Review of Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Book:  Front and Center
Author:  Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Published by:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages:  254

From Goodreads:  After five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J. In photographs of course I’m always in the background . . .
But it turns out other folks have big plans for D.J. Like her coach. College scouts. All the town hoops fans. A certain Red Bend High School junior who’s keen for romance and karaoke. Not to mention Brian Nelson, who she should not be thinking about! Who she is done with, thank you very much. But who keeps showing up anyway . . . 

Front and Center is the last book in the Dairy Queen trilogy.  I loved Dairy Queen and really like The Off Season so I had high hopes for Front and Center, and it didn't let me down.

What really makes this series is the main character, D.J. Schwenk.  She is so normal.  She's not rich and famous, but she is completely fabulous.  She's a sports-star (and she even played on the boys football team, which I guess is not so normal) yet is scared to be noticed and take charge of her life, on and off the court.  D.J. is such a realistic and relate-able character that she could be any one of us.  We've all been in the situation of having to make tough decisions and trying to find our own way.

That's what this book is really about...all the pressures associated with life and trying to find your path.  D.J. stumbles like all of us do.  She is scared and nervous and doesn't want to let anyone down...especially herself.

I think this is a great series and I would recommend it to anyone.  Plus, it's set in Wisconsin!! 

Overall, I'd give this book  ★★★★