Gym Candy by Carl Deuker

If you are into sports novels, especially ones that involve teens, then this is a great read for you! Gym Candy, set in a town near Seattle, the book focuses on a 15 year old named Mick who eats, sleeps, and breathes football for not only himself but for his father. Though Mick had a lot of talent, he still wasn't up to par when it came to playing for his high school team. With his father constantly pushing him, telling him that Football is Life, Mick started on a healthy road to success---by working out at a gym that his dad recommended and set him up in. Being a failed NFL player himself as a youth, Mike Johnson wanted nothing more than for his son's name to be up in lights someday, so anything he could do to lead him down that path he would certainly do. Mick first started with harmless power shakes and vitamins, but it spiraled out of control with the introduction of "gym candy" a.k.a. steroids. This gave him strength and a sense of power he never had, all the while making his dad proud of him. Mick eventually gets caught up in big-time trouble and ends up shooting himself in the head, and then immediately going to drug rehab for his addiction. A super read for a young adult, and one that is on the 2010 Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award nomination titles list. Not only great for boys, but for girls, both athletes and not. Smooth and interesting even for those who are not into sports.