Title: Hooked (Hooked, #1)Author: Liz Fichera
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher/NetGalley
Format: ebook
Rating: 3 stars
Summary from Goodreads: Get Hooked on a Girl Named Fred...
HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Puh-leeze. Why is a girl taking my best friend’s spot on the boys’ varsity golf team?
SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys’ team? Everyone will hate me—especially Ryan Berenger.
HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred’s got to go—especially now that I can’t get her out of my head. So not happening.
SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he’s not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.
But there’s no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile....
HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Puh-leeze. Why is a girl taking my best friend’s spot on the boys’ varsity golf team?
SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys’ team? Everyone will hate me—especially Ryan Berenger.
HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred’s got to go—especially now that I can’t get her out of my head. So not happening.
SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he’s not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.
But there’s no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile....
Liz Fichera doesn't hold anything back in her debut novel Hooked. While the story focuses on Fred, the first girl on the guys varsity team, there are many underlying issues at work. Some of them include: racism, alcohol abuse, stereotyping, physical abuse, infidelity, gender inequality and socio-economic status. This may seem like a lot to handle, but it was presented really well in the story.
Fred, a Native American girl golfer, joins the varsity team only to cause an uproar. The guys are not only upset that there is a girl on their team, but that she is better than all of them. While I wasn't a fan of a lot of the characters I thought most were true to what you'd expect. I'm not saying I agree with many of their actions, but I felt like Liz Fichera portrayed each character in a manner that suited them and their behaviors. While we really got to know both Fred and Ryan and their home lives, we only got glimpses of the other's lives. These supporting characters felt a little flat to me since I didn't know much about them. Fred on the other hand, I did like but at times I thought she was a bit naive. She was a tough girl, who has led a rough live and so that aspect of her character didn't fit for me.
The story started off really well, as I love the thought of gender - equality, and if I'm being completely truthful the thought of not only a women, but a minority women showing up all these rich snobby white boys had me cheering Fred on and hoping she would succeed. Soon though, things started to get twisted up and I felt like there were too many communication errors and other situations that it felt jumbled and like we were hoping from one scenario to the next. It just happened to be too much drama for me.
While this book wasn't a hole-in-one (sorry I couldn't help it), I still enjoyed it and will most likely read the next book in the series.
The golf aspect is unique. I still might give this a try. My teens are always looking for a good romance, and the sporting aspect is a bonus. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about this book. It sounds good, but the execution not so much. And yes, I do like drama..but too much of it can cause headaches. :)
ReplyDeleteHmm. It sounds like you had mixed feelings about this one. Fred sounds great, but you're right. That just doesn't fit with any aspect of her character... and that is a lot of issues. But it sounds like you liked it. (: Fab review, Lisa! (:
ReplyDeleteLoves,
Megan@The Book Babe
I love the sound of this. Sometimes I like realistic characters even if I don't like them.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed this despite the jumbled events and too much drama. Fred sounds awesome, and I really want to read this now. I also like the idea of a minority female showing up all these rich white guys. Great review!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoy this!! I've read it a while ago, and I liked it a lot. You're right, it was filled with dramatic events, and especially at the end when everything happened at the same time, I still liked it a lot.
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Sapir @ Diary of a Wimpy Teen Girl
Sorry this wasn't a complete failure and you had a few things you enjoyed. I am still not sure if it is for me, but thinking about it.
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