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First Loser
Hardcover
Publisher Price: $29.99
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Published: May 21 2026
Pages: 246
Weight: 0.93
Height: 0.69 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
Cunningham offers the Friday Night Lights of high school wrestling, a convincing picture of the athletes grappling with life on and off the mat. - Dr. Randy Nelson, Winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award
[A] powerful novel rich in the delights of competition and contemplation. - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
A gritty and honest look at the painful truths that teens and adults must face. - Kirkus Reviews
A high school wrestler will do anything to make his dad proud. The problem? His dad is dead.
Connor Castaway lives for victory-pushing his injured body to the limit, chasing records, and numbing the pain with pills he shouldn't have. Wrestling isn't just a sport; it's an inheritance, a way to honor a father who left more expectations than memories. But as Connor claws closer to the top, he uncovers the dangerous truths in his corner: rivalries, lies, and the destructive obsessions that threaten to consume them all.
From fraught love interests and hallucinatory benders to betrayal, addiction, and the brutal cost of relentless ambition, First Loser is a raw, tense, and unflinching story about obsession, legacy, and the fine line between greatness and self-destruction-a coming-of-age journey for anyone who's ever chased approval, battled demons, or wondered if winning is worth the cost-and what it takes to finally be free.
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