Gym Candy

by Carl Deuker

Summary: Mick is a good football player, but he wants to be even better. The trainer at his gym introduces him to "gym candy," which is just a nice name for steroids. He eases his way into using these drugs, trying to convince himself along the way that he will only use them for awhile and that they're not that harmful. The steroids cause him to be depressed and angry, which leads to a conclusion that you have to read to believe.

My thoughts: Gym Candy is a very disturbing look at how quickly drug abuse can absolutely devastate young lives. It is a cautionary tale, but there are enough football game scenes to make this an exciting sports book as well.