Elizabeth D. Schafer (Children's Literature)
Pressured by his former professional football player father, Mick Johnson aspires to be an extraordinary athlete. Mick practices diligently, but despite his achievements, including being selected as a starter and freshman captain of his high school team, Mick’s father is never satisfied. Mick seeks quick ways to strengthen his body. He buys nutritional supplements but is disappointed when they do not significantly build muscles. Mick’s father arranges for Mick to work with an athletic trainer at a private gymnasium during summer break. Charismatic Peter Volz advises Mick regarding weightlifting and also sells him performance enhancing drugs. Mick initially limits his steroids ingestion, believing he can bulk up without becoming addicted. When school resumes, Mick noticeably runs faster and lifts heavier weights. He sets records and completes thrilling plays as his team defeats rivals. Celebrated as a football hero, Mick receives desired paternal approval. Although steroid side effects, including acne and puffy breasts, upset Mick, who experiences emotional rage and depression, he escalates steroid use, injecting those drugs in an attempt to remain competitive. Mick distances himself from best friend Drew and also girlfriend Kaylee’s romantic overtures. Addressing a topic impacting many teen athletes, Deuker skillfully depicts Mick’s transformation into an erratic steroid addict whose extreme behavior and choices catapult his life out of control, rushing toward a shocking conclusion. This book would pair well with Robert Lipsyte’s Raiders Night (2006). 2007, Houghton Mifflin Company, $16.00. Ages 12 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 15))
Mick Johnson wants to be a star running back. He's good, but not good enough. The trouble is the red zone, the 20 yards in front of the end zone, and he's not quite powerful enough to crunch his way in against big defenders. He begins working harder, lifting weights and taking protein powders, but progress is slow. He starts going to Popeye's gym, where his trainer introduces him to steroids—gym candy—and then to "stacks," mixes of pills and injections. This cautionary tale, told in first person, is a methodical working out of the psychology of the high-school athlete willing to do anything to gain an edge. It's a moral tale, too, as Mick realizes what he has lost for his gains. After almost killing a friend and himself and going through rehab, he understands the almost-irresistible lure of the drugs that promise to make him more than he could be on his own. A superb sports novel with no easy resolutions and a good match with Robert Lipsyte's Raiders Night (2006). 2007, Houghton Mifflin, 320p, $16.00. Category: Fiction. Ages 12 to 15. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Paula Rohrlick (KLIATT Review, September 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 5))
Football is in Mick’s blood; his father made it to the NFL, and he longs to be a star. But is the high school freshman big enough, strong enough, fast enough? He has doubts, and when a personal trainer mentions he can get steroids, Mick eventually succumbs to the temptation. Despite the side effects--zits, ‘roid rage, depression, even beginning to grow breasts--he persists in taking them, and he does well on the field. Then his best friend finds his kit, and unexpected violence results. What will it take for Mick to quit his habit? Deuker is the author of other sports-oriented YA novels, such as Runner and High Heat, and he knows his stuff--there’s lots of convincing and detailed football action here. Mick’s passion for the game and his willingness to do anything to succeed are believable, too. This is a solid sports tale with a valuable message about the dangers of addiction. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2007, Houghton Mifflin, 320p., $16.00. Ages 12 to 18.

Sara Rogers (Kutztown Book Review, Fall 2008)
Gym Candy was the story of a young man named Mick. Mick was a football player. His father, a former professional football player, introduced Mick to the game and fostered his love for the sport. As Mick grew older, he found that he did not have the strength that he wanted to have. So, Mick increased his workouts and took vitamins. Still, he did not get the results he wanted. So, he turned to a personal trainer named Peter. Peter informs Mick about steroid usage and offers to set Mick up. Mick refuses…at first. After some time passes, Mick decides to begin using steroids. This begins a long and slippery fall for Mick. Mick finds himself getting deeper and deeper into steroid use. This was exceptional. Though intended for a younger grade level, I found myself learning from Mick’s story. Mick tried so hard to be the best. This need for perfection led him to steroid use. This book is an excellent book for students, especially student athletes. Students will appreciate Mick’s struggle to become who he wants to be. Deuker brings Mick to life. By making Mick seem like a real person, Deuker brings his audience into the story. Category: Fiction. 2007, Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 11 to 14.

Amber Ziemba (Kutztown Book Review, Fall 2008)
Mick Johnson’s whole life revolves around football. Son of a local legend, he’s determined to be the best. This first person narrative follows Mick through his childhood up to his sophomore year of high school where his drive to succeed has led to steroid use. Mick’s body goes through a rollercoaster ride and while he excels physically, he also describes the bad effects of the drugs, such as terrible acne and periods of uncontrollable rage. Detailed descriptions of football plays are included, along with a glimpse into teenage life decisions and a small romance. The introspective writing style would be attractive to reluctant readers and keep their attention. It is an entertaining story with a high interest, low reading level format, where an almost too perfect picture of suburban life is countered by a surprisingly darker ending. Recommended. Category: Fiction. 2007, Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 11 to 14.

F. Todd Goodson (The ALAN Review, Winter 2008 (Vol. 35, No. 2))
With Gym Candy, Carl Deuker presents a young athlete’s journey through abuse of performance enhancing drugs. Mick Johnson’s father was a failure as a professional football player, and he puts enormous pressure on his son to succeed in the sport. Held back a year from starting kindergarten so he would be bigger than the other boys, Mick struggles to find his own identity as something other than a football player. Eventually he connects with a personal trainer who gets him started taking steroids. While the effects are positive at first, eventually the drugs cause his behavior to become increasingly erratic as he sinks into despair. The book ends on a positive note, but the ending recognizes the on-going struggle confronting those recovering from substance abuse. Given the on-going interest in the use of performance-enhancing drugs by professional athletes, Gym Candy should hold strong appeal to sports fans (particularly middle school and high school boys), and the book’s simple, uncluttered prose should be accessible to non-readers and struggling readers. Category: Sports/Steroids. YA--Young Adult. 2007, Houghton Mifflin, 313 pp., $16.00. Ages young adult.Manhattan, KS

Elizabeth Bush (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, September 2007 (Vol. 61, No. 1))
Mick Johnson is a promising running back, and his father, a third-round draft choice who partied his way out of an NFL career, has been relentlessly promoting him ever since he could hold a ball. Now a high-school varsity player in his freshman year (he was held back in kindergarten so he would be a year older and bigger than his classmates), Mick sees or imagines competition around every corner, and he’s always on the lookout for a way to give himself an edge. First, it’s protein drinks and vitamins coupled with strenuous workouts at the school gym; from there it’s a better gym with a personal trainer, who introduces him to low doses of steroids. Embarrassed by the side effects of swollen breasts and skin breakouts, Mick gives the pills a rest, but as soon as he feels himself losing speed and stamina, he’s up to “stacks” and ultimately injections. Yes, he’s the best thing Shilshole High School’s ever seen, but he’s also caught in a cycle of self-deception and ’roid rage that leads him to the brink of tragedy. Although readers can see Mick’s doom coming from a mile away, those familiar with Deuker’s work will know that nothing is as predictable as it seems. Certainly Coach will catch him; no, the state of Washington doesn’t allow drug testing of high-school players. Surely Mick will turn his dad’s hidden pistol on a competitor in a moment of rage; no, the gun will play quite a different role. His mother’s Bible has to be the key to his reformation; no, in a devilishly dark twist, the Good Book is as unreliable a narrator as Mick himself. Deuker continues his run as premier author of provocative YA sports novels, and what could be better than kicking off the 2007 football season with this riveting title? . Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, Houghton, 320p; Reviewed from galleys, $16.00. Grades 7-10.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2008)
Teenage football player Mick Johnson is a steroid junkie who won't be second best. When a teammate discovers Mick's stash of "gym candy," he reaches his breaking point. The story's tight focus is its real strength, mirroring Mick's single-minded dedication to football. Deuker doesn't wimp out with an everything-turns-out-peachy-keen ending: Mick lands in rehab but still longs for the juice. Category: Older Fiction. 2007, Houghton, 313pp, 16.00. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Ava Ehde (VOYA, October 2007 (Vol. 30, No. 4))
Mick wants to blame his father for making football his life's focus, but it is only partly true. His dad has carefully planned his football career, even starting Mick in school a year late to give him a size advantage by high school as a running back. On the other hand, his mother does not even want to see the potentially violent and injurious football games. His good friends Drew and DeShawn want to excel at football also, but they were never driven like Mick. Mick was brought down just one foot from the goal line the previous season by an immense Foothill linebacker, so he works all summer to increase his size. He trains with weights to exhaustion and uses steroids to become a star, but in the end, he must accept that he does it for himself and that winning almost costs him his life and all that matters. He willingly puts up with the depression and rages that ensue. He gives up on a budding romance and on hanging out with his friends. This well-written work highlights the "bigger, stronger, faster" competitive culture to which Americans have been conditioned to subscribe in sports. Steroids have become commonplace, but this persuasive story is able to disseminate the facts and heartbreak of their use by showing what can happen to a driven, everyday guy. This story will make a great addition to both school and public libraries and an eye-opening recommendation to all budding athletes. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2007, Houghton Mifflin, 320p., $16. Ages 11 to 18.