Book Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Pages: 288

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pub. Date: December 2, 2011

Source: From publisher for review

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate."

Jordan Woods, daughter of the famous NFL quarterback, Donovan Woods, is one of Tennessee's best quarterbacks, even though she is a female in the male dominated sport of football.  She appears to have it all---- wealth, a football team that supports her, a loyal best friend and her eye on the prize which is the upcoming State Championship game and playing for University of Alabama.  She won't let anything deter her from her goals, that is until Ty, a new student and talented quarterback, joins her team and ends up as competition for her spot.   Plus, she actually likes him, which proves to be a big problem.  Catching Jordan, a debut by Miranda Kenneally, is a dazzling contemporary read that mixes two of my favorites:  romance and football.

Catching Jordan is so much more than a sports book.  It examines relationships, first love, expectations, sexism, loyalty, and family.  I really liked the character of Jordan and she grows as a person throughout the book.  At first, she hates other girls (especially cheerleaders), only hangs with the team, and has never kissed a boy. However, throughout the course of the book, she transforms into a more balanced person and learns a little bit more about life and relationships.

Her best friend, Henry, was one of my favorite characters in Catching Jordan. He was definitely swoon-worthy and I immediately imagined Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights as I was visualizing this character. I definitely had crush on Henry and haven't felt that way since St. Clair or Dimitri.    On the other hand, I really disliked her father, the professional quarterback.  Thankfully, he, like Jordan, evolves throughout the book, but for the first half of the book, he was a complete disappointment.  Lastly, Ty is definitely the stereotypical cute quarterback, but he had too many issues for me to really like him. I didn't like how controlling he was, but there's no doubt he was easy on the eyes. His relationship with Jordan was a bit too insta-love for me.

It's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of football, so I loved all the descriptions of the game, the players, and even practice.  Kenneally is a talented writer and I enjoyed how she wove a sports story and a romance together expertly.  I can't wait for the companion to Catching Jordan, which is The Girl I Used To Be and it comes out next fall.

*Pre-order Catching Jordan

*Read an excerpt

*Watch the book trailer