Book Review: Catching Jordan

Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks #1)

By: Miranda Kenneally

Published By: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: December 2011

Page Count: 281

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Purchased by Reviewer

Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary

My summer break began this week and I decided to celebrate with a novel I have been dying to read. I'm a HUGE football fan and I love contemporary romances. I wasn't sure what to expect from Miranda Kenneally's writing, but I figured any novel about football had strong potential.

I ended up loving this one! Jordan Woods, a high school senior, plays quarterback for Hundred Oaks High in Franklin, Tennessee. Ranked as one of the best quarterbacks in the United States should be any high school player's dream, but Jordan has a lot of battles to fight to stay on top. For starters, being the only girl on your football team isn't always easy. Jordan struggles with balancing her need to be a star on the field with following her heart off the field. She doesn't want people to judge her athletic ability solely based on her gender. College scouts either ignore her completely or only want her to be a poster girl for their football program. Jordan just wants to play and show the world that girls can play a sport that has been previously dominated by males.

Jordan is the main reason I loved this book. She is a tough, goal oriented girl who doesn't take no for an answer. She inspired me in many ways. All to often, I walk away from dreams because someone has told me I can't do that or I don't have enough faith in myself to persevere through the hard parts. Jordan is not like me at all in that sense. Someone telling her she can't makes her work even harder so she can prove them wrong.  Jordan isn't perfect by any means and there were moments when I flat out disagreed with her decisions, but in the end I think she's a positive role model for teen girls.

I grew up around a football field; a majority of my childhood was spent on a field watching my father coach, standing on the sidelines handing out water bottles to players, and taping ankles. There is something magical about the combination of grass, sweat, hard work, and tears. It's a time in my life I will always treasure. Reading Catching Jordan brought back so many memories and reminded me of all the wonderful friendships that were forged between the hash marks. I never had the courage to play football myself, but I did everything possible to make myself an integral part of the game in other ways. It was nice to see a fictional girl who felt the same way I do about this sport.

In addition to the sports elements and the commentary on gender, there is a romance in this one. I'm usually not a fan of love triangles. They appear everywhere these days and often aren't realistic. Maybe many of you have experienced your own personal love triangle, but my own life was a lot more tame. However, the love triangle in this one did seem realistic and didn't annoy me. Jordan truly is faced with choosing between two wonderful guys. I honestly would not have wanted to be in her shoes. I did have a favorite, but I can't tell you his name because I don't want to spoil any part of that aspect of the story. I will say (for those of you who have read it) that I did get my way in the end, but there were plenty of moments when I wasn't sure how things would end up.

All in all, I suggest curling up with a tall glass of ice cold lemonade, a plate of chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven, and reading Catching Jordan. It's the perfect summer time read. Jordan and her friends will have you cheering, laughing, and swooning. I'm already counting down the days when I can return to Hundred Oaks for the next novel in the series.

One Last Gripe: I was a little frustrated by how quickly Jordan's relationship progressed. It made me worry that she allowed outside sources to help her decide to move forward before she was ready.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The football!

First Sentence: I once read that football was invented so people wouldn't notice the summer ending.

Favorite Character: Jordan

Least Favorite Character: Kristen

Summary:

ONE OF THE BOYS

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 everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?