A review by engpunk77
Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories by Chris Crutcher

4.0

I can't believe how raw and poignant these stories are. I didn't like the first story, as I thought it was inauthentic, but the rest of this six-story collection is genuine, politically incorrect like you wouldn't believe, and serious. Crutcher's style of writing impressed me; I chuckled and smiled as much as cried, and I felt, really FELT for each of the protagonists. Issues dealt with without shame or preachiness include having a terrible relationship with a parent, death, disastrous consequences of choices and having to live with them, forgiveness, obesity (although that's the story that I felt was off-the-mark), homosexuality, humiliation, bigotry, racism, disabilities, and of course, sports. I haven't seen such an honest portrayal of real-life issues in literature for teens, ever. I highly recommend this, and I think it's ones that guys can relate to especially (but I did, too).

I listened to the audio version on cassette tape over several commutes because my car still has a cassette player. The recording was excellent. P.S. Be sure to read the prefaces to each story; the author explains why he wrote each one, and they were just as valuable as the stories themselves.