Open Court

July 1, 2007
Gr 5-8-Balance, like a good tennis racquet, is what Holloway "Hall" Braxton wants and doesn't have. She is 13, a highly successful and bold player on the junior tennis circuit. She has friends, and her parents and coach wholeheartedly believe in her abilities. Still, Hall worries about others' expectations and her own. Janie, her closest competitor, had a mental meltdown and is in the hospital. Hall and her best friend since kindergarten, Eve, aren't seeing eye-to-eye anymore. Polly is the new kid on the block, a wizard at math, who can relate to the pressures that Hall faces. Coach's voicebarking orders in her head, guiding her to victory-is suddenly silent, and Hall is afraid she is losing her nerve, the drive to win, the "zone" that makes tennis seem so effortless and powerful. Her parents are struggling to keep her in competitionequipment and trips to matches are very costly, but suddenly brochures for expensive tennis academies are appearing in their mailbox. Hall doesn't want more pressures in her lifeespecially since Luke, her idea of a "Greek God," is showing a decided interest. Despite the occasionally adult tone, the first-person narrative intersperses Hall's thoughts and activities with the ever-present and relentless demands of the game, creating a tension and rhythm that will capture readers' attention to the finish, just as a good tennis match should."Roxanne Myers Spencer, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.