Hooked - Liz Fechera

Synopsis: HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Why is a girl taking my best friends spot on the boy's varsity golf team?
SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys' team? Everyone will hate me - especially Ryan Berenger.
HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred's got to go - especially now that I can't get her out of my head. So not happening.
SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he's not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.But there's no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile... (From Goodreads)

Here's the thing: I really liked this book, but I can't point out why. It's odd, because I could point out all the things this book did wrong, or that would get to me in any other scenario, but for some reason they really didn't bother me in this book. This book was thoroughly enjoyable - it was cute, sweet, and it actually dealt with some tough issues.

I've read quite a few books that have Native American characters, only a few where they were the acutal protagonist, but I think this was the first I've read where the main character is both Native American and female. That was refreshing. I think books like this are important becuase they aren't heavy in subject matter, but they still provide an access point for the general reader to gain an understanding of another culture. Fred deals with a lot, and she's sequestered the other people at school because of her heritage and where she lives. But I really like that it isn't overwhelming or even the main focus of the book.

The fact that she lives on the Rez is a big part of it, but it's accompanied with a lot of other issues. Like socioeconomic classes, girls playing boy sports, and even just being a girl in high school who's falling in love for the first time. This book reminds me a lot of Perfect Chemistry, where you have this window into gang life, but it's not the main thing going on, making it so much more accessible.

There are some issues with the story line. I kind of missed how the connection between Fred and Ryan started. The emotion behind their relationship was very real, but I missed how they changed from hating each other to being attracted to each other. There are a few things in their relationship that seem rushed as well. The parents are a little too bipoloar in their treatment of their children. And an incident at the end that seems far too convienient to make everything okay again. Still, all the emotions where there and while I was immersed in the story I didn't question these things too hard, so I kind of give them a pass.

Actually, what makes this book are the rare appearances by seconary characters. Fred's dad is amazing. Sam is uber sweet. And Ryan's best friend is such an evil dude. He actually rouse the most emotion out of me because he was pure evil, yet there was some conflict behnd his actions as well. All these characters are ones I'd love to read more about and find out more of their story.

I did really enjoy this book and I really thing that fans of the Perfect Chemistry series or of Miranda Kenneally will really enjoy this book. It has meaning, but it's a light, quick read. Also, Liz Fechera is giving away a pre-order of the book and some other Harlequin Teen titles, so make sure you check that out!

Stealing Parker - Miranda Kenneally

Synopsis: Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.
After her family's scandal rocks their conservative small town, 17-year-old Parker Shelton goes overboard trying to prove that she won't turn out like her mother: a lesbian. The all-star third-baseman quits the softball team, drops 20 pounds and starts making out with guys--a lot. But hitting on the hot new assistant baseball coach might be taking it a step too far...especially when he starts flirting back. (From Goodreads)

Miranda Kenneally completely won me over with Catching Jordan. So I already knew how much I was going to love Stealing Parker. I had absolutely no doubts that it would be anything less than spectacular. So I'll just declare it now - Dear Miranda Kenneally, I am a super fan of yours for life. I will read anything you write. Love, Hannah.

Parker is a character who rings as one of the truest YA characters I've read in a long time. She's making up things as she goes, she's trying to fit in, and she's following her heart (or her hormones, either one...) even when it leads down some pretty sketchy paths. She also has some issues with being dragged to church and having some questions about religion and God. I cannot even express how well this was handled. Religion can be touchy in books, but it is so naturally a part of Parker's life that it's not preaching, it's not a focus, it's just part of who she is.

Back to those paths that Parker is on though - I absolutely adore that Parker is able to go down these paths and then she recognizes her mistakes and she FIXES them. She doesn't keep going because she has no choice. She stops, evaluates, and executes. She gets off the path, or she turns around and tries it some other way. And she does it HERSELF. There's no boy here saving her - she makes decisions and then keeps going. But of course, she's a teenager, so all of these moments where she's making a choice are intensely charged with emotions or hormones. She's such a teenager - and although there are very few similarities between my life and Parker's - she really reminds me of how I was at that age. Which is the same magic that Miranda brought to Jordan's character.

And ok. The whole falling for the coach thing - a little skeevie. I mean, he's dreamy, for about five minutes. It's the premise for the novel, but what makes this book worth reading is watching Parker heal and connect with the people around her. I love the secondary characters in this book. It is a book about baseball/softball so there are a few jocks popping in and out of the pages. I love the way they're portrayed. They have a bit of an edge, but they're all pretty soft inside. The scenes with Parker and the baseball team were just hilarious.

There are some really great things going on with Parker's family as well. And by great, I mean great for the story. The dynamics there are complex and they are shifting through the entire book. There's also an underlying commentary on religion and sexuality going on (which again is anything but preachy or in your face). There are some things in here that just need to be said and need to be read.

If it's not obvious, I love this book. And I'm beyond excited for Things I Can't Forget. I have an interview with Miranda that will be up in a couple days and she may or may not dish on her next book. So watch out for that!

Catching Jordan - Miranda Kenneally

Synopsis: What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate.


This isn't a crying book, but I cried through it. I'm a sappy person and I used to cry at every movie, but I've gotten a lot better over the years. Not to mention, books have to work a lot harder to make me cry. That said, this book just affected me. To use the football analogy appropriate for this book - I finished this book feeling like I'd been blindsided and sacked. Seriously. It hit me so hard. Mostly because, minus the whole playing football (I'm a wimp when it comes to football - even flag football in high school gym terrified me - if I played football, I'd be so broken...) the situations in this book hit very close to home. I identified with Jordan so much - even though I didn't play football, surround myself with boys, or have a famous dad who didn't notice me. I felt like her trials and triumphs were my own - and while they didn't exactly merit the tears - they still brought them out. Mostly because Jordan had better luck than I did. 


Even though I didn't play, football games were one of my favorite things about high school. My senior year we had a great football team, and our small little town was so proud of them. We followed them to every away game and some of my favorite memories were the road trips and watching them play. I loved reading this and flipping nostalgically through my memories of senior year. 


While this book nailed the emotional aspects, evoked my memories, and was just a really great story - what pushed it from really great to fan-freaking-tastic was that it wasn't what I expected. Any time I thought it was going one way, suddenly it would take another turn. I never really knew where Jordan was heading, even though I thought I had a handle on her and the people around her. Jordan was a fresh voice in YA, the boys-girl - and this provided a whole new look into high school life, into understanding the mystery that are boys- and even a new aspect of looking and friendship, family, and love. I adore this book, it makes me smile now, even if I cried through it (like all the best memories). It represents all the things that were great about my own senior year of high school.