Review Detail

A book so real it can be u comfortable at times.

The story:
Zelda doesn’t have a ton of experiences with boys, in particular with controlling boys. She attends an improv camp with her brother, and becomes the only girl to make the varsity team after catching the eye of the twenty-year-old coach. As they get to know each other more she learns the hard way that some experiences are best left unexplored.

What I loved:
First off, this book has amazing characters. There are a lot of them but the writing style makes it easy to remember who each of them are. Zelda’s brother, Will is protective of her in the best possible way. Not overbearing but enough to show how much he cares. And then there’s Jesse. Dear, sweet, Jesse. This book wouldn’t have any shred of hope without him.
The writing style in this book kept me glued for a one-sitting read. Even when I was uncomfortable (as this book should make everyone) I needed to keep going.
And holy diversity! A lot of books are diverse just for the sake of saying they are. But this... characters from so many backgrounds are weaves into the plot in a way that lets us know that they’re there, but treats it as a normal thing instead of some special aspect. Because diversity in our lives IS normal. That was the best part of the book.

What was just okay: In the first part of the book I didn’t get an inkling how bad things would get for Zelda and it made it hard to love the book at first. There are so many uncomfortable parts, and most were handled with care. I wish Zelda had stuck up for other people rather than doing what her teammates did when confronted with the sexism. There were examples of homophobia and racism that she looks for others to stand up about.

Final Verdict:
The kind of story all teenagers could learn something from (and adults). Well written. Fast paced. Diverse. I recommend this to anyone who wants more than fluff with their books. Stories like these are important.