Gimme Everything You Got

Title IX, “that legal thing where they have to have sports teams for girls,” hasn’t much impacted Chicago’s Powell Park High or Susan Klintock, 16, who’s more focused on sexual fantasies than sports. That changes in the fall of 1979 when hot Bobby McMann is hired to start up a girls’ soccer team. Infatuated, Susan joins the team; wanting to impress Coach McMann on the field, she begins extra training with new acquaintance Joe, a former goalie from another school, who is nothing like the obnoxious jocks she knows. Practicing with Joe, Susan develops a passion for the game and for him, but her obsession with her coach may ruin her chance to develop a real relationship. Palmer’s (The Summers) feminist novel offers readers a look at an earlier time in a genuine, humorous voice that feels thoroughly modern. Two strong, contrasting women prove influential to Susan: her mother, working hard to better her life after divorce, and her soon-to-be stepmother, who is unexpectedly supportive. Susan’s awakening to new possibilities (i.e., winning an athletic scholarship) is gradual, making for a fulfilling read as she becomes more grounded and focused. Ages 14–up.[em] (July) [/em]