COVER UP

Wiki page by Ben Webber, Ryan Ford, Ross Gienieczko, and John Merrigan

"A story that writes itself" -page 295

Cover Up, by John Feinstein, is a thrilling story about two famous teenage reporters named Steve Thomas (the main character) and Susan Carol Anderson, his partner in reporting. Since they have already uncovered scandals at the Tennis US Open and the NCAA Men’s Final Four, they are known throughout the country. They even have their own weekly television show. The story begins when Steve is fired from the show, but Susan Carol is kept on. This is particularly painful for Steve because it is the week before the Super Bowl. But Steve's reporting mentor gets him a job, and he still gets to go. But as soon as Steve arrives, he uncovers a potential scandal. Someone is trying to cover up steroid use from one of the teams! Steve and Susan Carol have to race against the clock to find out who did what and how to keep the Super Bowl clean!

If you enjoyed Cover Up, you might want to try some other John Feinstein Books

Ross Gienieczko weighs in on Cover Up:

"From front to back, I loved this book. It is an exciting tale of conspiracy, cover ups, detective work, and football. John Feinstein knows how to write from a teenager’s point of view, and the reader feels like they know Steve. There are likeable main characters, detestable antagonists, and believable supporting cast members. Feinstein has done his research on this book, and you can tell because of actual players Steve meets. If you want to read a good sports book this summer, you can't go wrong with Cover Up."

Check out a second opinion on Cover Up:

Suspension of disbelief is important here. While Feinstein infuses the details with the kind of gritty realism you'd expect from someone with his background, the overall plot is a sportswriter's fantasy of the Big Story that falls perfectly into his lap. But it's that very perfection that makes this so satisfying. Add to that some terrific suspense and an outcome that's never really in doubt, and you have something akin to the old Mission: Impossible TV series, in which the suspense and pleasure come from watching it all fall neatly together. And, of course, young readers will enjoy watching kids give adults their richly deserved comeuppance.

-By Matt Berman

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