Kindred Reads {11}

A couple months ago I had a blog survey, and one of the main pieces of feedback I received were that readers were very interested in bringing Kindred Reads back!
Kindred Reads is my weekly feature highlighting YA book recommendations based on their similarities to each other. Each week a theme or idea is chosen, and a few books will be highlighted for dealing with that theme.
This week's theme: teens & sex in contemporary YA; books that pose a thoughtful story with this as a focus, and include some humour

Purity by Jackson Pearce
A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order.
Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.
Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity. (Goodreads)

My 4 star review for Purity.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate. (Goodreads)

My 4 star review for Catching Jordan.

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention
Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling... (Goodreads)

My 5 star review for Shut Out.

I enjoyed reading all three of these books, but they especially stood out to me with the way they realistically brought up the topic of teenagers having sex (or choosing to abstain). It's something that still isn't talked about that oftne, and I think it's great that they all talked about ways to be responsible and mature about making a decision regarding an indivudal's sex life. All three authors are specially skilled at providing humorous aspects to their books, which only makes them more enjoyable to read! If you've read & liked only one or two of these, make sure to check out the ones you haven't read because I think you'd be sure to enjoy them. There's something refreshingly honest & raw about these books that make them new favourites.

Review: Catching Jordan

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
Release Date ~ December 1, 2011
Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN13: 9781402262272
Received from: finished copy from Raincoast Books for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

Every so often there's a book that just seems to catch on and spread like wildfire. Catching Jordan isn't a book that caught my eye at first, until I started reading all the raving reviews from other readers and bloggers. And after all of that, I just HAD to know what the deal was with this book.

Catching Jordan is an exemplary YA contemporary book; it offers up the best of what most readers are looking for, mingling humour with heartgripping moments and the complications that come with growing up.

1. Fantastic narrative:
   One of the first things that really grabbed me with Catching Jordan is how well Miranda is able to write from the point of view and voice of a teenaged girl. But not just any typical girl, but Jordan Woods. Her expressions and perspective are so easily conveyed through the words, that you have no problem buying into the story or Jordan as a character. And I'm especially impressed because Jordan isn't stereotypical in any way. She's both able to blend in with guys, yet stand out on her own as a girl at the same time. That's a thin line to walk, but it's handled expertly here.
2. Realistic dialogue:
   Similar to what I talked about above, but it goes even further with the dialogue. The dialogue and conversations flowed so naturally, that it was like listening in on a conversation or watching a movie because it felt so alive and real. I loved the bantering between Henry and Jordan, and how she conversed with her other teammates.
3. Sports book for people who don't necessarily like sports:Thankfully, you don't have to be much of an athlete to enjoy Catching Jordan, a book which revolves around a female football player. There's a lot going on outside of this, and even though I'm nothing like Jordan when it comes to specific details I could easily relate to her and her struggles. Football is Jordan's passion, but there's so much more to her than that. Don't be turned off by the sports theme, if you're someone who isn't a fan of sports! Give it a chance, and you'll see what I mean.

That being said, I still feel as if I was looking for something more from it overall. I really wanted to be blown away by it, and while I was impressed it seems that it didn't resonate with me as much as it has with other readers. I think some of the storylines could've been fleshed out a bit more, and while Jordan's back-and-forth within herself was understandable I also found it dragged on a bit too long for my taste. I didn't love it as much as I wanted to, but I think I can partially blame that on a lot of the hype surrounding it.

The story itself felt completely candid to me, and I could see why there was this instant love for readers with this one. And I really love a good romance in a book, and this was one of my favourites because Jordan's confusion and problems with it made perfect sense. It wasn't forced in any way, and it was easy to see how she ended up in that position.

Pssst... The Book Depository will have copies available in March 2012 of it, and pre-ordering is under $7!