The Off Season

I loved this book I really don’t know where to start with this review. Because I loved Dairy Queen (especially after a re-read), but I freaking love The Off Season—I love it so much that, really, words fail me. Everything that was present and wonderful in Murdock’s first novel is back again in this installment, only, if possible, even better.

At the beginning of the novel, D.J. has everything going for her. She’s on great terms with her best friend Amber and Amber’s girlfriend, Dale (who, by the way, it totally cool). She’s an accepted and valuable member of the football team. She’s forged a sort-of relationship with rival quarterback Brian. Her family is communicating a little better than before. All around, things are looking up.

But then everything—literally everything—slides into a disaster-zone, and D.J. is left picking up the pieces and doing the best she can to do the right thing. And it’s tough, since the only person she can really rely on is herself. Watching D.J. react and respond under a mountain of bad situations was amazing, since I think Murdock did a great job in working on the character’s pre-existing development and growing from there. D.J. truly learns from her mistakes and evolves as a person, and over the course of two books I’ve come to really admire and respect who she is as a person. She’s such a great character, and that was really highlighted for me in The Off Season.

Honestly, this book comes down to characters and how magnificently they interact with one another and how flawed and authentic they are. D.J. and her family aren’t perfect. Love interest Brian is definitely not perfect. Amber, a gay teen in a small, rural town, is faced with issues that are nothing to sneeze at. And because of their problems—internal and external—these people are so heartwarmingly real that I couldn’t help but love them. If they were not who they are, this novel would not have a story. I think this series is one of the most solid examples of character-driven storytelling I’ve seen. The progression of the plot is completely reliant on the characters’ personalities and choices.

I loved this book. Obviously. The Off Season is a heartbreaking, charming, honest novel about living in a small town and being yourself. It’s about helping other people even when you don’t want to, and it’s about letting go when it’s time to do that. I think it’s a safe bet that there’s not a novel about dairy farmers that nearly as poignant as this one.

Reader reviewed by Mairi

Football season started well for Red Bend, as they defeated Hawley for the first time in four years- a victory in which D.J. Schwenk played no small part. In the halls on the first day of school, people are lining up to congratulate her- she's the first female player to ever score in a game in northern Wisconsin, and this embarrasses her no end- however, it's only the start of her problems. Her relationship with her friend Amber is strained, she doesn't know what to make of Brian, and there is a possibility that her family might lose their farm.

It's been years since I read Dairy Queen (I bought it right after it came out) so I'm rather embarassed to say that I only read The Off Season last week. I loved it, though, even more than the prequel- D.J.'s voice comes through much more clearly in this one, and some of the lines made me laugh out loud. I've been recommending it to everyone I know.

So, in conclusion, you should really read this book because it'll make you smile, and what more can you ask for in a story?

Reader reviewed by Chantele

The Off Season is the sequel to "Dairy Queen". It continues with D.J.'s
life of football, her friend Brian, the farm, her best friend Amber,
and her family. The book starts out where Dairy Queen left off.
Everything is going D.J.'s way, and she is very happy with her life for
once. She has a great "boyfriend", she is starting on her football
team, getting alright grades, and even the farm work doesn't seem so
bad. Soon after the school year starts though, things start to change.
D.J's world comes crashing down. Her family has struggles with the
farm, and with each other. Amber isn't getting along with her mother,
and is ready to leave town, and Brian is also acting, well, different.
I
loved the changes in D.J. throughout this book. She learns to speak her
mind, she grows up a lot, takes charge of her life, and helps her
family through some difficult situations. I loved how she figured out
what was important in her life, and chose the path that would make her
happy, and her family as well. This is a great sequel, and if you loved
Dairy Queen, you will love this one as well. I can't wait to read the
next one!

Reader reviewed by Katie

This book picks up where Dairy Queen leaves off. DJ Schwenk is working toward her goal of playing football for the high school football team. I really didn't like this book as much as I liked Dairy Queen. But, I mean, measuring up to what I thought of Dairy Queen would be hard. Catherine Gilbert Murdock uses the same voice she did in Dairy Queen to make it so appealing, but I honestly liked the Dairy Queen better.

I don't know if it was a lack of a good story line, because it was definitely adventure packed, but it was just the time she was having with Brian was sooo cute that you couldn't help loving it. I also loved the way Dairy Queen ended, and in my opinion, the way you end a book can make or break it.

Reader reviewed by Stephanie

As far as debut novels go, it's hard to top Murdock's DAIRY QUEEN, a winning combination of wit and heart, love and loss. But incredibly, she succeeds with its sequel, THE OFF SEASON. It is everything her first book is, and more.

As quite possibly the first girl in her state ever to be on her high school football team, D.J. Schwenk has been getting a lot of attention and publicity lately, and she doesn't want any of it... particularly as she fears it will make her something-or-other friendship/relationship with Brian Nelson, her rival high school's star quarterback, even more confusing than it already is. But D.J. never has to go looking for publicity and problems; they come to her. More than ever, she is worried about the future of the Schwenk farm, a dilapidated, outdated relic from the past. Her youngest brother, Curtis, has been mysteriously running off with some girl.

Things only get worse when a bad shoulder injury forces her to quit the football team, going from Most Intriguing Girl in Town to Most Despised. D.J. has no time to wallow in self-pity, however, for not long after that her brother Win is badly injured in a football game and has lost his will to live as a cripple. With all of these issues that SHE has to deal with, it's no wonder she has no time for schoolwork, friendships, and even Brian. D.J. may be forced to grow up faster than she wants, but maybe some good will come out of it all in the end.

In THE OFF SEASON, Murdock continues her beloved heroine's story, throwing more hardships her way. The amount D.J. has to deal with may seem like a rural soap opera sometime, but nevertheless D.J. prevails, and so does our admiration and envy of her. She is the best friend you always wish you could have.

Reader reviewed by abscae

D.J. Schwenk is back with being a junior in her high school, and she's on the football team. However, a chain of events explode, starting off with the publishing of an article concerning her and Brian (the rival school quarterback) in People. Next comes a shoulder injury as well as her gay best friend running off with a friend. Finally, as the tension unfolds, D.J.'s older brother Win gains a spinal cord injury from football. As Win recovers, D.J. stays constantly by his side, putting her life into perspective.

I really liked this book, because along with the usual teenage problems that any teen could relate to, we also feel the pulsing tension of D.J.'s life, and how and when everything gets thrown out of what. The mood becomes clear, pulling the reader in, and leaves them amazed at the maturity of the novel.