Sidelined by Kara Bietz

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Sidelined

Sidelined by Kara Bietz

Release: September 21st 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: TBR and Beyond Tours
Find it at: Goodreads ,Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Book Depository , IndieBound , Indigo

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An emotional YA romance about small town secrets, high school football, and broken hearts.

Julian Jackson has a short to-do list for his senior year at Crenshaw County High School in Meridian, Texas: football, football, and more football. He knows he’s only got one chance to earn a college scholarship and make it out of his small town, and keeping his head down, his grades up, and his cleats on the field is that one chance. And then Elijah Vance walks back into his life, throwing all of his carefully-laid plans into a tailspin.

Elijah and Julian used to be best friends, maybe even on their way to something more than just friends. But three years ago, Elijah broke into the school to steal money from the coach’s office, and Julian was the one who turned him in. After that, Elijah and his family disappeared without a trace. And now he’s back, sitting at Julian’s grandmother’s kitchen table.

But time and distance haven’t erased all of their feelings, and Elijah knows that he finally has a chance to prove to Julian that he’s not the same person he was three years ago. But with secrets still growing between them and an uncertain future barreling towards them, it may be harder to lean on each other than they thought.

About the Author:

Kara Bietz was born in New England but currently resides just outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her family. Her first novel, Until I Break, was a Texas Library Association Spirit of Texas Reading Program selection. Her newest release, Sidelined, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

When she’s not writing, you can find Kara hanging out with her family, singing show tunes to her dogs, and adding to her impressive pen collection. 

 

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Sidelined Review:

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What happens when your best friend from long back comes back to your life and shakes it up? The author wrote a beautiful YA contemporary romance in Sidelined.

What I loved about the story were the two main characters. The author depicted Elijah and Julian perfectly as they reunited with each other. Many moments just warmed my heart, like how they reminisce over the good times of the past and how they talk about the people they miss. The author also portrays their feeling and relationship nicely. Julian is the star everyone loves, while Elijah is the troubled boy with the colored past who comes back to town. Elijah tries to ignore what people tell about his father and how his friendship with Julian strengthens him.

Moreover, the author portrayed their emotions realistically. Both Julian and Elijah carry their baggage of how people perceive them and how they need to behave differently. Elijah was my favorite more than Julian, as I thought he was more emotionally inclined than Julian, considering his backstory. The two of them share their ups and downs and try to work towards meeting each other midway. Moreover, even the side characters like Camille, Nate, and Birdie add nicely to the plot. I loved Julian’s relationship with Birdie and thought they were adorable.

The author also spices up the story with specific events, like the Taylor flag/prank incident and the event from twenty years ago. Moreover, the author brings the football field to life, as she describes the games and the backstage drama in an exciting manner.

Overall, I thought “Sidelined” was a beautiful young adult, contemporary romance with likable characters, and I enjoyed reading it a lot.

 

Book Tour Schedule:

Sidelined

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Sidelined by Kara Bietz Blog Tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours.  Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

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