Playing with the Boys by Liz Tigelaar

Lucy Malone has just moved to Malibu, California, and even though she’s got a totally awesome room in an amazing new house, things aren’t going well. All her friends are back home in Toledo, Ohio, and it doesn’t seem like she’s going to be making any new friends soon. But opportunity soon presents itself in the form of soccer tryouts. Lucy was on the varsity soccer team at her old school, so being on the team in Malibu would be a chance to show off something she’s good at. But she’s not good enough; she doesn’t make the final cut for the team and is heartbroken.

Lucy doesn’t feel that she has anything going for her now until the soccer coach Martie suggests Lucy use her strong and accurate kick to try out for the boys’ varsity football team. At first, Lucy is skeptical; after all, she is a girl who wants to fit in. But then she gives it a try and makes it. She soon finds out that football may be her calling. Unfortunately, her father forbids her from playing football, but that doesn’t stop Lucy.

Lucy constantly feels like she has to prove herself. Along with joining the football team comes hazing and potential friends. Throughout the novel, Lucy’s tentative friendships with members of the soccer team, the football team, several popular cheerleaders, her father, and a very sweet boy named Benji are tried. Lucy finds out which friendships are worth it, and comes to terms with her father.

Playing with the Boys was a thoroughly enjoyable novel, even though I didn’t understand most of the football terms. I am definitely not a sports person, so I found it relieving that I was learning all about football along with Lucy. The novel was very straightforward and slightly predictable, but it didn’t make the story any less sweet. I recommend this book to people who like sports novels, such as Pretty Tough also by Liz Tigelaar, Screwball by Keri Mikulski, and Dairy Queen and The Off Season by Catherine Murdock. I actually haven’t read any of these novels yet, but am planning on it because Playing with the Boys was such a fun novel to read.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from author Liz Tigelaar