A Sweet Review!
Here's the review of "Playing the Field" that appears in the current issue of GO NYC MAGAZINE.
"Ambitious, dedicated, and a killer pitcher, all high-school junior Darcy Miller wants to do is play on the boys' baseball team. But Principal Basset, who also happens to be Darcy's mom's new boyfriend, won't let her. Luckily, the Principal's son Brandon convinces him to let Darcy play -- by telling him Darcy is a lesbian.
At first, Darcy is furious: How could her friend (and secret crush) Brandon do this to her? And why should her sexuality make a difference? But it workds on the uncomfortable but well-meaning Principal Basset. He gives Darcy his blessing to join the team -- as long as she also joins the school's Gay-Straight Alliance.
Darcy is ready and willing to pretend to be gay if it'll get her a chance to bat. She throws herself into her lesbian role with vigor, despite teasing from school bullies and resentful teammates, and is soon on her way to becoming the team's star player. Acceptance into the GSA, however, isn't easy. The club is headed by Darcy's ex-best friend Josh, who's furious to see Darcy on his turf and will stop at nothing to reveal her as a hetero fraud. The bases are loaded, so to speak.
This charming read is a cut above most young adult novels: it's sweet, sharply funny and despite the subject matter, you don't have to know the slightest thing about baseball to enjoy it. Darcy is a strong, agressive, likeable protagonist, prone to type-A panic attacks, and not above swooning over Brandon or missing her friendship with Josh -- though she'd never let either see it.
The social politics in this book are even more fiercely competitive than the sports. Conversations rae like matches in which characters score points off each other, and everyone's an alpha dog who loves to win. Surprisingly, this doesn't rob the story of any heart, but rather engages the reader like a spectator watching a riveting game.
The prose is peppered with stream-of-consciousness wit, and the characters are deftly drawn and refreshingly flawed. "War and Peace" this ain't, but it's an easy and fun read. Get it for a younger friend -- or indulge yourself next time you wander into the YA section."
"Ambitious, dedicated, and a killer pitcher, all high-school junior Darcy Miller wants to do is play on the boys' baseball team. But Principal Basset, who also happens to be Darcy's mom's new boyfriend, won't let her. Luckily, the Principal's son Brandon convinces him to let Darcy play -- by telling him Darcy is a lesbian.
At first, Darcy is furious: How could her friend (and secret crush) Brandon do this to her? And why should her sexuality make a difference? But it workds on the uncomfortable but well-meaning Principal Basset. He gives Darcy his blessing to join the team -- as long as she also joins the school's Gay-Straight Alliance.
Darcy is ready and willing to pretend to be gay if it'll get her a chance to bat. She throws herself into her lesbian role with vigor, despite teasing from school bullies and resentful teammates, and is soon on her way to becoming the team's star player. Acceptance into the GSA, however, isn't easy. The club is headed by Darcy's ex-best friend Josh, who's furious to see Darcy on his turf and will stop at nothing to reveal her as a hetero fraud. The bases are loaded, so to speak.
This charming read is a cut above most young adult novels: it's sweet, sharply funny and despite the subject matter, you don't have to know the slightest thing about baseball to enjoy it. Darcy is a strong, agressive, likeable protagonist, prone to type-A panic attacks, and not above swooning over Brandon or missing her friendship with Josh -- though she'd never let either see it.
The social politics in this book are even more fiercely competitive than the sports. Conversations rae like matches in which characters score points off each other, and everyone's an alpha dog who loves to win. Surprisingly, this doesn't rob the story of any heart, but rather engages the reader like a spectator watching a riveting game.
The prose is peppered with stream-of-consciousness wit, and the characters are deftly drawn and refreshingly flawed. "War and Peace" this ain't, but it's an easy and fun read. Get it for a younger friend -- or indulge yourself next time you wander into the YA section."