Out of Left Field

March 1, 2018
Marnie's love of baseball--and the stalwart friends with whom she plays the game with such passion--has been the centerpiece of her life; but now she's 17 and things are changing.The novel opens with a thriller of a play: Ace pitcher Cody is hit by a ball at the plate, breaking his arm, though he takes first in spite of it. Teammate Joey hits toward a gap in left field, bringing Cody in to home base on a slide, landing on his broken arm. With Cody out of commission, Marnie steps in as pitcher for the team as they head into sectionals and dream of going to state. Team dynamics play a big role in the story and so do the games, but it's the action off the field that is the focus. Secrets between friends and romantic entanglements between Joey and Marnie's best friend, Sara, compound the drama, as Cody and Marnie discover their mutual attraction but shy away from acting on it. Having known each other for more than a decade, these four are transitioning to more adult relationships, and it's proving uncomfortable. The few black, Asian, and Latinx characters are limited to the supporting cast. Humorous moments and appealing characters fail to rescue this unrealistic portrayal of a female athlete who joins a boys' sports team at a crucial juncture.Forgettable fodder but fairly fun as sports fantasies go. (Fiction. 11-15)

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March 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Marnie Locke, a 17-year-old with a loud mouth, a feisty attitude, and a major-league arm, loves baseball more than anything. When her best friend, Cody, has his wrist busted during a high-stakes game, Marnie jokingly suggests that she should become his replacement. With Cody's encouragement, and much to the chagrin of the other guys on the team, Marnie tries out and wins his spot as starting pitcher right as the team heads into sectionals. Worried that her killer curve and wicked fastballs won't be enough against the powerful hitters on the other teams, Marnie turns to Santino, the pitcher who busted Cody's arm and jeopardized his future, to learn his sidearm technique. While it might seem traitorous to hit up her best friend's mortal enemy for advice, it's more complicated than that-Santino is a week away from becoming Marnie's cousin through marriage. Struggling with when to tell Cody this surprise development, catching feelings for her BFF all the while, Marnie is tasked with focusing on the biggest ball games of her life while making sure her friendships and family don't fall apart. Debut author Lee has created a brash, conflicted character in Marnie. She's not always likable, but her self-doubt is endearing and readers who are into sports fiction/romance will breeze through this. VERDICT An additional purchase where realistic fiction is popular.-Abby Bussen, Muskego Public Library, WI

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2018
Grades 8-11 After a devastating loss with her softball team a few years ago, Marnie has given up playing. But when star pitcher and Marnie's best friend Cody is injured at a game, Marnie is the team's best hope for the semifinals. Marnie will have to get past her nerves and show a boy's baseball team that a girl can play. That's enough to fill any gal's plate, but life gets even more complicated as Marnie becomes aware that her feelings for Cody may not be strictly platonic, and Cody's nemesis gets a little too close to her for comfort. While the plot holds few surprises, the novel offers a nice look at girls in sports, with lots of detailed baseball scenes. Additionally, the story gains some depth as it incorporates the complications and confusion of growing up, namely new expectations and the changing nature of friendships. Lee's debut rests comfortably with sports-themed novels such as Catherine Gilbert Murdock's Dairy Queen (2006) and Miranda Kenneally's Stealing Parker (2012).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)