the end of the book, the reader is riding the highs and lows of each game right along with the kids and the coaches.
Presented with challenging topics that warrant extensive consideration, NEVER RAN, NEVER WILL is a novel that is impactful in ways few books are. Entertained by the players, coaches, and their seasons, the reader enjoys the book as it's being read. Once finished, the book will linger in my mind for good while because of the questions it poses and the answers it searches to find. Samaha has crafted a book that should be considered one of the best in 2018.
Thank you to Perseus Books/PublicAffairs, Albert Samaha, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ( )