Fix by Force, is a well written book about Spencer Shane and the struggles he is going through in his life. The book centers on his senior year of high school. For years Zack (another student) has bullied Spencer and degraded him. The only place that Spencer fells safe is on the football field, even though he is the smallest man.

A major struggle Spencer has through out the book is with self-image, this really hits me hard because I have struggled with this a lot. Spencer is trying to rewrite the script of his life and whenthings get too hard for Spencer, he turns to steroids. The steroids end up taking a toll on his life. During the lowest point of his life he is able to find hope through another student and his uncle. He soon realizes that the steroids are doing more harm than help and decides to get his life back together.

I would recommend this book to teenagers who are struggling with self-image and are looking for a suspenseful book to keep them wanting to turn the page. The message of the book hits home with me and I am sure that it will also hit home with others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Fix by Force, by Jason Warne, tells the story of Spencer, a high school student who is staggering under an enormous weight. He is relentlessly bullied at school, he is dealing with the death of his father and the illness of his mother, he is wrestling with feelings of inadequacy and self-loathing, he is struggling to find his place in the world, and walking the line between playing the role he's believed has been dealt out to him, and forging his own path. In short, he's dealing with what many teenagers are dealing with... but magnified to an alarming degree. When a series of events lands him in a special school for kids with behavior problems, he turns to what he believes will solve all his problems: steroids.

This was a good (albeit heartwrenching) story, and a fast-paced, quick read. The characters were well-developed, and I especially enjoyed the relationship between Spencer and the girl he meets at his new school. The author was not afraid to delve into some very deep topics here, and the result felt honest and lifelike. I found myself rooting for Spencer, and hoping that he would eventually find his way.

My one nitpick, if I had to make one, would be that the ending felt a little rushed. I wanted more. Still, it was a good book that dealt with some important issues facing our young people today, and I think that it's more than worth a read by young and older adults alike.

(I was provided a free copy of this book through Booklook Bloggers. All opinions are my own.)

I met the author in 'The Scroll' in Tyler, Texas where he was selling his book. I mentioned how difficult it is to find clean, quality books for my avid reader teenage son. The author told me a bit about his book and it seemed interesting. I asked him point-blank if there were any curse words in the book and he told me "No." Imagine my surprise when my son, after reading a few pages, said, "Mom, there's a cuss word." I began reading the book and after the second curse word appeared and the use of a word I deemed highly inappropriate, I forbade my son to read the book. So, there IS cursing in this book and the description of the young man shooting up is highly disturbing. I never did finish the book. For the record, the author did offer to refund my money but I was so disgusted with him lying to me that I wanted to wash my hands of the whole thing.