A feminist, sex-positive, and hilarious rom-com about a girl in 1970s Chicago trying everything she can to score—on and off the soccer field.
It’s 1979—the age of roller skates and feathered bangs, of Charlie’s Angels and Saturday Night Fever—and Susan Klintock is a junior in high school with a lot of sexual fantasies…but not a lot of sexual experience. No boy, at least none she knows, has ever been worth taking a shot on.
That is, until Bobby McMann arrives.
Bobby is foxy, he’s charming—and he’s also the coach of the brand-new girls’ soccer team at school and totally, 100 percent, completely off limits. But Susan decides she’s going to try out for the team to get close to him anyway. And over the course of an eventful season, she discovers that what she wants might not be what she first expected when Bobby McMann walked in the door—and that figuring out who she is means taking risks, both on and off the pitch.
Author Iva-Marie Palmer returns with a fresh, funny, feminist coming-of-age novel about learning to take a shot at the things that truly matter. (taken from goodreads.com)
Susan is a high school junior that has a lot of fantasies and thats about it. She has never been in a relationship and outside of hanging out with her friends, she doesn’t seem to have many interests. Until Bobby McMann comes around with his short shorts and announces there will be a girls soccer team, suddenly Susan has more interests.
I loved this book. Susan and her friends are fun, fierce and different. They each have their strengths and come together to work off of each other in an amazing way. While Susan’s best friend, Candace doesn’t end up joining the team her friend Tina does and their friendship grows. Tina is not afraid to call Susan out for anything and I think that is an important quality in a friend.
Susan originally joins the soccer team to get close to her coach that she has a crush on, but she learns that there is way more to joining the team than she thought. She learns that playing a sport is a lot more discipline.
One thing that stuck out to me that I really liked was Susan’s step-mom, Polly. Susan’s parents are divorced and her dad remarries a woman named Polly, who is someone Susan really likes and her mom seems to get along really well with. I love how Polly and Deirdre, Susan’s mom, get along really well. I think they set a great example for her. And something that really stood out to me was when Polly and Susan are talking and she lets her know that no matter what she is not trying to be her mother. I think their relationship is great and I love that we are seeing a positive step-mother-step-daughter relationship.
Its 1979, women are going to college. College is something Susan never thought of, but her mom is back in school now trying to make a better life for herself and her daughter. The college conversation is one that happens throughout the novel, which for me now in the 2000s wasn’t a new or novel idea. But for Susan and her mom, going to college is something so new.
Bobby McMann. Bobby is the new soccer coach and algebra teacher, and he is a very attractive man. He knows he’s attractive and the students all think he’s attractive. The relationships the young women on the soccer team have with Bobby are a mix of friend and teacher. I will admit, I was nervous this would cross lines but it doesn’t. And I think Bobby is a good role model for the players, he pushes them to do well and also understands that they need to be able to be teenagers and have fun.
How could I forget Joe?! Susan meets Joe at a party and he ends up becoming a good friend of hers. He is sweet, kind and such a flirt. He cares about Susan and their relationship is so cute!
This novel is fun, fresh, sex-positive and smart novel! If you’re looking to read a book about fierce young women, I highly recommend this book! Thank you again SO much Iva-Marie Palmer for sending me a copy!