A group of boys must deal with scheming classmates, a PE teacher who plays favorites, a football coach and pastor who is willing to cheat to win, and Internet trolls. Small town life is tougher than it seems!

     Have you ever had a teacher who played favorites? What about a coach in physical education class who enforced the rules strictly when it came to some students, but looked the other way when her favorite students broke the rules? Or what about a coach who is willing to cheat to win, one who cares more about winning than playing fair? The kids in this book learn a little lesson about dealing with teachers and coaches like this.

     Have you ever known people who are looked at as experts on something even though they really know nothing about what they are talking about? Or maybe you've known someone who intentionally spreads misinformation in an attempt to trick other people. Even worse, perhaps you've encountered a person who schemes to instigate a fight between two individuals by telling each person lies about what the other person said or did. Whether misinformation is spread unwittingly or on purpose, it still misleads people and influences behavior in a negative way. The kids in this book encounter this type of behavior also.

What does all this have to do with Genetically Enhanced Organisms? Well, that's hard to say, but for some reason Genetically Enhanced Organisms keep popping up in this book. You'll have to read the book to decide whether or not there's a good reason for their presence throughout the book!

(WARNING: Some content may be somewhat inappropriate for children under the age of fourteen.)

     The front cover illustration depicts a scene which occurs early in the book in which Patrick and James, and the rest of the kids in their physical education class, are being timed while running the mile by their coach, who happens to be a rather large lady. An unfortunate event occurs just as James is attempting to finish the race, which sets off a chain of events involving much social discord between students and staff members at the small, rural school the boys attend. Depicted in the background are a couple of classmates, the Parker Twins, who thought that they could keep up with Patrick and James, but who find it necessary to stop and rest in order to catch their breath, just a half lap into the mile run. Subsequently, well after they have recovered from the exertion of running a mile, the Parker twins conspire in an attempt to increase the level of animosity and ill-will on campus.

     The unfortunate event that occurs as James is approaching the finish line involves a girl named Jane, who happens to be the most athletic female in the class and the physical education instructor's favorite student. Jane has a rather abrasive personality and her tendency to brag about her accomplishments and abilities irritates Patrick, James, and their other friends immensely. In any case, the unfortunate event that James and Jane are involved in becomes a bit of an issue since Patrick becomes vocally and openly critical of the physical education instructor for failing to discipline Jane. He takes his complaints to his uncle, who happens to be a teacher at the school and pretty soon the situation escalates and becomes a major problem, thanks in part to the efforts of the Parker twins, whose father, by the way, just happens to be a pastor and youth football coach.

     Not depicted on the front cover is Patrick's best friend Sawyer, who collaborates with Patrick throughout the story to create videos which the two boys submit to a video contest. The boys also share an interest in an upcoming Goat-Roping Contest. Although Jane on several occasions informs the boys that they have no chance of defeating her in the contest, the boys continue to work on their goat-roping skills nevertheless. It's also worth mentioning that Patrick and Sawyer use a couple songs written by a guy named Charlie in their videos. Although Charlie is a decent musician and songwriter, his true passion is growing genetically enhanced plants which he acquired from a mysterious source. Of course, as you might expect, Charlie's genetically enhanced plants aren't the only genetically enhanced creatures that show up in this tale of social discord, athletic conquest, and creative endeavor.