Living a bumpy life, Castle “Ghost” Cranshaw only knows running. That is all he has ever known in his life. But running for a track team, there was never a thought of that happening.After meeting former Olympic runner track coach he realizes the sport might not be as useless as he thinks. Ghost not only struggles mentally, but he struggles economically, running with rolled up jeans and worn out tennis shoes.  Concerning his track gear Ghost addresses the reader and states, “ I just needed to roll up my jeans and tuck my laces in my high-tops and I was good to go” (Reynolds 16). Another problem Ghost faces is a school bully which he continues to ignore until one day. He is comfortable with who he is now, but does all the obstacles soon get to his head?

The characterization of this story is strong because you are able to tell how to character develops. “ And I felt...good. Different. Like, even though they were all stunned by what I said, I felt like they could see me” (Reynolds 133). This quote illustrates how the character is more comfortable with himself, near the end of the story. The story focuses on how a simple sport can change a person’s life so drastically.  Reynolds makes the character to seem impulsive at first, but soon develops to be a more wise and independent person.

One of the most major parts of the story is when Ghost’s father tries to kill him and his mother. Reynolds based this off of a childhood best friend, happening in his life. This can help grab the reader’s attention and make them want to continue to finish the story. Reynolds uses this to help create a more insightful story.

The story about Ghost is mostly towards a more mature, teenage, audience because many teenagers can relate to having sport to escape real life obstacles. Although there are some mature themes in this story, but adults should be able to read this to pre-teens as well to show them to stay patient and to focus on your goals in life.