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Throw Like A Girl by Sarah Henning

2/18/2020

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SYNOPSIS
Friday Night Lights meets Morgan Matson's The Unexpected Everything in this contemporary debut where swoon-worthy romance meets underdog sports story.

When softball star Liv Rodinsky throws one ill-advised punch during the most important game of the year, she loses her scholarship to her fancy private school, her boyfriend, and her teammates all in one fell swoop. With no other options, Liv is forced to transfer to the nearest public school, Northland, where she'll have to convince their coach she deserves a spot on the softball team, all while facing both her ex and the teammates of the girl she punched... Every. Single. Day.
Enter Grey, the injured star quarterback with amazing hair and a foolproof plan: if Liv joins the football team as his temporary replacement, he'll make sure she gets a spot on the softball team in the Spring. But it will take more than the perfect spiral for Liv to find acceptance in Northland's halls, and behind that charming smile, Grey may not be so perfect after all.

With well-drawn characters and a charming quarterback love interest who's got brains as well as brawn, Throw Like a Girl will have readers swooning from the very first page.
 
Synopsis from Goodreads

PERSONAL REVIEW
I recognized Sarah Henning as the author of Sea Witch and Sea Witch Rising, so I was really excited when Goodreads told me that she had a new book coming out and it was that it was a contemporary love story. I've said time and time again that I am a sucker for a happy ending, so I was really interested to pick up this book and learn more about Liv playing on the men’s football league and what would happen.

Good Pacing
Henning does a great job giving us background into the characters and the chance to get to know them without spending too much time on background characters or rushing through to get to the conflict of the story. Liv goes through a lot in this book and I liked seeing her different relationships develop, specifically with her siblings and obviously with Gray. But wow, the love story does move quickly! I believe Olive and Grey only know each other a few weeks, but I still bought it because they do spend so much time together with the football practices that I was willing to accept the quickness of the relationship.

Liv is Such a Cool Character
Liv goes through a lot in this book. It starts off with her getting in a fight, losing her scholarship, and basically having to completely rethink her life moving into her junior year of high school. What I thought was very humanizing about her is that she really recognizes by the end how her treatment of her friends has been less than stellar, that her relationship with her family is so important and how much she relies on them, and really learns to trust herself even more than she did before. Her confidence is really shaken after losing her scholarship, and it’s really great to see her take on a sport that she knows nothing about to prove to herself and to her potential coach that she can be part of a team and that she is a valuable player. I just thought she was really cool.

More Conflict Development 
I'm a bit divided on how I felt about the fight between Liv and Grey. While my heart completely hurt for her, I do wish that Henning had spent a little more time on their fight, or maybe the moments leading up to it, to make it more impactful. It comes a bit out of know where so I didn't completely believe it; it definitely felt like something that was thrown in, instead of any kind of build towards it. Again, it's a well written moment but it comes a bit abruptly. 

Overall, I thought this was a great book! I had a great time reading it and loved getting to know these characters. I'd recommend Throw Like A Girl to anyone who enjoys Kasie West (it's a perfect fit) or Morgan Matson, or those looking for a light, contemporary read about a strong female protagonist. This is a light YA novel, but I'm still a fan of the happy ending! 

What did you think of Throw Like a Girl​?


FINAL RATING: 4/5
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    About Me

    Hi, I'm Alexandra! I love reading (largely YA fiction, but sometimes I'll read "adult" books), playing board games, Nutella, and binge-watching TV shows on Netflix with my husband. 

    I absolutely love to travel, but home will always be in Toronto. Books come with me everywhere and I can't wait to hear if you agree or disagree with my reviews. 


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  • Book Reviews
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