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Reading Level: 2 - 3 • Interest Level: 9 - 12

Gym Junky

Available: Available Now!
Author: Brentom Jackson
Copyright: 2026
Specs: 5 1/2” X 8 1/4”, 200 pages, Hardcover
HC ed.: 9781978598287 • $25.80 | $19.40
eBook: 9781978598300 • $25.80 | $19.40
Pbk. ed.: 9781978598294 • $16.35 | $14.20

After his dad’s diagnosis forces the family to downsize, Max is determined to bulk up—fast. He’s haunted by the middle school bullies he left behind, the friends who stopped texting, and the image of the man his father used to be. Now in high school, Max chases size, strength, and social media validation until his obsession with perfection leads him to steroids. At first, the results are everything he wanted. But when a roid rage incident spirals out of control, Max must face the damage he’s done and ask: What does it really mean to be strong?

Featured on Children's Book Council's Hot Off the Press list!

“A powerful story of addiction and the cost of obsession. Hand this to middle school and high school students, especially if they are reluctant readers.” — School Library Journal

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About the Author

Brentom Jackson

Brentom Jackson is a psychotherapist, actor, and poet who writes about the universal lessons within Black American culture. Brentom lives in Texas with his wife and son.