Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin

Release: August 3rd 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

“What if I played football?” I ask. As soon as it’s out of my mouth, I feel stupid. Even suggesting it feels like I’ve overstepped some kind of invisible line we’ve all agreed not to discuss. We don’t talk about how Mara is different from other girls. We don’t talk about how Mara is gay but no one says so. But when I do stuff like this, I worry it gets harder for us all to ignore what’s right in front of us. I direct my gaze to Quinn. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s frickin’ genius,” he says.

After getting kicked off the basketball team for a fight that was absolutely totally not her fault (okay maybe a little her fault), Mara is dying to find a new sport to play to prove to her coach that she can be a team player. A lifelong football fan, Mara decides to hit the gridiron with her brother, Noah, and best friend, Quinn-and she turns out to be a natural. But joining the team sets off a chain of events in her small Oregon town-and within her family-that she never could have predicted.

Inspired by what they see as Mara’s political statement, four other girls join the team. Now Mara’s lumped in as one of the girls-one of the girls who can’t throw, can’t kick, and doesn’t know a fullback from a linebacker. Complicating matters is the fact that Valentina, Mara’s crush, is one of the new players, as is Carly, Mara’s nemesis-the girl Mara fought with when she was kicked off the basketball team. What results is a coming-of-age story that is at once tear-jerking and funny, thought-provoking and real, as Mara’s preconceived notions about gender, sports, sexuality, and friendship are turned upside down.

Britta Lundin’s sophomore novel will give readers all the feels, and make them stand up and cheer.

About the Author:

Britta Lundin is a TV writer and author. She’s written for shows such as Riverdale, Betty, and The Big Leap and is the author of the young adult novels Like Other Girls (out August 2021) and Ship It. . A longtime fanfiction reader and writer, she can track her life milestones by what she was shipping at the time. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives with her wife and their dog and lemon tree in Los Angeles.

Like Other Girls Review:

To begin with, I loved the theme of the story and found it refreshing to what we usually get in the Young adult genre. The author gives us a ploy of school and sports but focusing on a strong female lead. Moreover, the lead character is gay, so she goes through many emotions in the tale to find herself. The situation doesn’t help her when she has to grow up in a small religious town. Even if you strip away all of that, this is still a beautiful story of how to fit in, find the right crowd, and support one another when hard times.

Mara was a complex character, and I think the author portrayed her perfectly. It is natural for us to see her frustrations when society has other expectations for her. Nevertheless, she stands tall and does what she wants, and follows her dreams, whether others like it or not. The author also adds in some drama on Carly, Noah, and Quinn. While I enjoyed her scenes with Carly, Quinn turned out to be a person I despised. Even Tayley and Valentina were nice.

Moreover, I loved how the author did not digress the story’s theme by sidetracking unnecessary romance. Even though we see a spark between Mara and Jupiter, the author balances the two tastefully. It was also interesting to see the dynamics she has with her parents when they learn about her passion for sports. On top of it all, the author adds purely sports scenes that add to the excitement.

Overall, “Like Other Girls” is a lovely contemporary young adult novel that will make you laugh, cry and get excited about football.

Giveaway:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of LIKE OTHER GIRLS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!