Author: Laurie Morrison
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros
Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Grace has been working for years to beat her former friend Jonah Perkins’s GPA so she can be named top scholar of the eighth grade. But when Jonah beats her for the title, it feels like none of Grace’s academic accomplishments have really mattered. They weren’t enough to win—or to impress her dad. And then the wide, empty summer looms. With nothing planned and no more goals or checklists, she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be working toward.
Eager for something to occupy her days, Grace signs up for a half-marathon race that she and Jonah used to talk about running together. Jonah’s running it, too. Maybe if she can beat Jonah on race day, she’ll feel OK again. But as she begins training with Jonah and checking off a new list of summer goals, she starts to question what—and who—really matters to her. Is winning at all costs really worth it?
My opinion: This novel presents us with a pair of ambitious characters who think they know everything about each other - and they don't like it. So of course they learn that other people are complex and outward appearances aren't what they seem. The lessons here are pretty clear cut. But that's okay. The characters are strong. And the arcs they go through are believable. They come to the end of the book as slightly improved versions of themselves. Grace is still ambitious and driven. Jonah is still emotionally closed off and a little oblivious. They're just working on becoming better and that's all we can really ask of realistic characters. This could be classified as a sports book but isn't too weighed down with jargon requiring explanation. It can be understood and appreciated by most middle grade readers.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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