Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Catching Jordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such a great comfort book for rainy days (like today here).

I looked at Catching Jordan with my "snarky eyes" - if there is such a thing - for a good part of it, to be honest.
First of all, a girl playing football?! How can you write a book about a girl playing football after DJ Schwenk in Dairy Queen and not expect to be mercilessly subjected to comparison with that winning series? Ok, the plots differ but, at the end of the day, they're both about the coming of age of two girls chasing their dreams.
Add to that a fairly predictable plot, a few clichés including a love triangle, a difficult father/daughter relationship and some mean cheerleaders and you got yourself the perfect recipe for imminent disaster - or the same, unmemorable old soup, at the very least.

Surprisingly, Catching Jordan is far from unmemorable, in my opinion. What makes it stand out from the mass of mediocrity and triteness?
Two things worked particularly well for me: characters and dialogues.

Jordan can definitely shake hands and go eat some wings with DJ, rest assured. Ok, she is probably the most oblivious girl ever to walk the planet in a few millennia in matters of the heart but, aside from that, her voice is real, funny, honest and even though I am not sure I can relate to a teen quarterback, she's one of those characters that are instantly likable, if only for the fact that she's not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Plus, she's one of those girls that feel more comfortable hanging out with guys rather than with girls and with that I can totally relate.
Ok, let me clear my voice now... the real star of this book is, in fact, Sam Henry. Ty looks like Chace Crawford? Ty, WHO? This guy can easily compete for the swoon-worthy crush title any day of the year, as far as I'm concerned... I haven't liked a male (teen) character this much since Tucker Avery in Unearthly. Enough said.

But if you feel that might not be enough for you, let me assure you this book is also freaking hilarious. It's fun, fun, fun. Relaxing, refreshing, obviously light, there might have been a passage or two involving a fake baby that had me stifling my laughter not to wake the kids.

Of course it's also not perfect. Clichés and predictability aside, personally I thought Jordan got off the hook in a certain situation a little too easily for my taste. Still, I am sure this book will see a lot of readers satisfied and entertained; just look at the ratings.
Don't let yourself be misled by the footballish theme because, even though it is, in fact, about playing ball, it never gets too much or too technical. This is a 100% kick-back-and-relax kind of book.

5 comments:

  1. Great review! This is next on my TBR list, and after reading your review, I'm sure it'll be a fantastic read. :)

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  2. Awesome review! I can't wait to read this book! It sounds awesome!

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  3. You should Sagacity!. Some people got a bit frustrated with Sam but... well, decide for yourself and let me know. :)

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  4. I loved this book! Jordan was a brilliant narrator, I can relate to her so much, especially how little she knows about the stuff most girls are interested in. I agree that Sam is also a great character, how can readers not love him?

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