A thrilling story about a boy and his journey to overcome his older brother’s shadow, which seems to be the size of a football field. Jake Cullen was born into a family of football stars and quarterbacks that have been the rulers of Granger. Wyatt, Jake’s older brother, was the quarterback that led the Granger Cowboys to the state championships when he was in high school. His father, Troy Cullen was also the quarterback on the winning team at Granger when he used to play football. The Cullen legacy pushed Jake to become a better football player for the Granger Cowboys. In the state of Texas, football was considered to be very important and necessary in everyday life. So, the Cullen’s were considered to be football royalty everywhere in Granger. Jake Cullen had a lot of pressure to live up to everyone’s expectations and win the state championship like his brother and dad. However, Jack doesn’t seem to be the best quarterback on the football team after the team’s tryout. He ends up at the team’s 3rd-string quarterback, which means that if the two players before him get injured or cannot play, Jake will be able to take over for them. In the Shelby Mustangs game, the opening game of the season, the starting quarterback got injured. Tim Mathers was scrambling on a play and he tore his Achilles. So, the backup quarterback, Casey Lindell got to play instead of Tim Mathers. Since Casey wasn’t playing well the coaches decided to put Jake in for Casey at the end of the game. The game was a complete blowout, but on the last drive of the game, Jake managed to help his team score their first and final touchdown in their game against the Shelby Mustangs. The rest of the book explains Jake’s path to outgrow Wyatt’s shadow and cast one of his own. Jake also learns how to compete against Casey Lindell, backup quarterback for the Granger Cowboys. Casey and Jake become sworn enemies while competing for the starting position for the quarterback. The whole town starts getting involved in the feud between the two quarterbacks on the Granger Cowboys. Everyone starts getting so involved that the news would show a poll about which quarterback was more favored. Due to Jake’s popularity and Cullen background he won the poll instead of Casey Lindell. In one game, Jake dived for the pylon in the end zone to secure the winning touchdown for his team. While doing this, Jake suffered a big hit from the opposing team’s defender. He blacked out from the impact of the block, but still managed to hold on to the ball. After the doctor treated him, he told Jake that he could not play in the following game. So, Jake and Casey put their rivalry aside, to help train Casey for the upcoming game. I would highly recommend this book to all teens, and I think that it is a great book for all sports fanatics. The author, Mike Lupica, describes the story in a fun and interesting way that helps draw all readers to Jake’s story. Mike Lupica brings you into the story and makes you feel like you are beside Jake while he transitions through the story. All in all, QB1 is an incredible book that I recommend to all football fans and sports fanatics.

Checkout QB1 from the Newport Beach Public Library.