We Are the Wildcats

January 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-Last year the Wildcats, the varsity field hockey team, had a winning season, until they lost the state finals for the first time in years. The night before the first game of the new season, the team holds the traditional sleepover to forge friendship and trust, but this year Coach interferes. Coach, a former Olympic-hopeful player, enlists new team member and youngest player Luci to keep him apprised of the team's activities. Grace dyes her hair blue to show her team spirit and try to fit in. Ali, who blames herself for the championship loss, is uncomfortable with the other girls. Phoebe, whose injury kept her from helping the team win, tries to hide the pain from her knee surgery. And Mel, the player closest to Coach, tries to make the night like every other, despite things that keep going awry. Secretly maneuvered by Coach, the girls find themselves kidnapping the other team's mascot and ultimately sharing secrets that take them all by surprise. The ending plot twist, the strong female characters, and the solid writing make this a hard-to-put-down read with appeal even for those who are not sports fans. Vivian's development of plot by using the perspectives of multiple characters keeps the narrative moving at a steady pace. The characters are both flawed and likable, and the bond that develops among them is realistic. VERDICT A first purchase with lots of appeal, both for athletes and readers on the sideline.-Janet Hilbun, University of North Texas, Denton

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2020
"The girls who played varsity last season each still nurse a secret wound, the thinnest of scabs capping a mountain of scar tissue." The intense pressure that Coach exerts on these former field hockey champions is far less than what they place on themselves. They are tormented by last season's championship loss: Ali and Kearson choked; Mel, the leading scorer, didn't score at all; and Phoebe limped off the field. This year, the West Essex Wildcats--including new members Grace and Luci--are willing to give up romance, free time, and family for the privilege of being a Wildcat. At sleepovers before weekend games the girls enjoy dinner, movies, and bonding, but on this night, the first before the new season, devastating secrets are revealed. Anyone who raised a high school championship trophy--or dreams of doing so--will find Vivian's (Stay Sweet, 2018, etc.) book powerfully familiar and sink deeply into this juicy read. The writing is both poetic and blunt, just like the badass Wildcats. The pace may frustrate--it takes a while to grasp that the book is not about the season but a series of perspectives and shocking reveals over the course of one long night. The end, while satisfying, lacks sophistication. Most main characters are white; Ali is Korean American, and Luci is Argentinian and white American. A fresh, beautifully written look at high school sports that sparkles with strong female athletes. (Fiction. 12-16)

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January 27, 2020
Uncontested champions until suffering a humiliating loss at state finals, the West Essex High School girls’ field hockey team faces a new season, and the anger of its once-revered coach, who seems determined to punish them for their failure. In the 24 hours leading up to the team’s first scrimmage, the desperate coach tries to control the trajectory of events as six Wildcats share their love of field hockey, their hopes for their team and themselves, and their fears that they don’t belong on the lauded team. As their first team-bonding sleepover unfolds, the girls grow increasingly
desperate to prove their dedication while hiding secrets that could ruin more than just their season. Using alternating third-person perspectives and meticulously unfolding the night’s events hour by hour, Siobhan (Stay Sweet) conveys both the evening’s significance to the team’s culture and the importance of protecting their secrets while staying loyal to team and coach. While the girls’ stories culminate in a satisfactory climax, indistinct voices result in lengthy chapters that blend together, slowing what should be a gripping story of how this team’s integrity, loyalty, and honor challenge a toxic coach’s controlling tactics. Ages 14–up. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Jr./Folio Literary.