I have a confession: I am not a football fan. Perhaps that sounds un-American, but it is true. I dislike most of the culture surrounding professional football like the sports bars, and the trash left over after the games, and the conceited players. And although my husband has tried to show me the joy of the game, until I read this book, I disliked it … a lot.
The Cover
From the design of the cover–the boy sitting on his dad’s shoulders, the fall leaves in the dad’s silhouette. I couldn’t tell it was about an NFL football player and his son. The beauty of this book by Jacqueline Woodson is that I couldn’t tell it was about football (and that is why I picked it up). Then I opened the book and was intrigued because it is written in verse.
The Layout
Written in verse. No, it doesn’t rhyme, but because the lines are shorter than those that cross the entire page, and there is a lot of white space, it was easy on my eyes and brain.
A clip from Before the Ever After by jaqueline Woodson. 
Second page of the best verse ever.
The Storyline
Being predisposed to loathe football, I found this book…dare I say…delightful? I loved it! Because this book goes against every pre-conceived idea I have ever had of a professional football player. Jacqueline Woodson has put together a poignant story that is carefully woven
Incredible! A professional football player telling his son to go and do what he loves. I had thought a pro football guy would tell his son that football is the only thing that mattered. So happy I was wrong!
The Characters
The characters in this book are believeable and fun: you have the Fabulous Four (the boy’s friends), the mom, the other NFL players, and even the mean kid at school. Click below to hear me read from the book about one of the Fabulous Four who loves to dance: https://www.acx.com/narrator/profile/samples.
The Gems Hidden Within
Each book, even the poorly written ones (The Lunch Witch) have hidden gems–insights I didn’t think I would find. Before the Ever After hid the following: the stoyline centers around a real health concern in a very approachable way https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20370921; the author tells us how to get help for concussions; there were no words that I had to hide; the boy had a loving mother and father; the author wrote in a way that I had to check if Zachariah 44 was a real person.
The Extras
The author’s note in the back of the book was a gem; an appreciated extra to the good story I had just finished. She gives real information for anyone seeking more information about CTE, a common problem in football players and boxers. This is debilitating disease that has affected many athletes.
I found this when googling Dr. Omalu: “Omalu’s autopsy of former Pittsburgh Steelers player Mike Webster in 2002 led to the re-emergence of awareness of a neurologic condition associated with chronic head trauma called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which had been previously described in boxers[13]” (Wikipedia, Bennett Omalu).
Mike Webster may be the genesis of Woodson’s book, but to be sure, I need to ask the author.
To Wrap It All Up
Five stars go to Jacqueline Woodson for a fun story with loveable characters and good pacing, as well as an interesting cover and a great layout (written in verse). Football fan? Not previously, but I am after reading this beautiful book!