{Review} of Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
GENRE: YA Contemporary
THEME: Romance, Sport, Coming of Age
RECEIVED: Bought
AUTHORS BLOG:  Miranda Kenneallys' Site

BLURB:

ONE OF THE BOYS
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 of 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 everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

REVIEW:

When I was at ALA last year I asked a blogger friend of mine about author Miranda Kenneally. I remember she said how much she loved her writing and that she highly recommends Catching Jordan. Thus I have finally read it and boy was this one heck of a story. I love emotionally driven novels that catch the innocence of young love and finding that true love, even through mistakes that are made. This story will pull at some heartstrings and really make you hope for the girl to get the guy and find her path in life.

Catching Jordan follows senior football captain Jordan, the only female on the team and seriously one heck of a player. Her team and coach respect her, while her goal is to one-day play at the University of Alabama. But her dreams start to look shaky when a new guy comes to town that threatens her spot as the Quarterback and the spotlight from the recruiters. Luckily she is one girl who only wishes the best for all the players and for the first time she meets a guy that makes her feel something more. But Jordan is about to be challenged in many ways in not only her sport, but also her heart and her family whose support is not always there for her.

Jordan is a girl that I can totally relate to, not as in being captain of the football team but being that girl who has all the guys as friends. I loved how she was a major tomboy, she didn’t care what the girls thought of her because most just ignored her or tried to get her to talk about her guy friends. It was interesting to see how she dealt with getting attention from the one guy all the other girls liked and dealing with their wrath. I rooted for her to put those snotty girl in their place, but that’s when the readers really get to see Jordan’s weakness and softer side when she starts getting hurt emotionally. This girl hits a lot of emotionally rollercoaster’s not only with school but her love life, dealing with her best friend Henry and his mood swings, plus not having any support from her father, which crushes her. She is one determined and hardworking young woman who I felt deserved to get her wish to play on a college team. As the reader I was definitely hoping for a happy ending and that Jordan would find her way through all the challenges that are thrown at her for her senior year.

The boys that are in Jordan’s life consist of not only her father and brother, but the new guy in town Ty and her best friend Henry. Though she has some other male buddies these are the ones that impact her life and push Jordan to make mistakes, learn from them and find the right goal in her life. Jordan’s father will frustrate the reader to no end with his cold demeanor towards her playing, while her bother is both helping and hurting her chances at getting on a college team. Then there is Ty a distraction in many ways and Henry her touchstone is starting to become distant. They all have one thing in common and that’s making Jordan happy and sad through out the entire story. Like I said an emotional rollercoaster.

Overall I loved this story, the spotlight on a female football player was a great touch and really got me to see how females may be treated in this kind of sport. Jordan made some decisions that I didn’t agree with, while also being blind to the obvious, but she was someone whom the reader can connect to easily and learn from. Catching Jordan is one book I highly recommend and I can’t wait to read more from Miranda Kenneally.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is a young adult novel with romance and tough life situations. Fans of Jennifer Echols Such a Rush and Dare To You by Katie McGarry will want to read Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally.

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