I enjoyed this as an audiobook, but did not necessarily find it incredibly believable or worthy of high literary praise. It was hard to like any of the characters and hard to really feel compelled to root for them....that being said, it did bring up some good questions and ideas about family, loyalty and how we make our own paths in life.

Brutal and charming at the same time! Had me hooked! Wasn't expecting the depth and the feeling that I experienced but certainly got to me! wonderful

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was much better than expected, it sounded interesting at first and i ended up not wanting to put it down!

Thanks to the publisher - RB Media for providing ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

3/5 stars

I'm a slow reader, and I finished reading this book in two days, which for me is fast. So, yes, the story was fast-paced and really easy to read along. I listened to the audio edition of this book which was read by the author himself, and the narration was perfect.

Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor set in a small Arkansas town, tells the story of a troubled young man named Billy Lowe. He, along with his mother, younger brother, and stepfather lives in a small trailer park. Everything changes all of a sudden when his stepfather is found dead. Billy and his entire family are suspects in the murder. Everyone has secrets. Everyone is striving to live with it.

Although I was impressed with the effort taken by Cranor to bring the powerful story of poverty, pain, and anger before the audience, it somehow didn't resonate with me. The story wasn't something that will stay with me for a long time, and one that I will end up recommending to people.

Release Date: 22 Mar 2022.

Review Posted: 31 Mar 2022.

Billy comes from a troubled home and is the very talented running back of a high school football team. Billy’s lives in a trailer with his mother and his mother’s boyfriend who is abusive mentally and physically. When he fights back, he takes off and is suspected of killing his mother’s boyfriend. Coach Trent is the high school football coach. Coach Trent takes Billy into his home and tries to right him. The characters were well developed and thought out. The story was solid and kept me interested. The POV switched between characters but was a continuous story line. The rural Arkansas landscape was beautiful to read. I listened to the audiobook and the author was the narrator. He did a fabulous job. This was a story about difficult choices, navigating difficult situations, family, and love.

YAAAASSSSS! Absolutely loved this audiobook. Seriously, the BEST author-narrated book I’ve ever heard. He was off the charts. Increadible All-American/Friday Night Lights Grit Lit. Will almost certainly be a top ten of the year read for me.

this book takes Friday Night Lights to a whole new level. the characters are so stereotypical but oh so real. thanks to Goodreads for my ARC, this football mom enjoyed every word.

4.25 ⭐

First and foremost I have to give props to the author on his narration skills. Eli Cranor did an OUTSTANDING job giving each character their own accent. Very impressive.

Billy Lowe is the running back on his high school team, The Denton Pirates. He's the best on the team and everyone in this small town is counting on him to bring them to the playoffs. But, one terrible night puts everything in jeopardy.

Trent Powers is the coach of the Pirates. When evidence points to Billy as a suspect in the murder of his mother's abusive boyfriend, Trent takes Billy into the home he shares with his wife and two daughters.

I really liked that it was told between alternating narrators. It was an intense and, at times, tough read. I was kept engaged throughout the entire book. I will for sure look for this authors work again.

*Thanks to Netgalley, RB Media and Eli Cranor for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

Don't Know Tough
by Eli Crandor
Narrated by Eli Crandor

Stars: 3.5/5 stars

Don't Know Tough by Eli Crandor was a gritty, heartbreaking novel that for me, was a little difficult to get into, though once I did, I was invested. It's always risky when an author narrates their own work, but I think that it worked well for this book. Mr. Crandor's voice lent well to the setting and tone of the novel. Though Billy's life is an extremely tough one, Trent's devotion and just general kindness really shine through in helping Billy. The murder wasn't too tough to figure out, though it did add another layer to the story. It's heartbreaking seeing how far-reaching abuse can lead and how many lives it can affect.

Thank you to #NetGalley #RBMedia and the author for the opportunity to listen to and review this ARC.

Thanks #netgallery for this book in exchange for an honest review. This is so much more than the backstory of football. Complex characters, competing needs, and interesting history. Great book. Highly recommend.

This is quite a book. I found it difficult to put down. As the book went on, it leaves you wanting to know more. Having the author narrate really added to the atmosphere. I enjoyed this right up until the end, where it really leaves you wanting more...but that is probably the point.

I just couldn't get into this one. I'm not sure if it was the narrator or the story, but I didn't make it very far before setting it aside.

I loved this book.

The character development was amazing, the storyline very dark, but very real. I will read anything this author writes.

I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by the author and it was perfection! I was so impressed!

I loved everything about this book! The description of Friday Night Lights meets Southern Gothic was spot on, as were comparisons to Wiley Cash and Megan Abbott. I listened to the audio version, and the author's narration was perfect. I felt like I knew Billy Lowe personally, and my heart ached for him.

This book was hard stomach at times, but that is likely what makes it so special. I initially struggled to connect with the story and the characters and didn't find them relatable. Something shifted once the characters began to show some vulnerability and I began to found them more likeable. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration by the author, Eli Cranor. Eli brought an exceptional depth to the story.

This book is a painful reflection of an abusive upbringing and the various ripple effects it can have on the players. In addition to this incredibly emotional journey, there was a murder mystery of sorts which I found to be somewhat predictable. Although not for the faint of heart, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is not afraid to feel.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for the opportunity to review this ARC of #DontKnowTough in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Trent is a high school football coach in the hot seat. Billy is the school's star player whose tough home life fuels his violent tendencies. Can they make it to a State Championship without getting derailed by a murder investigation?

After seeing S.A. Crosby recommend this book focused on football, I knew I had to read it. At its core, this book is about hard truths and dark deeds driven by questionable motivations. Can Billy find salvation from his tragic life while Trent revives his coaching career? If so, at what cost? With its surprising twists and complicated, flawed characters, this debut novel will stay with you.

The author narrates Don't Know Tough. Eli Cranor demonstrates his masterful storytelling skills as he uniquely voices many characters in the book. The rough, working-class Deep South small town atmosphere envelopes the listener throughout this gripping, intense story. You won't want to stop listening until its conclusion.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for an early listening copy. This voluntary review reflects my honest, unbiased opinion.

Book • Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Don’t Know Tough is like the movie The Blind Side, but with murder, lies, and secrets. This is a thriller wrapped in a contemporary football story, lots of tension, and some pretty big twists.

I liked the story quite a bit here and found myself on the edge of my seat multiple times. The writing in this book is also quite well done, and I found the audio narration by the author to be well-executed.

My issues lie in the characters, primarily. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters, which may have partly been the point, but I found myself frustrated more often then I was moved. I also feel that the twist at the end was a bit uncharacteristic, and I felt like I was left with a lot of questions.

That being said, this is a quick, fast paced story with a whole lot to say. It is gripping and engaging, and overall, I enjoyed my time with it.

Thank you Netgalley for an audio copy of this novel. Don’t Know Tough releases March 8th.

Well, this is not a pick-me-up book, that's for sure.

I expected something a little bit different from the description. When I started listening to the audiobook, for a moment there I was pretty sure this book wouldn't be for me.

But I warmed up to the characters (especially Billy) pretty quickly into the book. And after that I just had to hear his story.

Don't Know Tough wasn't the easiest story to read, but I’m glad I did. All the characters were brought to life with all their flaws, struggles, hopes and agendas.

Their stories were often haunting. Unfortunately, most of the characters were unlikeable, which took away a good portion of enjoyment for me.

But the characters I liked - I’m sure they will stay with me for a very long time. I wish we got to see more of what happened to them after the events described in this book.

Don't Know Tough was emotional, hard hitting and surprising. Not my usual cup of tea, but it feels good to change pace every once in a while.

A huge thank you to RB Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio ARC of Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor in exchange for an honest review.

This was a gritty, sometimes difficult read with a twist ending. It took me a while to get into it and connect to the characters, but I enjoyed the setting and was pleasantly surprised with the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this book in return for an honest review.
Synopsis
Friday Night Lights meets Southern Gothic, this thrilling debut is for readers of Megan Abbott and Wiley Cash.

In Denton, Arkansas, the fate of the high school football team rests on the shoulders of Billy Lowe, a volatile but talented running back. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother’s abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, but when his savagery crosses a line, he faces suspension.

Without Billy Lowe, the Denton Pirates can kiss their playoff bid goodbye. But the head coach, Trent Powers, who just moved from California with his wife and two children for this job, has more than just his paycheck riding on Billy’s bad behavior. As a born-again Christian, Trent feels a divine calling to save Billy—save him from his circumstances, and save his soul.

Then Billy’s abuser is found murdered in the Lowe family trailer, and all evidence points toward Billy. Now nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the whole town apart on the eve of the playoffs.

Well, where to start. I loved this. I loved it so much I’ve got nothing else done since I started. The writing is beautiful, had I not already had the author narrating I could’ve told you exactly how he sounded. I could’ve (infact I have) listened to him speak all day.
More on the story, I don’t know huge amounts about American football, I generally could tell you my favourite supper bowl half timers and that’s about it. It didn’t matter here for me, the story is about life, it’s about people, relationships, abuse and the chance to redeem yourself from pretty much all situations. There is a strong Christianity theme which I enjoyed a lot, as it fit well with the narrative of the story. It was also dark, twisty and just when I thought I had it all sussed, was I wrong or what?!
I’m unclear if this is a debut, If it is it’s a pretty damned amazing one. Bravo! #Jorecommends