  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 08/01/2014 Mike Wilson is a good kid. He gets good grades, works at the farm of a family friend to help his single mother make ends meet, and even tolerates his obnoxious little sister. His father died a hero in Afghanistan seven years ago, and as Mike’s fifteenth birthday approaches, he has begun receiving letters from his dad, delivered by an anonymous member of his father’s unit. All Mike wants to do is play football, and when the first piece of his father’s serialized advice encourages him to embrace the glory days of high school, he forges his mother’s signature and joins the team. What follows is hazing from a bully on the team, a complicated relationship with a Muslim girl on the social sidelines, and guilt and confusion about his interwoven secrets. Many readers will anticipate a revelation about a hidden identity, but that won’t stop them from enjoying this literary, nuanced, respectful treatment of military themes, sports dynamics, and small-town life. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. School Library Journal - 07/01/2014 Gr 6–8—Mike Wilson is an ordinary teenager, more responsible, perhaps, than most. His father died in Afghanistan when he was eight. Suddenly, he is getting posthumous advice from his father in the form of letters, the sender of which is a mystery. This is a good premise, if not a particularly original concept. Reedy misses the opportunity to grip his readers by doing the obvious. For example, Mike follows dad's advice—go out for football—only to discover that he's a star player. Mike's relationship with his overly protective mother provides some drama, and the developing friendship with his classmate, Isma Rafee, of Persian descent, will appeal to many teens, as will the revelation of the identity of the mysterious letter sender. Although predictable and cliche-ridden, If You're Reading This will appeal to reluctant readers.—Nina Sachs, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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