What do you think?
Rate this book
‘Til the End: A Novel of Murder, Addiction, and Lies
Ryan, Tyler, Avery, and Jacob are high school football stars. Everyone looks up to them. They're living the life that young boys and men dream of and are right at the point of having it a state championship, college paid for, a chance for big money and even more glory in the NFL. It's all there in front of them; the future they and everyone expects. Then something happens that could bring it all crashing down. And they can't tell the truth because it's even worse than having to keep the secret for the rest of their lives. They make a pact to cover it up and never tell. Hiding the truth fuels their escalating addictions and pushes them in different directions as they try to erase the past, deal with the present and hope for the future. But at some point, in some way, there's always a price paid for lies told.
- GenresMystery
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 3, 2016
2 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 5, 2016
Some great friendships are forged in our youth especially in team sports. The stories of four friends are told in this book which is set in Detroit, between 1988 and 1993.
Ryan, Tyler, Jacob and Avery are high school football stars, young men with a future, looking forward to fame, fortune, money and success. High spirited and with the world at their feet, they have their dreams of fame and fortune, and the world in their pockets, so to speak.
Suddenly however all this alters when something happened one night, a horrific event which changes everything. They must protect each other, and so they make a pact, their secret can never be revealed…
When something like this occurs, it can’t help but change the people involved, life will never be the same, but it must go on and everyone must deal with it in their own unique way.
As they struggle to keep the secret, each day wondering if it will surface, the boys search for escapism in the usual ways, and alienate the ones they love. Involvement in the worlds of drugs and drink, the untimely death of two of them, and abuse tear them apart. This is a very interesting read.
Perhaps it should be used as an example, or reminder that life is not a video game, you can’t reset the screen or reload the game, once something is done, it cannot be undone – you must live with the consequences for life, the buck stops with you!
Ryan, Tyler, Jacob and Avery are high school football stars, young men with a future, looking forward to fame, fortune, money and success. High spirited and with the world at their feet, they have their dreams of fame and fortune, and the world in their pockets, so to speak.
Suddenly however all this alters when something happened one night, a horrific event which changes everything. They must protect each other, and so they make a pact, their secret can never be revealed…
When something like this occurs, it can’t help but change the people involved, life will never be the same, but it must go on and everyone must deal with it in their own unique way.
As they struggle to keep the secret, each day wondering if it will surface, the boys search for escapism in the usual ways, and alienate the ones they love. Involvement in the worlds of drugs and drink, the untimely death of two of them, and abuse tear them apart. This is a very interesting read.
Perhaps it should be used as an example, or reminder that life is not a video game, you can’t reset the screen or reload the game, once something is done, it cannot be undone – you must live with the consequences for life, the buck stops with you!
February 3, 2017
'TIL THE END is a 'coming of age' tale of 4 high school senior football star buddies, for whom football is the be-all and end-all of life. There is nothing beyond football in the future for any of them, and all they are interested in is how their team (undefeated though the last game of the regular season) does (which includes aerobic steroids for them all), boning teenage girls, getting drunk and high on weed and coke, and partying. Despite all this, two of them, Jacob and Ryan ,manage decent grades and are already (probably) accepted at USC and Cornell, respectively. The other two, Tyler and Avery, are less academically inclined but still star players and expect offers of some kind from less prestigious universities.
Two unfortunate and crucial events occur - one during the final game of the season and one during an immediate post-game party that links them and changes the direct of their lives forever, and not in a good way. Two of them never reach 25.
The writing is economical and simple. The entire short novel (195 pages) is a quick one or two part read. There are no major surprises or plot twists, yet despite this, the novel is engaging and interesting. This will be especially true for ex-High School Football players and popular jocks, neither of which includes me. There are a number of horrible things that happen, As far as I remember (I am 25 years beyond that late 1980s and early 1990s in which the novel is set) steroids, drugs, heavy drinking and high stakes gambling were not part of my High School experience, not that of the jocks. But maybe, if you were a senior in 1989, they were part of yours.
This is not your typical coming of age novel, but it definitely falls into that category. The sex that is rampant is all behind the scenes and so this is appropriate (perhaps as a cautionary tale?) for YA audience as well as adults. No happily ever after here, but still a satisfying ending.
JM Tepper
Two unfortunate and crucial events occur - one during the final game of the season and one during an immediate post-game party that links them and changes the direct of their lives forever, and not in a good way. Two of them never reach 25.
The writing is economical and simple. The entire short novel (195 pages) is a quick one or two part read. There are no major surprises or plot twists, yet despite this, the novel is engaging and interesting. This will be especially true for ex-High School Football players and popular jocks, neither of which includes me. There are a number of horrible things that happen, As far as I remember (I am 25 years beyond that late 1980s and early 1990s in which the novel is set) steroids, drugs, heavy drinking and high stakes gambling were not part of my High School experience, not that of the jocks. But maybe, if you were a senior in 1989, they were part of yours.
This is not your typical coming of age novel, but it definitely falls into that category. The sex that is rampant is all behind the scenes and so this is appropriate (perhaps as a cautionary tale?) for YA audience as well as adults. No happily ever after here, but still a satisfying ending.
JM Tepper
August 23, 2019
If you are a football fan, like I am, Til The End by Joseph Patrick & Dennis Lowery is one of those stories of privilege, coverups, drugs…all the negatives you hear about. One fatal mistake, doesn’t matter why, and the actions they take will come back to haunt them.
The repercussions are like the butterfly affect…a stone in the water and the ripples spread.
I started reading this and thought, this is a story for teens, it’s not doing it for me, BUT by the time I was done, I felt so sad for the young men. The story brought tears to my eyes as….well, I started to share waaaaaay too much.
I think all young sports players should take a look at Til The End. Maybe it should be required reading for school. Maybe we could all learn a lesson.
See more at fundinmental
The repercussions are like the butterfly affect…a stone in the water and the ripples spread.
I started reading this and thought, this is a story for teens, it’s not doing it for me, BUT by the time I was done, I felt so sad for the young men. The story brought tears to my eyes as….well, I started to share waaaaaay too much.
I think all young sports players should take a look at Til The End. Maybe it should be required reading for school. Maybe we could all learn a lesson.
See more at fundinmental
May 8, 2017
I wasn't able to finish reading this book due to the way it is written. For me, it felt like one voice was telling me something without much in the way of inflection or tone. The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked that emotional connection to make me care about them. The plot premiss is a good one but without the rest of the literary elements it's impossible to say if it would work out or not. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion, which is my own and may or may not mirror your own.
July 5, 2016
‘The devil had come to collect because of what we did at Torch Lake…Do you think enough has been paid?’
Michigan author Joseph Patrick33 is likely using a nom de plume: that would explain the ‘33’ tacked on the end of his name. It is nearly impossible to believe that this is his debut into the literary field as ‘TIL THE END is a major achievement and one that signals the arrival of an important new voice in American literature. As far as background information we are only informed that he has 11 years of higher education earning degrees at the bachelors, masters and doctorate level, area of concentration not shared. He does acknowledge assistance from Dennis Lowery, a highly skilled author whose many books indicate his vast life experiences and technique of expression have aided many other authors. So Joseph opens this fine novel with a conundrum.
Joseph does share that his first novel may be fiction, but within that fiction are the keys to facts that every reader will discover and find universals within the events of the story and the characters that ring true to each of our life journeys. And that is one of the many reasons this new author is important to watch.
‘TIL THE END is about football and those young men who pattern their goals after the promises of the concept of the game and of winning. That is the initial anchor of the story and Joseph obviously understands the motivations and dreams and impact that the sport suffuses the players. Or as Joseph opens the door to his story, ‘Young boys dream and old ones ponder. They think about what could be ahead for them and as they get older, it’s not uncommon to wonder about what might have been. That is a constant feeling that all football players have and never entirely shake. They recall the victories and defeats, but mostly they think about those games they should have won. It will always be engrained and the memories will carry over to countless discussions over endless beers ‘til the end of their days. In the playing years, in those games, so many great traits are developed: leadership, teamwork, and a razor-sharp competitive edge. However, dark habits can begin to take root. It all shapes young men into the old men they become.’
And so as in Joseph’s synopsis we meet ‘Ryan, Tyler, Avery and Jacob - high school football stars. Everyone looks up to them. They're living the life that young boys and men dream of and are right at the point of having it all: a state championship, college paid for, a chance for big money and even more glory in the NFL. It's all there in front of them; the future they and everyone expects. Then something happens that could bring it all crashing down. And they can't tell the truth because it's even worse than having to keep the secret for the rest of their lives. They make a pact to cover it up and never tell. Hiding the truth fuels their escalating addictions and pushes them in different directions as they try to erase the past, deal with the present and hope for the future. But at some point, in some way, there's always a price paid for lies told.’ And what the subtitle shares in addition, ‘a novel of murder, addiction, and lies’, suggests the tragedies these four young men face after a murder that starts the bonded lie, the downward slide into alcohol, drug addition, involvement with the cartels, the death of two of them and the effect of this slide into events nearly impossible to imagine – though in truth the reader relates to at least some of the consequences.
The novel is set outside Detroit from 1988 – 1991 – and in that three year timeframe we learn the intricacies of each of the four lads’ destinies which in retrospect as the book ends allows us entry into the interstices of coming of age, promises of glory, the dark finger of fate, and the impact of misjudged bonds of a lie and strange dissolution of dreams as tainted by those factors we all recognize as deterrents to a happy life. This is not only an important debut novel: this is a very finely written important novel about choices. Highly Recommended.
Michigan author Joseph Patrick33 is likely using a nom de plume: that would explain the ‘33’ tacked on the end of his name. It is nearly impossible to believe that this is his debut into the literary field as ‘TIL THE END is a major achievement and one that signals the arrival of an important new voice in American literature. As far as background information we are only informed that he has 11 years of higher education earning degrees at the bachelors, masters and doctorate level, area of concentration not shared. He does acknowledge assistance from Dennis Lowery, a highly skilled author whose many books indicate his vast life experiences and technique of expression have aided many other authors. So Joseph opens this fine novel with a conundrum.
Joseph does share that his first novel may be fiction, but within that fiction are the keys to facts that every reader will discover and find universals within the events of the story and the characters that ring true to each of our life journeys. And that is one of the many reasons this new author is important to watch.
‘TIL THE END is about football and those young men who pattern their goals after the promises of the concept of the game and of winning. That is the initial anchor of the story and Joseph obviously understands the motivations and dreams and impact that the sport suffuses the players. Or as Joseph opens the door to his story, ‘Young boys dream and old ones ponder. They think about what could be ahead for them and as they get older, it’s not uncommon to wonder about what might have been. That is a constant feeling that all football players have and never entirely shake. They recall the victories and defeats, but mostly they think about those games they should have won. It will always be engrained and the memories will carry over to countless discussions over endless beers ‘til the end of their days. In the playing years, in those games, so many great traits are developed: leadership, teamwork, and a razor-sharp competitive edge. However, dark habits can begin to take root. It all shapes young men into the old men they become.’
And so as in Joseph’s synopsis we meet ‘Ryan, Tyler, Avery and Jacob - high school football stars. Everyone looks up to them. They're living the life that young boys and men dream of and are right at the point of having it all: a state championship, college paid for, a chance for big money and even more glory in the NFL. It's all there in front of them; the future they and everyone expects. Then something happens that could bring it all crashing down. And they can't tell the truth because it's even worse than having to keep the secret for the rest of their lives. They make a pact to cover it up and never tell. Hiding the truth fuels their escalating addictions and pushes them in different directions as they try to erase the past, deal with the present and hope for the future. But at some point, in some way, there's always a price paid for lies told.’ And what the subtitle shares in addition, ‘a novel of murder, addiction, and lies’, suggests the tragedies these four young men face after a murder that starts the bonded lie, the downward slide into alcohol, drug addition, involvement with the cartels, the death of two of them and the effect of this slide into events nearly impossible to imagine – though in truth the reader relates to at least some of the consequences.
The novel is set outside Detroit from 1988 – 1991 – and in that three year timeframe we learn the intricacies of each of the four lads’ destinies which in retrospect as the book ends allows us entry into the interstices of coming of age, promises of glory, the dark finger of fate, and the impact of misjudged bonds of a lie and strange dissolution of dreams as tainted by those factors we all recognize as deterrents to a happy life. This is not only an important debut novel: this is a very finely written important novel about choices. Highly Recommended.
December 13, 2016
I love a good book I pick up and can't put down, and end up reading all in one sitting! I recently came across "Til The End" by Joseph Patrick 33 with Dennis Lowery, and this book was read just that way! I couldn't put it down!
The book is unlike any other book I've ever read. I'm usually more into psychology, self-help, self-improvement, non-fiction books being a graduate in Psychology, but I love a good book of murder, thrill, and suspense every now and then. This book isn't your typical suspense novel though, its actually very different from what you'd expect, but that is exactly what I loved about it.
The book actually goes more into the psychology side of learning that I love so much, as Patrick takes you into the behind-the-scenes look of what its like living with a dark secret, dealing with addiction, and the lies, secrets, hiding of information, guilt, and shame that goes right along with it.
The book is dark, yet very though-provoking and still kept me on the edge dying to know what would become of four high school football teammates/friends who find their lives turned completely upside down one night after partying to forget about the game played earlier that night. A life is lost, other lives go spinning out of control as the characters make a fateful choice, and learn to deal with such a dark secret.
Many of us have our own secrets, some darker than others. This book gets you thinking about what kind of secrets are worth keeping secret and what are best let out in the open, confessed, apologized, and paid for. Patrick tells a great compelling story that is extremely tense and best of all, gets you thinking about friendship, loyalty, choices and the consequences that follow.
I loved reading this book and couldn't put it down! The suspense and unpredictability, as well as intense thought-provoking that comes out of this beautifully written, dark novel kept me hooked "Til the End!"
The book is unlike any other book I've ever read. I'm usually more into psychology, self-help, self-improvement, non-fiction books being a graduate in Psychology, but I love a good book of murder, thrill, and suspense every now and then. This book isn't your typical suspense novel though, its actually very different from what you'd expect, but that is exactly what I loved about it.
The book actually goes more into the psychology side of learning that I love so much, as Patrick takes you into the behind-the-scenes look of what its like living with a dark secret, dealing with addiction, and the lies, secrets, hiding of information, guilt, and shame that goes right along with it.
The book is dark, yet very though-provoking and still kept me on the edge dying to know what would become of four high school football teammates/friends who find their lives turned completely upside down one night after partying to forget about the game played earlier that night. A life is lost, other lives go spinning out of control as the characters make a fateful choice, and learn to deal with such a dark secret.
Many of us have our own secrets, some darker than others. This book gets you thinking about what kind of secrets are worth keeping secret and what are best let out in the open, confessed, apologized, and paid for. Patrick tells a great compelling story that is extremely tense and best of all, gets you thinking about friendship, loyalty, choices and the consequences that follow.
I loved reading this book and couldn't put it down! The suspense and unpredictability, as well as intense thought-provoking that comes out of this beautifully written, dark novel kept me hooked "Til the End!"
July 2, 2018
I'm an optimist when it comes to reading. I always want things to get better and I hate not finishing a book. I was half way through this one before I realized it wasn't going to get better. The premise was great but so poorly executed. I did finish but I must admit I skimmed the last half. I had no connection to the characters at all and I didn't care what happened to them. I should have. They were going through a traumatic experience and suffering the consequences.
This novel felt like a story proposal. The reader was being told what happened. Even when we were in a characters POV they just told us what they felt and what was occurring. We weren't given time to connect with the characters or learn about them and their relationships. The text felt like a voice over which resulted in a disconnect from the events. It's a shame because it could have been great.
This novel felt like a story proposal. The reader was being told what happened. Even when we were in a characters POV they just told us what they felt and what was occurring. We weren't given time to connect with the characters or learn about them and their relationships. The text felt like a voice over which resulted in a disconnect from the events. It's a shame because it could have been great.
July 13, 2016
This was not what I thought it would be. The actual plot was decent- had me guessing if it was a true story or not. But the delivery was not my preferred style. It wasn't a story so much as a dialogue in most parts. Some major points were shared as a kind of 'hey, this happened'. I felt like I was reading something that should have been a documentary on Investigation Discovery. If that's your thing, cool. It wasn't mine though. Not bad, just not my style.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews