Set in suburban Chicago in the late 1980s, A Reason to Run is a thrilling and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a teenage boy who learns how to live after a tragic accident nearly ends his life.Days before the start of senior year of high school, a violent bicycling accident destroys Sam "Bags" Bagliarello's plans to win a scholarship and escape the small town and his family's battles with substance abuse, mental illness, and financial ruin. When Bags starts running as physical therapy, he discovers a new way to escape, and, along with healing his broken body, a chance to heal the broken relationships in his life.Up against peer pressure to fit in, a dysfunctional family, a rigid school administration, competitive runners, and an inner critic that takes on the voice of a talking gorilla, Sam desperately works to salvage his grades for a scholarship while chasing track team fame and the hottest girl in school. Will Sam make the cut? For fans of Matthew Quick and John Green, A Reason to Run is a nostalgic book that will resonate with endurance athletes of all ages, and with those who believe somewhere in the messiness of life is the stuff that matters.