Johnson’s first novel for teens is an absorbing portrait of a young athlete’s quest to achieve her Olympic dreams.
Fifteen-year-old gymnast Charlie is determined to earn a place on Team USA.
For years, the white athlete has worked to keep her successful gymnastics career separate from her school life, hoping to escape the scrutiny that accompanies fame. However, with Olympic trials looming, maintaining the facade of a typical high school student becomes complicated for this elite athlete. Charlie’s narration reveals the intense personal commitment and training required when competing for a place on the Olympic team. She struggles over her conflicting desires to pursue her Olympic dreams and to experience teenage life outside the world of competitive gymnastics. Olympic gold medalist Johnson, who should know, also examines the complications of fame as Charlie expresses trepidation about its potential effects on her privacy and relationships. Aware of her coach’s calamitous history at Olympic trials—her Olympic dreams unraveled amid a scandal over a revealing photograph—Charlie realizes that distraction can affect her concentration and focus. Yet when her friendship with a boy from school evolves into something more, Charlie finds herself divided between her two lives. Johnson adeptly captures Charlie’s life as an elite athlete and effectively addresses the more familiar teen issues of first dates and first romantic relationships. She skillfully builds the emotional intensity of the tale, culminating in a suspenseful finale at the Olympic trials.
Johnson’s first novel for teens is an absorbing portrait of a young athlete’s quest to achieve her Olympic dreams. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: June 7, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6021-7
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2016
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice.
A fall romance with a New England backdrop.
Autumn leaves aren’t the only stunning thing to hit the town of Briar Glen—so has good-looking new boy Jack Harper, and Lucy Kane is enamored with both. Her new crush is the perfect thing to take her mind off the fact that Java Junction, part of a global chain, is opening across the street from Cup o’ Jo, Lucy’s mother’s coffee shop, where they take pride in baking everything from scratch and avoiding artificial ingredients. But there’s more than coincidence in the timing of the arrivals of both Jack and Java Junction: The Harper family moved to Briar Glen specifically to open this franchise location, which will bring competition that threatens Cup o’ Jo. This scenario has the makings of a perfect autumnal adversaries-to-lovers romance, but the writing lacks charm and chemistry. Jack seems to be completely enamored with Lucy, but her character isn’t sufficiently developed to warrant his attention. Lucy’s friends are continually supportive of her but have few distinguishing characteristics, and the story is weakened by confusing timelines and repetitive elements. The resolution relies upon successes that come too easily and do not feel earned. Major characters are cued white.
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice. (Romance. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781339030753
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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