Author: Miranda Kenneally
Release date: 1st March 2012
Genre: Contemporary YA / Romance / Sport
Target audience: 12+
US Publisher: Source Fire
Review:
Catching Jordan is
part high school romance story, part sport story and part coming-of-age story.
It’s funny and warm.
Jordan is the high school quarterback. She’s the captain of
the team and she happens to be a girl. She’s a girl in a guy’s world and she is
quite happy there. As she comes to the end of her high school year and the
championship, she’s looking to impress the coaches at Alabama – the best
football college in the country – but when a new guy joins her team, she loses
her focus and maybe her position on the team too.
I really liked Jordan. It’s so refreshing to see a different
portrayal of a teenage girl. She’s determined and a leader. She’s physically
strong and a fantastic athlete. She may spend her days surrounded by guys on
the team but when it comes to romance, she’s rather clueless. Her best friend
Henry is such an adorable character. He was supportive and at times a complete
bozo. How can you fail to love that in a guy?! Ty was annoying. I really had no
sympathy for him – even though he wasn’t really a bad guy, just over-protective
and paranoid.
The plot is fast-paced and I felt like I read the book so
quickly. It’s incredibly readable. I know that sounds bizarre but it was like
as soon as you opened it, you were right there next to the characters. It had
an immediacy which comes with great writing and demonstrates that you can write
in the past tense and still make the reader feel like the events are happening now.
I didn’t entirely understand the American Football
references but that was ok but the characters knew what they were talking about
so I felt I could just go with it. Plus because I’m watching Friday Night Lights I could picture it
and all the “Red Twenty-five. Blue seventeen” or whatever it is they say. It
certainly didn’t detract from my enjoyment and I really liked the physicality of
the book. It felt visceral and raw in a good way.
Overall, a sweet romance. It’s a story about not being
ashamed of who you are and what you dream about becoming. Catching Jordan is uplifting and inspiring. A great read.
Recommended for fans of:
- Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Source: Bought and read on my Kobo
2 comments:
Another to add to the contemp wishlist!
I'm going to have to check this one out! I've heard many great things about it. Thanks for the review!
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