The Hail Mary Pass

Catching Jordan

Written by: Miranda Kenneally

Released: December 1, 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary: 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.

I was a little sceptical that I would like this novel. I know nothing about football (hell, nothing about sports) and I’ll admit that I was a little worried that I would be left wondering what the hell the characters were talking about.

Well, I had nothing to fear.

Sure, there were sports analogies and sport talk but it was done in a way that I wasn’t left scratching my head. No, this is an amazingly well written contemporary novel that has roots in love, family, and friendship (as well as football).

Jordan is the type of girl who I think I would have been incredibly intimidated of in high school. The girl is written as being pretty (though I think that it’s in that modest way which means she’s gorgeous) and an all-state footballer who has no sense of guys other than being one of them. Plus she’s a regular Amazon woman. I would have cowered in fear that she would body check me into a locker and then laugh at my hair. But, that’s simply not the case. Jordan is as clueless as anyone when it comes to the fine art of boys (as in dating them) and it was sweet reading about her trip into the deep end. Plus, the girl knows no bounds when it comes to the art of conversation. I loved how blunt she was and how no topic seemed to be taboo. Hell, the girl comes right out and talks about her sex life to a fellow female classmate – not someone who’s a close friend either – as if it’s no big deal. I chuckled at that scene and shook my head.

This novel isn’t just about first love or football, it’s about going after what you really want. Jordan wants nothing more than to play college-level football for Alabama and she’s bound and determined to make it happen. But this novel is also about realizing when you need to bend and maybe try something new and strange in order to get what you really want.

Whether you’re a sports fan or not this is an amazing novel. In this novel I have found a new literary crush in Sam Henry and I’m just about to pre-order my very own copy of this book from The Book Depository. I’m giving it a 9/10 and a high recommendation for you to read it if you want a good contemporary novel.

I received my copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.