Hi all! I am so happy to be hosting a spot
on the LIKE OTHER GIRLS by Britta Lundin Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out
my post and make sure to enter the giveaway (details below!!!)
About the Book
Author: Britta Lundin
Pub. Date: August 3, 2021
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 384
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
"What if I played football?" I ask. As soon as it's out of my mouth, I feel stupid. Even suggesting it feels like I've overstepped some kind of invisible line we've all agreed not to discuss. We don't talk about how Mara is different from other girls. We don't talk about how Mara is gay but no one says so. But when I do stuff like this, I worry it gets harder for us all to ignore what's right in front of us. I direct my gaze to Quinn. "What do you think?"
"I think it's frickin' genius," he says.
After getting kicked off the basketball team for a fight that was absolutely
totally not her fault (okay maybe a little her fault), Mara is dying to find a
new sport to play to prove to her coach that she can be a team player. A
lifelong football fan, Mara decides to hit the gridiron with her brother, Noah,
and best friend, Quinn-and she turns out to be a natural. But joining the team
sets off a chain of events in her small Oregon town-and within her family-that
she never could have predicted.
Inspired by what they see as Mara's political statement, four other girls join
the team. Now Mara's lumped in as one of the girls-one of the girls who can't
throw, can't kick, and doesn't know a fullback from a linebacker. Complicating
matters is the fact that Valentina, Mara's crush, is one of the new players, as
is Carly, Mara's nemesis-the girl Mara fought with when she was kicked off the
basketball team. What results is a coming-of-age story that is at once
tear-jerking and funny, thought-provoking and real, as Mara's preconceived
notions about gender, sports, sexuality, and friendship are turned upside down.
Britta Lundin's sophomore novel will give readers all the feels, and make them
stand up and cheer.
My Review:
Am I a huge sports fan? Not really. Will I ever tire of reading queer sports books? Absolutely not! They are just so fun every time. This story follows Mara, who gets kicked off the basketball team for fighting with her teammate. The only way she will be allowed to rejoin her team is by playing a clean season on a different sports team to prove she can be a team player again. She has always loved football, and even though it’s not a “girls” sport, she joins the team and becomes a natural. But before she knows it, her move has sparked a whole controversy in her small town, inspiring four other girls to join too. The only problem is, they aren’t as naturally talented at the sport like Mara. Now Mara is just “one of the girls” who doesn’t know anything about football regardless of her skills. To make matters worse, one of the other girls is Valentina, Mara’s crush, and another just happens to be Carly, her longtime nemesis for getting her kicked off the basketball team in the first place. Along the way, this story tackles hard hitting conversations and topics that don’t always get the page time they deserve. From stereotypical gender roles, internalized misogyny, to sexuality, there is a little bit of everything here.
From the very beginning, Mara is a very distinct character who knows what she wants. Her heated temper and determined nature really gave her the definition of a real, relatable, protagonist. So much of her journey in the book was inspiring and authentic. I have always disliked the “not like other girls” and pitting girls against each other tropes, so I really enjoyed how this one challenged those narratives, especially the methods used to do so. It felt natural and not preachy, if that makes sense. This is one the first YA books I have read that actually discusses internalized misogyny, which I really loved. However, let me warn you, this book makes you feel all of the emotions (angry, for one) on the way to tackling the issues. I found myself wanting to *scream* at certain characters occasionally, but that's what makes a story gripping, right??
For me, the relationship was not the most important aspect of this story. It definitely had some heartwarming moments, but I was not totally overwhelmed by the love interest characterization and their relationship development. I wish the love interests Asian identity had played a bigger part in this story. There was a lot of potential to discuss sexism in relation to race and sexuality that was missed out on. But I am glad that the story was well balanced in a way that those opinions did not really overshadow my overall feelings towards it. Seeing Mara embrace herself in the town she felt shut out of identity wise was really beautiful and emotional for me.
The ending was a little bumpy for me and I will need to read more reviews to see how others interpreted the events, as I have never experienced them. Without giving spoilers, it does involve sexual assault/ harassment and I just feel like it could have been approached differently by certain characters in positions of influence.
Overall, it really was a great book, with strong writing and characters, that combined many important messages. I will definitely be reading more form this author!
TW: homophobia, sexism, sexual harassment, forced/ unwanted touching and kissing.
*thank you to the publisher and Rockstar Book Tours for providing my copy for this review! All opinions are my own.
About Britta Lundin:
Britta Lundin is a TV writer and author.
She’s written for shows such as Riverdale, Betty, and The Big Leap and is the author of the young adult novels Like Other Girls (out August 2021) and Ship It.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she lives with her wife, kid, and dog in Los Angeles.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads | Amazon
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of LIKE OTHER GIRLS, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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8/1/2021 |
Review |
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8/2/2021 |
Excerpt |
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8/3/2021 |
Review |
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8/4/2021 |
Excerpt |
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8/5/2021 |
Review |
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8/6/2021 |
Review |
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8/7/2021 |
Review |
Week Two:
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8/8/2021 |
Review |
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8/9/2021 |
Review |
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8/10/2021 |
IG Post |
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8/11/2021 |
Review |
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8/12/2021 |
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8/13/2021 |
Review |
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8/14/2021 |
Review |
Week Three:
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8/15/2021 |
Review |
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8/16/2021 |
IG Post |
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8/17/2021 |
Excerpt/IG post |
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8/18/2021 |
Review |
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8/19/2021 |
Review |
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8/20/2021 |
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8/21/2021 |
Review |
Week Four:
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8/22/2021 |
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8/23/2021 |
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8/24/2021 |
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8/25/2021 |
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8/26/2021 |
Review |
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8/27/2021 |
Review |
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8/28/2021 |
Review |
Week Five:
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8/29/2021 |
Review |
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8/30/2021 |
Review |
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8/31/2021 |
Review |
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