Iceman

Rating:
Summary: Really ugly cover
Review: Doesn't the writer get any choice over the cover of their book? Not only is this one really hideous, it isn't good for the story except in a really obvious way. Put me off buying the book.

Rating:
Summary: This is a really great book to read
Review: Eric, the protagonist in Iceman, struggles through a difficult adolescence that can even be what some may label sociopath. His infatuation with death, his enjoyment of hurting people, and his lack of any connection to another person causes the reader to wonder if he has any emotion.
Spending time at the local mortuary instead of attending school seems well beyond the average teenagers fascination with death. Even his brother's girlfriend, a high school dropout, finds his behavior peculiar. He makes mention of this obsession one day at church after killing a mouse."?I just smiled, weaved in and out of light sleep, occasionally pulling the dead mouse back out with my foot so I could look at him. When something's dead, I can?t help looking at it."(Lynch. P99)
It seems when reading more carefully though the book, Eric's infatuation may be connected with his desire to retreat from the world he lives in. Sitting in a coffin is Eric's way of pretending he is dead and with death comes solitude, something that a controlling father and mother, constantly trying to save him, do not allow him to have. "Hope they thought I was a dead person and ran. I just wanted my peace anyway."(Lynch. 53)
Eric's anger when he play?s hockey is apparent in the way his focus lies on "wrecking" the other players rather than winning the game. Even his teammates loathe him and refer to him as 'the animal' because he seems out of control. "I was the kind of guy who could sever another guy's head without feeling a thing. I was after all, the Iceman."(Lynch. 166)
Is Eric really interested in causing pain? After all he's only playing hockey because his father is making him. The anger he exhibits during hockey seems to be displaced because he often states he isn?t even aware of his rage until he is sitting in the penalty box. "I broke a new Christian Brothers hockey stick. I broke it on somebody's head. He was a teammate of mine. The funny part is I don?t really remember being that angry."(Lynch. 69)
Eric's desire to be close with his dad is apparent in the way he is constantly looking for another connection beyond hockey. Eric doesn't want to disappoint his father by telling him that hockey isn't as important anymore but he fears that that will take away the only channel their relationship is based upon. "I'm thinking?maybe we don?t have to talk about hockey right now. I'm thinking we may talk about something else. Like your job dad. I'm thinking about public relations. Can you tell me more about it? Do you like it? Is it interesting? How did you wind up in it? Is it something you always wanted?"(Lynch. 67)
Overall Eric seems like a lost adolescent growing up in a dysfunctional family. He is being pushed into something that he does not like nor want to do. If he follows in his brother's footsteps and finds something else that is more appealing to him, he may end up all right after all.

Rating:
Summary: Iceman
Review: Eric, the protagonist in Iceman, struggles through a difficult adolescence that can even be what some may label sociopath. His infatuation with death, his enjoyment of hurting people, and his lack of any connection to another person causes the reader to wonder if he has any emotion.
Spending time at the local mortuary instead of attending school seems well beyond the average teenagers fascination with death. Even his brother's girlfriend, a high school dropout, finds his behavior peculiar. He makes mention of this obsession one day at church after killing a mouse."?I just smiled, weaved in and out of light sleep, occasionally pulling the dead mouse back out with my foot so I could look at him. When something's dead, I can?t help looking at it."(Lynch. P99)
It seems when reading more carefully though the book, Eric's infatuation may be connected with his desire to retreat from the world he lives in. Sitting in a coffin is Eric's way of pretending he is dead and with death comes solitude, something that a controlling father and mother, constantly trying to save him, do not allow him to have. "Hope they thought I was a dead person and ran. I just wanted my peace anyway."(Lynch. 53)
Eric's anger when he play?s hockey is apparent in the way his focus lies on "wrecking" the other players rather than winning the game. Even his teammates loathe him and refer to him as 'the animal' because he seems out of control. "I was the kind of guy who could sever another guy's head without feeling a thing. I was after all, the Iceman."(Lynch. 166)
Is Eric really interested in causing pain? After all he's only playing hockey because his father is making him. The anger he exhibits during hockey seems to be displaced because he often states he isn?t even aware of his rage until he is sitting in the penalty box. "I broke a new Christian Brothers hockey stick. I broke it on somebody's head. He was a teammate of mine. The funny part is I don?t really remember being that angry."(Lynch. 69)
Eric's desire to be close with his dad is apparent in the way he is constantly looking for another connection beyond hockey. Eric doesn't want to disappoint his father by telling him that hockey isn't as important anymore but he fears that that will take away the only channel their relationship is based upon. "I'm thinking?maybe we don?t have to talk about hockey right now. I'm thinking we may talk about something else. Like your job dad. I'm thinking about public relations. Can you tell me more about it? Do you like it? Is it interesting? How did you wind up in it? Is it something you always wanted?"(Lynch. 67)
Overall Eric seems like a lost adolescent growing up in a dysfunctional family. He is being pushed into something that he does not like nor want to do. If he follows in his brother's footsteps and finds something else that is more appealing to him, he may end up all right after all.

Rating:
Summary: Iceman
Review: Iceman By, Chris Lynch

Iceman is about a hockey player named Eric. He is the best player on his team. He is always getting in fights and hurting people badly. Nobody on the team likes him, they think that he is too violent for hockey. Eric doesn't really enjoy playing hockey. He starts to get sick of it because his teammates, his opponents and the fans all hate him.
Eric's only friend is the undertaker at Gromley's funeral home. His name is McLaughlin. Eric often skips school to help McLaughlin prepare the bodies for the funerals. He enjoys this work because he feels that he can relate well to McLaughlin. McLaughlin is like Eric because he doesn't get along well with other people.
Eric has an older brother named Duane. Eric idolizes him. Duane used to be a star in all sports. His hockey number is retired and he was a star in Lacrosse and football. One day Duane decides that he doesn't want to play sports any more. He said that he saw a vision when he was trying out for football, so he sells all his equipment and buys a new guitar. Eric's dad loved to see Duane play sports and he is saddened that he will never get to see him play again.
Eric's dad loves to go to his games. He practically lives for it. He goes crazy when Eric makes a hit or does any thing good. His dad loves to be hated. At a tournament in Quebec he gets soda poured all over his head and he doesn't ever flinch. Erics dad works as a Public Relations man. He is always bringing clients to the house. One day he brings home a former hockey player and Eric and Duane really connect with him.
Eric's mom was a former nun. She reads the bible all the time and tries to get Eric to go to church. She is worried about him because he is so violent. He once broke his stick over a teammates head. Eric said he didn't even feel angry. Eric goes to church once and he hates it. He only goes to church that one time.
I think this is a really good book. I like is because it has a lot of action and it makes you want to keep reading. I also like how the whole book isn't about him playing hockey. There is a lot of other part of the book. Like Eric's relationship with McLaughlin and how he cant make friends. I also like the book because Duane is funny. He is always saying things to his parents that get them mad. I liked how you can see the change in Eric from the beginning of the book to the end of the book. There is a really big change in his attitude and how he plays hockey. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Iceman
Review: Iceman By, Chris Lynch

Iceman is about a hockey player named Eric. He is the best player on his team. He is always getting in fights and hurting people badly. Nobody on the team likes him, they think that he is too violent for hockey. Eric doesn't really enjoy playing hockey. He starts to get sick of it because his teammates, his opponents and the fans all hate him.
Eric's only friend is the undertaker at Gromley's funeral home. His name is McLaughlin. Eric often skips school to help McLaughlin prepare the bodies for the funerals. He enjoys this work because he feels that he can relate well to McLaughlin. McLaughlin is like Eric because he doesn't get along well with other people.
Eric has an older brother named Duane. Eric idolizes him. Duane used to be a star in all sports. His hockey number is retired and he was a star in Lacrosse and football. One day Duane decides that he doesn't want to play sports any more. He said that he saw a vision when he was trying out for football, so he sells all his equipment and buys a new guitar. Eric's dad loved to see Duane play sports and he is saddened that he will never get to see him play again.
Eric's dad loves to go to his games. He practically lives for it. He goes crazy when Eric makes a hit or does any thing good. His dad loves to be hated. At a tournament in Quebec he gets soda poured all over his head and he doesn't ever flinch. Erics dad works as a Public Relations man. He is always bringing clients to the house. One day he brings home a former hockey player and Eric and Duane really connect with him.
Eric's mom was a former nun. She reads the bible all the time and tries to get Eric to go to church. She is worried about him because he is so violent. He once broke his stick over a teammates head. Eric said he didn't even feel angry. Eric goes to church once and he hates it. He only goes to church that one time.
I think this is a really good book. I like is because it has a lot of action and it makes you want to keep reading. I also like how the whole book isn't about him playing hockey. There is a lot of other part of the book. Like Eric's relationship with McLaughlin and how he cant make friends. I also like the book because Duane is funny. He is always saying things to his parents that get them mad. I liked how you can see the change in Eric from the beginning of the book to the end of the book. There is a really big change in his attitude and how he plays hockey. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Really ugly cover
Review: One of the best sports novels ever! Fourteen year old Eric is a hockey player, though he is not sure he wants to be one. Caught in the dynamics of an EXTREMELY dysfunctional family, Eric struggles to find himself.

Compelling characters. Lynch is a master of the relationships between brothers, and Duane is one of the best older-brother figures I have encountered in young adult fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome book--great characters; pretty disturbing
Review: One of the best sports novels ever! Fourteen year old Eric is a hockey player, though he is not sure he wants to be one. Caught in the dynamics of an EXTREMELY dysfunctional family, Eric struggles to find himself.

Compelling characters. Lynch is a master of the relationships between brothers, and Duane is one of the best older-brother figures I have encountered in young adult fiction.