Archenemy

June 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-In Archenemy, Addie and Eva play soccer for Fraser High. After a misleading invitation, Addie finds herself sitting in church with Eva and listening to the pastor who says that two girls liking each other is an "abomination." The story takes a turn after Eva lets Addie know that she'd like to be more than friends and is rejected. Addie begins to find notes telling her to quit the team and that no one likes her. She isn't especially alarmed, but things get serious when Coach Berg tells her that she is being dismissed for harassing fellow teammates. Hoblin explores homosexuality without using the words "gay" or "lesbian," forcing readers to pay close attention. This story will reach many readers, not just reluctant ones. In Out of Sync, Madison 8 Wong's name includes the luckiest Chinese number, and she is known as "Mad Dog" to her teammates. She and Dayton have been friends since they were six years old, playing soccer and doing everything else together. Now that they are sophomores, though, Maddie aims to score high on the field and on her SATs, but Dayton essentially wants to find herself and uses her energy to get fake IDs for a popular nightclub. Maddie is concerned about Dayton's lack of interest in the game and its effect on their friendship, but she's caught the eye of recruiters for Division-1 schools. With its play-by-play action, this novel will mainly hold the attention of soccer fanatics.-Keisha Miller, South Orange Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
Each of these formulaic novels focuses on a player from the Fraser High School girls soccer team. Along with team dynamics and soccer action, the narratives concern such issues as homosexuality, family responsibilities, and eating disorders. Characters aren't very nuanced, but the topics and sports angle will help this hi-lo series find an audience.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)