Sunday, June 23, 2013

Review: Waiting on the Sidelines by Ginger Scott

Title: Waiting on the Sidelines
Author: Ginger Scott
Release date: April 15, 2013
My Rating: ★★★★★ 
Synopsis: 
Nolan Lennox had things figured out. Named after a baseball legend, she enjoyed being the Tomboy, her closet filled with her brother’s hand-me-downs, cut-off jeans and soccer shorts. But when her first trip to high school results in a broken heart from the first boy to ever make her heart flutter and cruel words from an older girl she once thought a family friend, Nolan starts to question the very person she thought she was and wonders if her humble upbringing can compete with the afforded luxuries of her privileged peers.

Throughout the next four years, Nolan struggles to maintain herself throughout her path of discovery, learning just how cruel teenagers can be through the pressures of underage drinking, sexuality and class. And despite how life seems to continue to work against her, she still manages to listen to her heart, falling deeper and deeper for the guy the entire town adores, even if he only sees her as a friend. Can Nolan strike a compromise between her own integrity and the boy she loves? And can she make him notice her before it’s too late?

Reed Johnson came to Coolidge High School with a lot of fanfare. The son of a hometown football legend and the brother of a local football hero, Reed wore all the pressures of carrying a town without hope into the spotlight. Thankfully, he had the talent to back it up. But when he meets a girl who makes him think twice about exactly what being a hero means, he starts to wonder if following in his brother’s footsteps might be all wrong.

Nolan Lennox was everything that was opposite of expected. She didn’t flirt, she didn’t drink and she didn’t sleep around. Nothing about her was easy, but something about her made Reed want to try harder. Though she didn’t look the part, she seemed to be spending a lot of time in Reed’s thoughts, and he wondered if she could be the one who made it all worthwhile. But could Reed handle letting her down? And would breaking her heart break him beyond repair?

Waiting on the Sidelines explores young love to its fullest, exposing how real young heartbreak and passion is and how important it is to discover yourself and hold onto your own identity. The story follows two young characters as they deal with mature situations, including the prevalence of bullying and promiscuity in today’s high school setting. Ultimately, Waiting on the Sidelines is a story of hope, honesty and those powerful, first true loves—the ones worth holding onto at any cost.


Review

Thank you to the author for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
After being in a reading slump, where all stories started to sound the same, I was approached with this story for review. I was absolutely pulled in as soon as I started.  I consider this to be a more coming of age story, than YA. Nolan Lennox has always been a tomboy. She has never cared about clothes and looks until she encounters Reed Johnson during her freshman year of high school. He is the football star of the town.  As Nolan spends more time with Reed, she falls deeper and deeper for him. This beautifully written story takes place over several years.  We get to witness Nolan and Reed grow as individuals and experience young love in every way possible.

This deep and meaningful story is different than other books, because of its realness factor. Stereotyping and bullying is a huge problem in schools today, and the author shines light on this problem throughout the story. The character development was wonderful. You felt the electricity between Nolan and Reed in every scene. The love between these two teenagers is undeniable. It’s hard to make young love seem believeable, especially since they’re so young, but the author did a great job at this.  

Overall, I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a different coming of age story. This is not your average young love story. The connection between Nolan and Reed is deep and heartfelt. I really wanted more of their story and hope that there is more Nolan and Reed in the future.


Buy Waiting on the Sidelines NOW at Amazon


 


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