Winger

Smith, A. (2013). Winger. NY: Simon & Schuster. 

Ryan Dean is a rugby player who lives in a boarding school.  He rooms with the biggest bully on the team and is in love with his female best friend.  Another of his friends is Joey who is openly gay. The team members all seem to accept Joey's sexual orientation.  Despite his jock status, Ryan considers himself a loser and mentions it several times throughout the story.  Most of the story is humorous detailing rugby and teenage life. However, it takes a tragic turn when Joey is beaten to death by a homophobic teammate.  It affects Ryan deeply.  I found this book quite funny, laughing out loud in some parts.  I would recommend this book 
to students 13 and older.