Review of "A Pass and A Prayer," by Clair Bee

 Review of

A Pass and A Prayer, by Clair Bee

Three out of five stars

The worst book in the series

I have read most, if not all of the Chip Hilton books by Clair Bee and this one is the worst that I have read. The basic plot premise is that football Coach Henry Rockwell, the Rock, comes down with a serious illness and has to be hospitalized. A man named Tom Bracken takes his place and he is someone with no scruples, little understanding of the subtleties of coaching and he considers himself infallible. Furthermore, Bracken has the backing of most of the powerful people in town.

 Even though Chip has proven himself on the football field, that means nothing to Bracken. When Chip stands up for his teammates and the good of the team, he is demoted. Things move along in an erratic way until the Rock returns. Bracken is such a despicable person that he physically assaults the Rock. Eventually, Chip finds the solution to the problem and a reasonable order is restored, even though the football team no longer has the opportunity to play for the state championship.

 The problem with this book is that the plot is convoluted and difficult to believe. Even under the most unusual of circumstances, no coach would be allowed to do what Tom Bracken does. There is no big game at the end. While there is a game, there is no climactic rendering, it is simply the way the story ends in a lackluster manner.