Review Detail

At Prarie Stone High School, Bethany and her friend Moni usually navigate the halls and gauntlet of popular kids and cheerleaders holding their breath. When Moni's "geek" friend Brian makes is so apparent that anything in a cheerleading uniform is worth watching, Moni "encourages" Bethany to try out for the winter varsity squad. Bethany never dreams they will actually make it, but of course, they do. From Coach Shelia's surprise help, to learning how the other half lives, this story deftly shows both sides of the high school battle lines. Moni's difficulty with her parents divorce cause her to look blindly at wrestling superstart Rick, while we wonder if the handsome, star basketball player Jack will really fall for Bethany? The girls learn that cheering takes a lot of hard work, along with keeping up with all their honors classes. I both cheered and was saddened with various decisions the characters made, and really enjoyed what I think is a super novel. As with many teen novels these days, there's a touch of Pride and Prejudice in the mix, plus some Minnesotan common sense (and a tuna noodle hotdish).