Libro

PRAISE FOR

“Shana Norris has brilliantly recast the entire
ensemble of Homer’s Iliad to fit the contemporary
setting in her novel… . Readers will be seduced by
the watchful observer, Cassie, who narrates the story
with a simple honesty and takes you page by page
into this vengeful tale of pride, love, and glory.” —
ALAN “While The Iliad story line lends richness to the
narrative, thebook stands alone, and readers
unfamiliar with the classic will still enjoy the war
between high schools, started over a beautiful girl.”
—School Library Journal “Norris’s prose is breezy, and
playful references to the Iliad entertain.” —Publishers
Weekly

ALSO BY SHANA NORRIS

Something to Blog About

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, andincidents are either the
product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, business establishments, events, or
locales is entirely coincidental. The Library of
Congress has cataloged the original edition of this
book as follows: Norris, Shana. Troy High / by Shana
Norris. p. cm. Summary: Best friends Cassie and Greg
get caught inthe middle of a decades-old football
rivalry between their high school teams, the Spartans
and the Trojans, in this novel loosely based on
Homer’s classic tale, the Iliad. ISBN 978-0-8109-4647-7
[1. Competition (Psychology)—Fiction. 2. Best
friends—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction. 4. Football—
Fiction. 5. High schools—Fiction. 6. Schools—Fiction.] I.
Title. Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8109-9665-6PZ7.N7984Tro
2009 [Fic]—dc22 2008046182 Copyright © 2009 Shana
Norris Book design by Maria T. Middleton Originally
published in hardcover in 2009 by Amulet Books, an
imprint of ABRAMS. This edition published in 2010. All
rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means,
mechanical, electronic,photocopying, recording, or

otherwise, without written permission from the
publisher. Amulet Books and Amulet Paperbacks are
registered trademarks of Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Printed
and bound in U.S.A. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Amulet Books
are available at special discounts when purchased in
quantity for premiums and promotions as well as
fundraising or educational use. Special editions can
also becreated to specification. For details, contact
specialmarkets@abramsbooks.com or the address
below.

www.abramsbooks.com

FOR MY
THOMAS

GRANDPARENTS, CHARLES AND MARY

AND

JIMMIE AND GEORGIA HUDLER

I THINK THERE IS NO ONE OF MEN WHO HAS ESCAPED
FATE, NEITHER THE COWARD NOR THE BRAVE MAN,
AFTER HE HAS ONCE BEEN BORN. — Homer, The Iliad

IT WAS A LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON WHEN Ikissed my
best friend. We had been playing our favorite video
game, Martial Battle 2, in his parents’ den. Playi ng
video games was something we did a lot. Kissing was
not. “Oh, you are so dead, Cassie Prince,” Greg
Mennon growled, his eyes locked on the TV screen.
We watched as the two fighters on the screen
lunged toward each other. My fighter, a woman
dressed in a long flowing gown, grabbedGreg’s
hulking fighter and slung him over her shoulder. He fell
so hard, he cracked the virtual floor. The screen
proclaimed, CASSIE WINS! “That’s what you think,” I
said, kicking Greg’s foot with my own. “I even beat
you in heels.” “You cheat,” Greg told me. I snorted.
“Yeah, okay. If it makes you feel any better, go
ahead and believe that I cheat and not that you just
suck.” Greg hitthe button on his controller to start a
new game and the Choose a Character screen
appeared. “So tomorrow’s the big day,” he said as
he selected his next fighter. “We go back to being
enemies again.” I rolled my eyes. “I can hardly wait.”
Every school had a bit of a rivalry with other schools,
but the one between Lacede High and Troy High was
legendary. It made sense, I suppose, that our...