Boost

Really good sports writing! Savvy Christopher is 14, 6-foot-2-inches tall, and has just arrived in Rhode Island from New Mexico. She used to live in a house with a pool and a basketball court, thanks to her father's professional golf tour wins, but their family lost everything after he was injured. Now they live with elderly but feisty Aunt Betty on her sheep farm, and all Savvy cares about is playing basketball... and so she tries out for the high school level travel team instead of the middle school team. Even as an 8th grader, she's good enough, and makes the squad, but the other girls are stronger and more experienced. Savvy's older sister Callie makes the varsity cheerleading squad, but learns that even though she's much smaller show more than Savvy, she's too heavy for the flier position she's always had, because she's been eating poorly and not exercising since the move. Both girls have to figure out how to boost their performances and reach the levels expected of them. What are they each willing to do for that? There's the more difficult "clean" way, and there are other ways... The basketball game scenes are thrilling, and the drama on the court is matched by the family and school dramas off-court. Excellent characters and plot! 7th grade and up. show less

More than just a sports story, this book captures the essence of the challenges that a young girl faces while dealing with her troubled sister, her aunt's threatened sheep, and the things that come between her and the game that makes her life bearable.

The story was great and different. I have never come across another book like this. Kathy Mackel really was descriptive and gave enough background information. I really wish this was a series becuase I would buy every single one!

I really liked this book. It is about a girl named Savvy who plays basketball and was only 14, tries out for a under 18 basketball team, who encounters drugs during the story.
I really liked the story of this book, especially near the end. You can really see what a female athlete can see. I always knew about male sports, and now I can understand that female sports aren't much different. It really surprised me to see that drugs can cause problems for a whole group of people, even if they had nothing to do with it. I recommend this book to anyone that likes a good story. Period.

Good read. Interesting character development. Gives insight to pressures felt by young athletes. Recommend for junior high and high school. Easy to read.

Gr 6-9-Savvy Christopher and her older sister, Callie, each have their own "one thing," and when they move from Arizona to Rhode Island, that's what they rely on to help them adjust. Savvy quickly shows her stuff when, not yet in high school, she is accepted on the elite 18-and-under basketball team. Callie's passion is cheerleading, but stress has caused her to gain weight, and she is devastated to find that she no longer qualifies to be one of the fliers on the squad at her new school. She goes on a strict exercise and diet regime, and Savvy, realizing how quickly her sister is losing weight, brings it to the attention of their parents. They put a stop to Callie's use of over-the-counter diet aids, which does nothing to improve the show more already strained relationship between the sisters. In October, one of Savvy's basketball games is interrupted by a detective who has been alerted to a bag of steroids in her locker. She insists that they are not her pills, but the fact that she has been on prednisone for a bad case of poison ivy does not help her case. Savvy and her coach are temporarily suspended, and Savvy finds that even close friends regard her innocence with some doubt. As with Mad Cat (HarperCollins, 2005), Mackel has turned a tough subject in the world of teen competitive sports into a highly readable blend of intense action, interfamily relationships, and intrigue. Readers will come away with a better understanding of the controversy surrounding steroid use, and with an appreciation for a talented voice in young adult literature.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. show less

I would suggest it to a person that plays a sport because this book shows a family like an everyday family, and it shows how one’s action can ruin another’s. It also shows whey using enhancers is a bad idea. I selected this book because I saw the cover and it had a basketball player on it. I lover basketball so I picked it up.