Based on the Iliad
, Norris’s story trades the animosity between the city-states of Troy and Sparta for a longstanding gridiron rivalry between the Troy High Trojans and Lacede High Spartans. Narrator and Troy student Cassie is best friends with Greg, sophomore class president at Lacede. When school district lines are redrawn, a number of Lacede students, including the beautiful Elena, have to attend Troy. There Elena falls for Cassie’s brother Perry and dumps Greg’s brother, Lucas, who is devastated and swears revenge on Troy. The football teams and cheerleaders engage in a series of pranks (there’s even an exploding horse at the homecoming dance), and Elena befriends outsider Cassie for reasons that are not fully clear, since Elena is a cheerleader and thus immediately popular. Cassie’s crush on Greg and her budding friendship with Elena all progress predictably, leaving little in the way of surprises. Norris’s (Something to Blog About
) prose is breezy, and playful references to the Iliad
(footballer Ackley has sustained an ankle injury) entertain. But they’re not enough to elevate the story beyond its promising premise. Ages 12–up. (Aug.)
