The Misdirection of Fault Lines

February 5, 2024
Three elite tennis players randomly assigned as roommates compete at Bastille, a tournament where they go head-to-head both on and off the court, in this multilayered novel by Gracia (Boys I Know). When 16-year-old Japanese American Violetta Masuda arrives at Bastille’s tennis academy, she’s expecting to have a roommate with whom she’ll share her dorm for the duration of the tournament. What she’s not expecting, however, is that along with Taiwanese American high school sophomore Alice Wu comes 17-year-old Cambodian and Vietnamese American Leylah Lê, Violetta’s former best friend. The stakes are high, as is the pressure to come out on top, and as the teen athletes wrestle with their performance and their families’ expectations, they each struggle with their own challenges—Leylah uses an insulin pump
to manage her diabetes and Violetta vapes to mitigate stress—and their desires to live a “normal” life. Via the trio’s alternating first-person POVs, Gracia—a former D1 collegiate player—imbues the narrative with insider knowledge and traces the competition as the girls move through their draws and navigate romance, racism, and friendship. The supporting cast is racially diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kiana Nguyen,
Donald Maass Agency.

Starred review from February 1, 2024
For three teen competitors at the exclusive Bastille Invitational tennis tournament in Florida, there's more at stake than the winner's trophy. Taiwanese American Alice Wu arrives still reeling from the loss of her father, who was also her coach. Mixed with her grief is the betrayal she feels toward the rest of her family, who hid Baba's illness so she could have a "normal" life as long as possible. Alice receives another shock when she discovers that she's rooming with rising tennis star Violetta Masuda, a white-passing social media influencer of Japanese and European descent. Violetta is bubbly, glamorous, and well connected, but there are cracks beneath the surface. Relentless pressure from her mother, a former professional tennis player, drives Violetta to increasingly seek relief through vaping. It doesn't help that the dorm's third occupant is Leylah L�, Violetta's former friend. Leylah holds her partially responsible for the disastrous conclusion to her previous appearance at the Bastille Invitational. Leylah, who has Type 1 diabetes and whose parents are Khmer and Vietnamese, is determined to prove that she belongs in the tennis world without compromising who she is, from her appearance to her brusque demeanor. Gracia engages readers from the start with well-developed characters whose motivations and secrets are carefully revealed over the course of the tournament. Chapters alternate between Alice's, Violetta's, and Leylah's perspectives and examine trauma, addiction, class, and representation through the passion--and desperation--of elite athletes. Compelling and memorable. (Fiction. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2024
Grades 10-12 Determined to make the most of their experience at an elite Floridian tennis tournament, players and competitors Alice, Leylah, and Violetta aren't about to let anything get in their way, even if their rooming situation is a bit uncomfortable. But before long, issues of resentment, addiction, and grief come to the surface, proving that the girls must first confront their personal challenges before they can win on the court. Gracia's sophomore YA novel (Boys I Know, 2022) hops around to each girl's perspective, offering intriguing insight into their conflicts while diving deep into their psyches. Gracia also lets readers in on the world of competitive tennis, drawing the curtain back on the intense rivalries and the dedication the sport often requires. While it offers thoughtful discussions around race and privilege--all three girls are Asian American--this also tackles more lighthearted subjects like romantic relationships, friendships, and family while serving drama. Readers who enjoyed the heartfelt handling of emotions in Leah Johnson's Rise to the Sun (2021) and Crystal Maldonado's No Filter and Other Lies (2022) will find an ace here.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 31, 2024

Gr 10 Up-Sports fiction is overflowing with stories about overcoming adversity, so what better than a YA novel that has not one, but three talented teens triumphing over hardship? Told in the distinct voices of young Asian American athletes competing at a prestigious tennis tournament, this novel depicts them grappling with grief, health issues, familial demands, and racism. Readers first meet Alice, an outsider to the opulence of the Bastille Invitational, who is reeling from her father's death. She shares accommodations with Violetta, a glamorous influencer with a tennis-pro mom, and Leylah, a tough-as-nails disgraced powerhouse determined to prove her worth. Gracia is adept at slowly peeling back the layers of her characters' emotions and experiences as they turn weaknesses into strengths yet remain true to themselves. While readers may root for underdog Alice, her story unfortunately slows and fades toward the end, lacking the dramatic highs and lows of Leylah and Violetta's tumultuous journeys and the emotional payoff that comes with them. The novel remains fresh and compelling regardless, a worthwhile addition to YA sports fiction where tennis is otherwise rarely represented. VERDICT Serve to a future Coco Gauff or fans of Dahlia Adler's Home Field Advantage and Sloane Leong's A Map to the Sun.-Alexandra Quay

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