Honestly, is every book that claims it is the next Dairy Queen going to end up being a huge disappointment? D.J. Schwenks title as Best Rural Tomboy has still not been usurpedhas hardly been challenged, I think. CHASING JORDAN takes place in a setting where football is big, yes, but I think thats where the similarities end.
CHASING JORDAN was a typical YA dramatic luv story hiding under a sporty exterior. Sure, there was talk of Jordan being Tennessees best quarterback, but all real aspects of state-level varsity sport life soon fell by the wayside, overpowered by the drama of a typical teenage love triangle. Ty never fully developed into a believable character for me. Maybe that had something to do with the outcome of the book, but I dont think that that is a valid reason for having one-dimensional characters: one can write believable, three-dimensional, and sympathetic characters without forcing them to pair up into happily-ever-afters (see: Donna Freitas). I wanted more sport, less typical teen love dramabut teen luv was exactly what I got.
But I think what bothered me the mostand perhaps this is just a me thing, but Ive become incredibly sensitive to these things, and, come on, its 2012was CATCHING JORDANs complete and utter dismissal of possible alternative lifestyles. I hesitate to even use that term alternative, since, like I said, its 2012, and gosh darnit, people can live whatever lifestyles they want! I understand, marginally, that CATCHING JORDAN is set in the American South, but I was so, so disappointed during that stupid Home Ec scene with the fake babies and the students needing to pair up to be husbands and wives, and everyone automatically turning to the only guy in the class, as if being paired up with a female classmate is the end of your social life. What is this, the 1960s? Add to that a story setting in which lots of guys are constantly together, and all they can think about are ditzy cheerleaders. Seriously. Ditzy cheerleaders. In a YA world where cheerleaders can be popular yet real people (again, see: Donna Freitas), this kind of cardboardism is so passé, its not even fun anymore. Its just sad.
CHASING JORDANs main premiseof Jordan learning how to embrace her female desires and fall for a guywas so bland that it allowed me to focus on all the little things about the setup of the story that bothered me and have now made their way into my review. If youre picking this up because you want a simple love triangle story, that works; however, if youre looking for a smart and fun book featuring the sports-related travails of a female athlete, you might do better to look elsewhere.
CHASING JORDAN was a typical YA dramatic luv story hiding under a sporty exterior. Sure, there was talk of Jordan being Tennessees best quarterback, but all real aspects of state-level varsity sport life soon fell by the wayside, overpowered by the drama of a typical teenage love triangle. Ty never fully developed into a believable character for me. Maybe that had something to do with the outcome of the book, but I dont think that that is a valid reason for having one-dimensional characters: one can write believable, three-dimensional, and sympathetic characters without forcing them to pair up into happily-ever-afters (see: Donna Freitas). I wanted more sport, less typical teen love dramabut teen luv was exactly what I got.
But I think what bothered me the mostand perhaps this is just a me thing, but Ive become incredibly sensitive to these things, and, come on, its 2012was CATCHING JORDANs complete and utter dismissal of possible alternative lifestyles. I hesitate to even use that term alternative, since, like I said, its 2012, and gosh darnit, people can live whatever lifestyles they want! I understand, marginally, that CATCHING JORDAN is set in the American South, but I was so, so disappointed during that stupid Home Ec scene with the fake babies and the students needing to pair up to be husbands and wives, and everyone automatically turning to the only guy in the class, as if being paired up with a female classmate is the end of your social life. What is this, the 1960s? Add to that a story setting in which lots of guys are constantly together, and all they can think about are ditzy cheerleaders. Seriously. Ditzy cheerleaders. In a YA world where cheerleaders can be popular yet real people (again, see: Donna Freitas), this kind of cardboardism is so passé, its not even fun anymore. Its just sad.
CHASING JORDANs main premiseof Jordan learning how to embrace her female desires and fall for a guywas so bland that it allowed me to focus on all the little things about the setup of the story that bothered me and have now made their way into my review. If youre picking this up because you want a simple love triangle story, that works; however, if youre looking for a smart and fun book featuring the sports-related travails of a female athlete, you might do better to look elsewhere.
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