Jessica's books

The One and Only Ivan
Pollyanna
Revolutionary War on Wednesday
Leprechaun in Late Winter
Ella Enchanted
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Plain Murder
Gone-Away Lake
Circling the Sun
Maggie and Max
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl
The Night Sister
Tuck Everlasting
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Bedknob and Broomstick
Mister Monday
Alice Through the Looking Glass
The Birchbark House
The Hobbit
The Witch's Daughter


Jessica's favorite books »

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Book Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally





Synopsis (from Goodreads):  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?


My Thoughts:  Let me say that the one thing I absolutely love about the Hundred Oaks series is that you don't have to read the books in order to enjoy them.  I read Things I Can't Forget about a year ago and didn't even realize it was part of a series.  Characters from previous books make appearances but it doesn't mean you are missing anything if you haven't read the first books. 

After I read (and LOVED) Things I Can't Forget, I bought the first two books in the series and once again, things got crazy and they got pushed to the side.  I'm involved in a TBR challenge so I finally picked this one up.  I read it in one night.  I loved everything about this book!

Jordan is a quarterback for her high school.  She's not just the quarterback for her high school though, she is one of the best high school quarterbacks in the state.  It's her senior year and she has big dreams of playing for Alabama.  She's worked hard and her team respects and supports her.  Unfortunately for Jordan, her father, who happens to be a pro NFL player, does not support her decision to play.  He never comes to see her games, never talks to her about her games or her dreams and certainly never watches film or tosses a ball around with her.  

Things get even more complicated with Ty Green shows up.  Ty is a new student at her school who just moved from Texas.  Ty is not only super hot but he was also a quarterback at his school....a really good quarterback.  Now Jordan has to worry about not letting Ty ruin her focus on the game and keeping her position safe along with getting into Alabama and trying to make her dad see that she is a good player.  Add to that mix a suddenly confusing relationship with her best friend (who happens to be a guy) and poor Jordan h as quite the mess on her hands.

I loved that Jordan played football and that her team really respected her.  It didn't matter that she was a girl and thought it was great that she did what she wanted to do.  She had dreams and she wasn't going to let the fact that she was a girl playing a "guy's game" to stop her.  She didn't worry about makeup, or getting her hair done or dating.  She just focused on her dream. 

She did lose focus once Ty came to town.  She liked Ty and Ty liked her too.  I think, because I am 35 and way out of the high school scene, some of Jordan's feelings and insecurities seemed silly to me.  She didn't want to date Ty because she didn't want people at school talking about her or her teammates to lose respect for her.  It was hard for me to remember that those things were super important in high school.  There were the "mean girls" who were cheerleaders that hurt Jordan in the past with their words and again, I forget how mean and catty young girls can be so it made me roll my eyes a little until I remembered how important it was that people liked you in high school.  But that was really my only issue with Jordan. 

Ty was a little weird for me.  He was your typical hot, popular jock but he seemed to have some serious control issues.  When you find out about his past, you understand a little but it seemed to me like he might be a little to controlling and that it went beyond his past.  So, I really didn't care for Ty at all.

Sam Henry has been Jordan's best friend since they were young.  I loved Henry.  He was always there for Jordan and wanted whatever made Jordan happy.  I got a little annoyed with his attitude in the middle and end of the book but he redeems himself.  

Jordan's father also redeems himself and you get to understand a little about why he acts the way he does.  He is a jerk the first part of the book though and you really just want to smack him upside the head!

Catching Jordan was a great book about working hard for your dreams and not letting anything hold you back.  It's about being strong and focused and always believing in yourself.  This is a book that will leave you smiling!

 

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