Title: Catching Jordan
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc
Publishing Date: December 2011
Length: 283 pages
Genre: YA contemporary
Source: Gifted
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 now there's a new guy in town who threatens her
starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a
teammate.
I never
even watched a football game before reading CATCHING JORDAN and now I have absolutely no
idea why. The story is already so good, but the football parts make it even
better. There are hot football players, practices, actual games, football
jargon and the team dynamics we got to experience. Authentic and fun!
Isn’t it
impressive that Jordan Woods is captain and quarterback of an entire football
team? A male football team. With totally hot and gorgeous boys!
And that
position is definitely not undeserved. Jordan is a great player even
though she is a girl…because she is a girl.
A big part of the story is about Jordan fighting
for her chance to get an athletic scholarship and play college football. She is
very committed and fights hard for her dream and she’s got exactly the
combative spirit I’m always looking for in a female protagonist.
But as in
everyday life it isn’t directly easy for Jordan to pursue her dreams. Yep,
throw in some prejudices and obsolete ways of thinking. A girl and football aren't equal for some of the characters in CATCHING JORDAN. Her father
isn’t happy about the situation of his daughter playing football and even other
professional people involved with the sport don’t take Jordan serious. Time to proof them wrong, right?
This story is so much about overcoming the obstacles life throws in your way
and just being the person you’ve always wanted to be. CATCHING JORDAN
encourages boys as girls to follow their dreams, regardless how hard it might
seem.
So now that
Jordan
is the only girl in an all male football team, the story is very much about
being friends with boys, too. There should totally be more stories about that.
Jordan’s friends and fellow team pals are JJ, Henry and Carter. Probably the
most fun and sexy and best friends a girl could have. I loved them as
individual characters with very different personalities and their interactions
in the group. I’m glad that a girl being their captain wasn’t an issue at all. And I really liked how Jordan
was already an integrated and highly respected member of the team. The boys are so cute when they want to protect Jordan!
Family.
Friends…what’s missing? The looove story. And CATCHING JORDAN has it, believe
me. A really good one by the way.
Starting into
the new playing season with a new member on the team romantic feelings start invading Jordan’s
thoughts. And Jordan’s
thoughts do not only circle around winning the next game anymore, but boys.
Boys?! Especially the boys on her team! Here lies another conflict that starts
occupying Jodan’s mind from now on.
There are
two boys for Jordan
and I want to keep it simple: Henry won my heart!! He is such a cheeky and
adorable boy, the best friend and partner a girl could wish for and I really
really wanted Jordan
to finally see that love has been right in front of her eyes all the time. You
are going to love the super cute romance. There are sweet kisses, denial,
missed opportunities, hesitant approaches, secret admiring and finally, finally
getting the boy who’s utterly in love with you for just the right reasons.
Miranda’s
writing is fabulous and full of energy! Not even a ravenous giant of a football
player could have losened my fingers from CATCHING JORDAN for a second after I started it. Read it. Read
it soon!
1) of Red
Sox forever
2) of
finally ending up where you truly belong
3) an
active girl can eat as many carbs as she wants
4) of a
lifetime supply of lemonade and cookies
5) of the best team-mates ever
5/5 *****
CATCHING JORDAN- Touch down! Miranda Kenneally scores with a dynamic and super
sweet story that's all about doing what you love
and finding a way to be with the one you love in return.
CATCHING
JORDAN is the awesome debut by Miranda Kenneally that I counted to my favourite
YA contemporaries after only a few pages into the story. I’m sure you will love
it!
* Don’t
miss the companion to CATCHING JORDAN. STEALING PARKER comes out October 2012.
* To read
an excerpt of CATCHING JORDAN click here.
* Click here for the book trailer of CATCHING JORDAN.
.............................................................................................................
Thanks to Miranda Kenneally for today's love note. It's soo Henry:) Here you've got it with Miranda's explanation. Enjoy!
Love Note from Henry to Jordan
I just don't think Valentine's is something Henry would necessarily
take seriously. :) He's a romantic guy every day of the week. So in that
regard, I think he'd make a joke of Valentine's, thus I give you
this...
Dear Jordan -
I want you bad.
Love,
Henry
PS - Can your mom make us fried chicken for our Valentine's Day dinner?
Aaand a little teaser about two characters in Miranda's next book:
Dear Parker,
Happy Valentine's Day. You might know this. You might not... I've
been in love with you since 8th grade. But I'm not sure you're the same
person anymore...
