review: Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

pub date: March 1, 2012
publisher: Scholastic
pages: 304
source: for review on Kiss The Book blog
appeals: contemporary, male protagonist, sports, baseball, photography
content: nothing that would offend, at least in my opinion. Peter does drink at a party and has a horrible hangover afterward


thoughts:
I am a Sonnenblick fan. His books, After Ever After, and Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie are AMAZING. LOVE them. If you haven't read them, I recommend that you do.

So, as you might well imagine, I was super excited to get my hands on an ARC of Sonnenblick's next book, Curveball.

Peter has always played baseball, so when he screws up his arm and isn't able to play anymore, he isn't sure what to do with his life. There is a lot of heart in this book. As Peter has to deal with changing relationships with his family, friends, the girl in his photography class, he finds his way in an unexpected future. I enjoyed reading about Peter's growth.

Sonnenblick really is quite amazing. But I didn't feel as strongly connected to Peter as I did to his other characters, in other books. Also, Peter's parent's bothered me, as did some of the decisions Peter made, only because I didn't understand why. I didn't buy into the motivations given, especially in respect to the grandpa.

It was good. It was enjoyable. It just wasn't as good as Sonnenblick's other books. And that made me a little sad.

summary:

Sometimes, the greatest comebacks take place far away from the ball field.

Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman. Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When a freakish injury ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out. Is there life after sports? Why has his grandfather suddenly given him thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment? And is it his imagination, or is the super-hot star of the girls' swim team flirting with him, right in front of the amazing new girl in his photography class? In his new novel, teen author Jordan Sonnenblick performs his usual miraculous feat: exploring deep themes of friendship, romance, family, and tragedy, while still managing to be hilariously funny.

review: playing hurt by Holly Schindler

pub date: March 8, 2011
publisher: Flux
pages: 312
source: ALA Midwinter
appeals: romance, sports, contemporary, realistic
content: swearing, heavy make out scenes, sex


my thoughts:
I liked the book. I liked Chelsea and Clint and bought into their emotional trauma. I thought their development and growth as characters was realistic. Schindler is a fantastic writer. I was sucked into the book and didn't want to put it down.

However, I had issues. Chelsea and Clint's relationship is very physical from the get-go. The very first time they go out on a date they have a heavy make out session, and then practically every time they're alone after that they start to undress each other. I bought into their hurts and how knowing each other helped them both heal. I really believed that they cared for each other, and more than just sexually. But for me, their relationship was too physical, too fast, with too much description. And Chelsea's attitude going into their relationship bothered me--it was just a summer fling and once she went home she'd go back to her boyfriend. Everyone had summer flings, right? NO!

Overall a good, well-written book with realistic characters. But too sexy for me.

summary:
Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone's admiration back home. Then she took a horrible fall during senior year. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.

That summer, Chelsea's dad hires Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player and "boot camp" trainer, to work with her at a northern Minnesota lake resort. As they grow close, Chelsea finds that Clint's haunted by his own tragedy. Will their romance end up hurting them all over again—or finally heal their heartbreak?

review: Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

pub date: March 1, 2011
publisher: Bloomsbury USA
pages: 288
source: ALA Midwinter
appeals: contemporary, romance, family, illness, friendship, sports, cycling,
content: clean

blurb from goodreads:
According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object—an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas—it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking—er, focusing on—Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.


me:
Way. Cute. Book.

Really, I mean it.

Payton is a fun character and it was a joy to be inside her head for (almost) 300 pages. Her emotions and reactions to life's disappointments were real and deep. I never actually cried (though I might've been close), but I definitely laughed out loud. At different parts, obviously.

And Sean is so cute! Personality mostly, though he does have a nice head (even if it is blonde). And he's so sweet! The way he tells Payton he likes her...priceless. And I appreciate that he's just a normal high school kid, not the Hottest Guy Ever. I'm half in love with him myself.  

Payton's friend, Jac, was a great best friend and really tried to help Payton. Though she kind of irritated me. I'm more like Payton myself and hate to make a scene, so when Jac makes a scene, I got upset right along with Payton. I have to agree with Jac though, Payton's family is super cool. Especially her dad.

Obviously its the characters in this book that stick out the most to me. Because they are just so great. Original and real. Loved them.

I really enjoyed reading this book. So cute.

So now I've added Princess for Higher to my TBR list on goodreads. This is the kind of author I want to read again.