Marcus Jordan loves football, but didn't realize how much until he and his mother moved to New York from Kansas, thanks to divorce and a job offer. There he meets Charlie Popovich, a former NFL linebacker who gives him 'extra' training in a nearby park. At first, Marcus doesn't question it, as he's loving the attention and learning more about the game. Plus he's trying to get acceptance from his new team and doesn't have time to think about the oddities that start niggling to the forefront of his brain. Sure, Charlie's retired, but why does he have so much time on his hands? And why does he insist on calling Marcus 'Mac'? And why does he seem to forget things so easily?

Adults may catch on pretty quickly as to what's wrong with Charlie, but I don't think Korman's trying to keep the disease a secret, as part of the plot is Marcus learning more about Alzheimer's, and how to deal with his new-found friend and family. This is one of those sports stories that is well rounded: there's a lot of football, but also a lot of Marcus's home life, school life (including girls and parties) and, of course, Charlie's troubles. Character development is great, with Marcus's changes believable and the secondary characters feel well rounded. Wide ranges of emotions are convincing and will keep readers' attention through this quick paced story. Note: Marcus is a junior in high school and does attend a party with beer and kissing, so this should be in a teen section.

I listened to this on a Playaway and also have to recommend that format.