Review: Offside by M. G. Higgins

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Between finishing late school projects and looking after her brothers and sister, Faith Patel barely has time to play soccer. And when she's at practice, surrounded by girls who can afford to play in club leagues, she doesn't even feel like part of the team. So when Coach Berg starts to give Faith extra attention, she feels . . . really special.
It might be crazy, but suddenly Faith has a crush on her coach. Can she keep her head in the game? The situation gets worse after Faith's frenemy Caitlyn decides that Faith's getting special treatment. Will Caitlyn tell the rest of the team—and make Faith into a total outcast?

MY TAKE:
I like sports, so this immediately got my attention.

In Offside, Faith is a student and soccer player who develops a crush on her coach. Along with her attraction to her coach, she also has to deal with her siblings who she has to babysit every day.

There are a lot of things going on in Offside, so we'll start with the easiest thing first. Faith has a lot of things on her plate so her grades suffer. I don't know if it's her age or she doesn't know how to prioritize, but as an observer, I can see where she can adjust her schedule and habits to improve her grades. As a former student athlete, my teammates and I really liked playing but we all knew that studying comes first.

Secondly, her infatuation with her coach was just creepy and unhealthy. It's a good thing that it didn't turn out  like that article I once read in YM a few years ago wherein a high school basketball player dated her coach.

As for the writing, strangely enough, I felt like even though the topic is for older teens, the length of the chapters and the choice of words made me feel that this book was meant for middle graders or younger teens.

Thanks to NetGalley and Darby Creek for the e-ARC. Publication date of Offside is on April 1, 2013.

THE GOOD:

1. It gives a somewhat realistic view of what life is like for student athletes.
2. Faith is a believable character.
3. There aren't any dull moments.

THE BAD:

1. The length and word choices seem meant for a younger audience.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

She envied the kids who racked up A's like easy soccer goals.

READ IT IF:

1. You like soccer.
2. You like books about student athletes.
3. You've had a crush on your teacher or coach.

RATING:


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