Review by Booklist Review
Susan Klintock doesn't have a ton of experience with boys. In general, she finds that they're not good for much outside of her fantasies, and when it comes to sexual satisfaction, well, she's got that part handled all on her own. But then Bobby McMann rolls into town, and everything changes. Suddenly Susan's got the crush to end all crushes. Suddenly it seems as if she's found a guy who might be worth risking everything for. Of course there are roadblocks: Bobby's not a new student; he's the coach for a brand-new girls' soccer team. It's also 1979, and girls' sports are hardly taken seriously. When Susan tries out for the team, she--like half the girls in her class--does it just to get an eyeful of Bobby in a tight pair of shorts. But after she makes it, Susan's surprised to discover a group of girls she can actually respect, a coach who desperately wants to do right by his team, and a sport that she may genuinely love. Palmer writes Susan's frank first-person narration with verve and wit and handles several story lines with grace. Susan deals with changing friendships, gets soccer tips from a neighborhood boy, handles her father's remarriage, and experiences 1970s-era sexism and feminism firsthand, but each thread feels essential and tightly developed. Simply put, this is a delight.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Title IX, "that legal thing where they have to have sports teams for girls," hasn't much impacted Chicago's Powell Park High or Susan Klintock, 16, who's more focused on sexual fantasies than sports. That changes in the fall of 1979 when hot Bobby McMann is hired to start up a girls' soccer team. Infatuated, Susan joins the team; wanting to impress Coach McMann on the field, she begins extra training with new acquaintance Joe, a former goalie from another school, who is nothing like the obnoxious jocks she knows. Practicing with Joe, Susan develops a passion for the game and for him, but her obsession with her coach may ruin her chance to develop a real relationship. Palmer's (The Summers) feminist novel offers readers a look at an earlier time in a genuine, humorous voice that feels thoroughly modern. Two strong, contrasting women prove influential to Susan: her mother, working hard to better her life after divorce, and her soon-to-be stepmother, who is unexpectedly supportive. Susan's awakening to new possibilities (i.e., winning an athletic scholarship) is gradual, making for a fulfilling read as she becomes more grounded and focused. Ages 14--up. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up--The moment new teacher and coach Bobby McMann walks into Powell Park High School in 1979, every female student is instantly enamored, but no one is crushing harder than junior Susan Klintock. Ever since Susan hit puberty, she has been very aware of her budding sexuality, and Bobby ignites all of her yearnings. When Susan finds out he is launching a girls' soccer team in response to the recent Title IX legislation, she immediately tries out, hoping to get closer to her dream man. What she doesn't plan on is the discovery of her natural soccer talent and the realization that some things are more important than fantasy crushes. In this frank and funny book, flash points of the era are explored; women are dealing with inequality in all areas of life. But Susan's obsessive crush overshadows themes of toxic masculinity, her mother's struggles with workplace equality, and the gains toward equal rights that were meant to have been partially addressed by Title IX itself. VERDICT So much time is spent on Susan's idolization of Bobby that equally important themes of friendship and family, which are otherwise well handled, take a back seat to her lust. Jennifer Mathieu's Moxie delivers a similar message without the overt sexuality, but for teens ready for Susan's awkward and authentic appetites, this is a suitable feminist manifesto.--Ashley Leffel, Griffin M.S., Frisco, TX
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A crush leads to self-discovery when a teen girl joins the soccer team. Seventeen-year-old Susan Klintock is starting junior year without a boyfriend or goals…until she sees Bobby McMann, a new, young faculty member who looks great in shorts. But Bobby wants to do more than teach algebra. It's 1979, and in the wake of Title IX, he's intent on starting the school's first all-girl soccer team. After most of the girls realize they'll have to do more than just ogle Bobby, only Susan, her best friend, and a handful of wannabe players are left to face copious challenges with no real games on the horizon. Soon, Susan strikes up a friendship with Joe, a punk rock--loving former goalie at nearby Catholic St. Mark's high school, who offers to help Susan become the player she didn't know she wanted to be. When Susan challenges the St. Mark's boys to a match, she finds herself reckoning with her own strength, her skills as a newly minted team captain, and her feelings for both Bobby and Joe. Susan is a flawed and sympathetic heroine, and her quest for fulfillment is packed with humor and heart. The fresh exploration of identity, first love, and the impact of Title IX make this novel broadly appealing. Susan and her family and friends are assumed white, but the author signals background diversity through the surnames of a few minor characters. A sassy yet sweet girl-power tale that transcends time. (Romantic comedy. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
