Set in a non-so-distant future (the year 2029 to be exact), Gridiron 2029 reads like a movie. Even the chapters are labeled as Scene 1, Scene 2, and you can fill in the rest.

Scene 1 begins from the view point of CK Campbell, a football player with several biohacks (or body enhancements). His skin is covered in tattoos that serve as a foundation for the neural network that connects to his electronic gaming suit (a replacement for the old helmet and pads). Instead of traditional football, the game seems to have progressed in the trend of "bigger is better", only add technology up the wazoo. Though Campbell once renounced the use of body enhancements, he opts for the upgrades after an accident (in which he saves people Superman-style)renders his arm useless.

Essentially a cyborg,Campbell repeatedly runs into trouble making his biohacks work in tandem with the commands in his head, and it's implied that psychological trauma is blocking progress. Cut to Scene 2, and Lonni is introduced, the tech manager of Campbell's new team, The San Antonio Aztecs.

At first, the shift from Campbell's POV to Lonni's put me off, but after a while, I appreciated it, as it allowed me to see both characters in a different light. Initially, Lonni is viewed in Scene 1 through Campbell's eyes, and he does not respect her. In Scene 2, Lonni's POV reconfirms that Campbell has little respect for her, and the reader realizes his feelings may be unfounded. Speaking of feelings, Lonni's POV also reveals the tough, pip-squeak tech gal has a slight crush on Campbell, not that she'd admit it.

However, their possible hook-up is not the main plot point. Besides personal demons and career politics, Campbell must deal with what it means to be part human, part machine. Biohacks are part of a larger scheme by the football league, in order to manipulate players and gain even more profits. As if that were enough, a mole within the organization is detected, with Campbell being a prime suspect. As each scene progresses, it's apparent that he signed up for more than expected when agreeing to the biohacks. 

I really enjoyed this story,and the back and forth between Lonni and Campbell had a lot to do with that. Her background is even more interesting, along with all the tech she's responsible for, like her A.I. assistant that anticipates her needs. The description in the story really helps build the characters, especially the detail surrounding the neural suits and the bits of tech that seem to be implanted in just about everyone, like retinal displays, epidermal scans, and internal A.I.that is communicated with via telepathy. This is a very tech-heavy story, but not so much so that tech-noobs (such as myself) will be turned off. On the contrary, Brown's writing style and contrasting POV's held my interest. 

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