Playing for Keeps

January 29, 2024
Dugan (The Last Girl Standing) emphasizes choosing one’s own path and the uneven grieving process in this charming queer romance. Ivy, 18, and June, 17, have a lot in common: they’re each pursuing a career in sports; they’ve lost their brother and mother, respectively, to cancer; and they’re slowly buckling under the weight of their families’ expectations. Ivy’s desire to dedicate her time to becoming a referee for the NFL puts her at odds with her mother, who insists that Ivy attend college as a backup; meanwhile, baseball pitcher June pushes herself to the point of injury while trying to make a name for herself amid the shadow of her former minor league baseball player father. When Ivy umps for one of June’s games, the two use their shared history as a jumping-off point for a relationship based on mutual understanding, but their parents’ opinions, the athletic code of ethics they live by, and the pressure they place on themselves soon have them questioning what they want, not only in love but in life. Without sacrificing the banter or sincerity that make up this winning romance, Dugan skillfully crafts parallel story lines in which the weight of loss and pressure to succeed haunt the protagonists throughout their everyday lives as they work toward their own futures. Major characters cue as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Sara Crowe Literary.

March 1, 2024
Ivy, an 18-year-old referee, and June, a 17-year-old pitcher, exasperate each other the moment they meet. In this voice-driven, absorbing dual narrative, anxiety about college applications drives the protagonists' behavior almost as palpably as their grief-stricken family dynamics do. Ever since June's mother, a former softball pitcher, passed away from breast cancer, June and her retired minor-league baseball player father have made June's athletic success their obsession. Meanwhile, Ivy's parents pressure her to focus more on academics, just like her late brother Nicky, who died of leukemia, did. Both young women cling to intense perfectionism, their desperation a shrewd cautionary tale for anyone struggling toward demanding dreams. When Ivy and June realize they're in the "big, gay, dead family club" together (June is a lesbian, and Ivy is bisexual; both are witty), they wind up bonding, then kissing, and then falling in love. Their motivations are clear and relatable--and the two are clearly bound for strife, given that players and officials aren't allowed to date. Plus, June has been pushing her injured rotator cuff way too far, in part thanks to the complicity of irresponsible adults. Ivy's and June's flawed coping strategies clash with their adorable budding romance, propelling them toward gut-wrenching heartbreak and terrifying, necessary, affirming new choices. Ivy and June are cued white; their respective best friends--Japanese American Mia and Javonte, who's Black--are well developed in their supporting roles. A page-turner that handles heavy topics with wisdom. (Romance. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 Ivy is determined to be a professional referee--never mind that she's only making calls at kids' soccer games. She gets a big opportunity when she's offered a promotion, pivoting from ref to baseball umpire. Out of left field comes June, a pitcher with her eyes on the major leagues. The heat is on from game one after a controversial call sets the tone for the entirety of the novel. Nothing that follows is a surprise to any reader of teen romance. When Ivy and June's dreams are threatened by problems of their own making, it can be hard to know who to root for. Though the girls are similarly unique in their respective fields, their bond seems defined by shared grief: Ivy lost an older brother to cancer; June, her mother. Some readers might be frustrated by both Ivy's and June's often poor judgment (particularly surprising for aspiring referee Ivy), and their similar narrative voice can make the alternating perspectives confusing. Fans of sports romances who are less interested in the sports aspect might still appreciate this sapphic love story.

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August 9, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Ivy and June have a lot in common: dreams of a groundbreaking sports career, overzealous parents, and grief over the loss of a family member. Their initial meeting is less than ideal when Ivy is called in to officiate one of June's baseball games. Despite the rocky start, and the fact that officials aren't supposed to date players, the girls bond over sports and loss, quickly becoming more than friends. Dugan delivers a satisfying queer sports romance, deepened by the emotional complexity of bigger topics. Ivy struggles to balance her responsibilities and her parents' pressure to be more traditional, while June is pushing herself beyond her physical and mental limits to please her dad and live up to the legacy her mother left behind. June's pain, both physical and mental, is breathtakingly real as she fixates on letters her mother left behind for milestones June now feels untold pressure to reach. The issue of young athletes risking their bodies is incredibly important, but June's life feels more richly described than Ivy's, creating some imbalance in the story. Still, Ivy's pragmatic yet hopeful view of June keeps readers from becoming too frustrated with the sometimes-self-centered pitcher. VERDICT A solid purchase for all teen collections, especially with sports-themed romance's current popularity.-Amy Diegelman

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