We Ride Upon Sticks: A Novel

I loved the nostalgia of the 1989 setting for these high school senior girls. So many memories of the fads and the ads and the music and the big hair, especially bangs - aptly referred to in this story on character Jen as 'the claw.' The girls are the field hockey team (Falcons) in Danvers, MA, adjacent to Salem and at summer camp just before their best season ever, they make a deal with the devil - or in this case Emilio Estevez, the smiling face on the notebook they all sign (not in blood) as part of their ritual. They also shred a tube sock and each girl ties a piece around her upper arm. This harmless dabbling in the occult -- totally the realm of teen girls of every era (a Ouija board makes an appearance, as does 'light as a show more feather, stiff as a board') -- starts to get a little out of control as the team begins to win and also to up the ante for Emilio's powers. We get a little backstory on each girl - Abby Putnam, descendent of the Salem witch trial Putnams, Jen Fiorenza, instigator of the Emilio ritual and Abby's co-captain, Julie Kaling, a devout goody two-shoes, brainiac Heather Houston, and a handful of others. The story is narrated by an unidentified team member who refers to "we" in a knowing, but detached way - kind of like Desperate Housewives. The action follows their winning season game by game through the fall months leading up to "States" (the championship), but cuts abruptly to the present (2019), so the reader has to hang on just a bit longer to see who won! This is very much a coming-of-age comedy, but like all good ones, it has some poignancy and insight too. The girls are empowered by their pact, and while the mischief and mayhem of their antics gets a little out of control, it ultimately shapes who they become. Some great thoughts about what it meant to be a girl in the world: regarding the unwanted attention of men: "...she pretended it was harmless fun. It was a defense mechanism women have been perfecting since the dawn of time, to act breezy and light like the fuzz on a dandelion gone to seed. To be anything but kind in the face of male desire was dangerous. Nobody had to teach us this lesson -- it was just something we knew from the earliest days on the playground." (130) The book is very clever and well-crafted - I got a little weepy at the end - and loved the chance to see what each young woman became when they gathered in the present for a wedding - and a lunar eclipse... "each of us a candle in the darkness, because while the moon is our soul sister, unlike her we are no one's reflection - we shine in dark places by the light of our own being...Remember that darkness simply requires another way of seeing. Be your own light. And just like that, you'll find yourself everywhere instantly." (360) If only John Hughes were still alive - what a movie he could make with this book! show less

This is possibly my favorite book of the year so far. Maybe it will just be my favorite Covid-19 book. I definitely needed a fun and engaging, but sorta light, read to get me through these days.
Set in Danvers, Mass - home of the Salem Witch Trials - in 1989. The Danvers Falcons Women's Varsity Field Hockey team is determined to have a winning season, including becoming State Champions. At summer field hockey camp they were losing every game. One night the team goalie, Mel, performed a ritual involving an Emilio Estevez notebook. After that she was able to stop any ball that came at her net. One by one the 10 girls and 1 boy that make up the team visit Mel, they sign their name in the book of Emilio and have a piece of blue tube sock show more tied around their upper arm. When the season starts the Falcons win every game. To keep their winning streak going the 11 team members routinely write their confessions in Emilio and perform rituals and sacrifices to Emilio. As the season goes on the rituals and sacrifices become more consequential and dangerous. When the team wins the championship was it because of Emilio or their faith in themselves?
Each character has a chapter where their story is told; their history, family life, what they want from the team, and the rituals and sacrifices they perform in order to keep winning. The book ends with a chapter set in 2020 where we find out what happened to each team member.
Highly recommended. show less

WE RIDE UPON STICKS is not just another rags-to-riches sports story. Instead it is an enjoyable exploration of what it is like for a group of talented young women to believe in themselves. In this case, the Danvers High School girls field hockey team sets out to become the 1989 Massachusetts State champions. What this team lacks in athletic accomplishments, it more than makes up for in imagination. They become convinced that witchcraft, some smelly blue tube socks, and Emilio Esteves will deliver the success they seek. Indeed, witches are people for whom their town, formerly known as Salem Village, is well acquainted.

Barry takes on a well-travelled theme in this novel—the power of faith. Cervantes tackled it in “Don Quixote” and show more Chekhov summed it up with the sentiment, “Man is what he believes.” Two-time Olympic champion, Gail Devers, aptly captured its importance for athletes when she said “Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” Whether real or imagined, faith in a cause and teamwork can carry people a long way toward achieving impossible goals. Was it witchcraft or hard work and teamwork that propelled these young women to success? Barry seems to suggest it may have been the latter.

Barry’s focus is not so much on the games they play, as on the young women (and one guy) who do the playing. Each is a unique and fully realized character and Barry relates their stories with grace and humor—especially humor. Along the way, she captures just about all of teenage culture, including angst, self-doubt, raging hormones, parental struggles, identity, etc., etc. Barry is especially adept at evoking the times, especially the popular songs they listen to and the flawed adults they manipulate (coaches, cops and teachers). The title of the novel is particularly inspired because it evokes the sticks, they “ride” into battle while chanting “field, field, field” “hockey, hockey, hockey” as well as the brooms the Salem witches “rode.” Enjoy the journey. show less

this book was almost perfect. hilarious, touching, engaging, suspenseful, fun, sweet, etc. the only thing i have to say is: cis writers, please, when you write about a trans woman character, you do not need to include a scene where everyone looks at her genitals and describes them. just let her be.

It's 1989, and though the Danvers High field hockey team has had losing seasons the past several years, this group of seniors is ready to turn that around - and they may just be willing to resort to witchcraft to do it. Writing their notes to the "Darkness" in Emilio Estevez notebook and wearing blue sock armbands, they begin to win. What will it take to get all the way to States this year?

This is a really fun exploration of team and friendship and all the highs and lows of high school, with a little bit of possible magic thrown in. There are references to the 1692 witchcraft titles - one of the characters, Abby, is said to be a descendant of one of the main accusers, Ann Putnam - and lots of '80s nostalgia. The writing in first person show more plural, but also focusing on each of the players in turn, took a little getting used to, but was the right choice for this story. Though the story flags in parts, the ending was really satisfying and left a smile on my face. show less

I liked this book so much I bought a hard copy after listening to it because I want to reread it. I am totally the target audience -- seniors on a field hockey team in 1989 in Massachusetts. And to make second-person PLURAL not only work but become the only way the story could be told ...! It got me with its multi-character focus (hello, Westing Game), its diversity of race and culture and sexuality and gender identity, its slipstreaming in and out of magic and history. And sports -- don't forget it is all about succeeding at sports (fuck you, Lance Bourjaily). I can quibble with how some plot twists landed, especially Girl Corey's, but Barry lifts up and loves all her characters, and the note about the coach being based on her real show more coach had me tearing up. show less

It's the fall of 1989 and the Danvers High School Field Hockey team, despite having a history of losing much more than they win, want so badly to go all the way to states this year. So these Salem-adjacent girls, true to their ancestral natures, make a pact with the Devil (aka Emilio Estevez on the cover of a notebook) and suddenly their lives will never be the same.
I loved this novel, with its clever plot and unforgettable characters. The magic is there and important but also subtle, and it takes an easy backseat to these amazing high school girls, with their massive hair and love for Janet Jackson. I was a freshman in 1989 and these characters brought so many memories rushing back - they're true to their age and the late 80s. Highly show more recommended! show less