Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks) by Miranda Kenneally

TITLE: Catching Jordan

AUTHOR: Miranda Kenneally

RATING: 4 STARS (3.5 STARS)

GENRE: Young Adult

PUBLISHED: December 2011 - Sourcebooks Fire

SERIES: Yes; Companion Series Still in Progress

• Catching Jordan (December 2011)
• Stealing Parker (October 2012)
• Things I Can't Forget - Coming March 2013
• Racing Savannah - Coming December 2013

"What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate."

MY REVIEW:
**I received Catching Jordan through NetGalley for an honest review**

There is a little game I like to play before I read a novel. This is how you play: Read synopsis. Guess plot. Read novel. Compare guesstimated plot with the real plot. If you guessed right then you win; if you guessed wrong then you lose. I LOST, and I am so GLAD! I really thought I had Catching Jordan all figured out, but this story wasn’t predictable. At least, I couldn’t have guessed it. Plus, the actual storyline was way better than what I guesstimated. Now, that’s all I am going to say on that because I don’t want to ruin anything.

Did I mention that my absolute favorite movie growing up was The Little Giants? I think I’ve seen it a bazillion times over the years. I loved the girl playing football with all the boys, how she was their leader and captain, all the camaraderie between the players, and of course you can’t forget, the cute new boy in town. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally had all of that and a lot more.

The characters in this novel are entertaining, and their relationships are unique. Jordan and her father have a rocky relationship. Her dad’s an NFL player who supports his son’s collegiate football career and all of Jordan’s teammates, but he doesn’t support Jordan. But Jordan has her mom, her brother, her three best friends, and her teammates for support. Jordan and her friends are extremely close, and her teammates always have her back. Everyone on the team looks up to Jordan; she is their leader and captain. They respect her, they protect her, and they stand up for, even though she is a girl.

It took me a little while to get all of the characters down. The characters are called by their first names, their last names, and some of them have two first names: Sam Henry (I swear I am not a dumb blonde, but it took me a little bit to get that one all straightened out). I was trying to figure out who Sam was and who Henry was. FYI: they are the same person ;)

Jordan is a one of a kind character. I don’t think I’ll ever find another character like her. She is so honest. When it comes to life and football, Jordan is strong and in control. She is a natural born leader. When it comes to boys and love, she is absofreakinlutely clueless.

JJ, Carter and Sam are Jordan’s protectors and support system. The four of them are best friends. This novel would have been lacking if it weren’t for these three boys. They are an important part of this story because they add entertainment, humor and romance to the story. Plus, they give some interesting insight into a boy’s mind.

All of the characters felt genuine, except for Ty. I just wanted more from his character.  He was a little all over the place. In my opinion, Ty’s character fell flat. That is my only complaint about this novel.

I am a girly girl to the core. I love dresses, the color pink, poofy skirts, rhinestones, high heels, etc. I was a cheerleader in middle school and high school. As far as interests go, I would consider myself Jordan’s polar opposite. That didn’t stop me from loving and devouring this novel.  I think you can be a girly girl, a tomboy, or even a boy and still appreciate this novel.

I don’t, however, recommend this novel to people who absolutely hate football. Football is a big part of this novel, and you have to have at least some love for the game in order to appreciate this story. I graduated from LSU = SEC = BEST conference ever = Football is a big deal down here = I grew up with a love for the game. You don’t have to be the biggest football fan ever to connect with this novel, but it helps if you are a fan. I feel like I must add: If I could change one thing about this novel it would be Jordan’s dream football team. Alabama? Boo!

I gave Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally 4 STARS (3.5 STARS). This is a wonderful young adult novel about following your dreams and facing life’s realities. Jordan says it best, “Sometimes you have to give something up to get something better.”