Reviews with content warning for Grief - Home Field Advantage

I received an audiobook copy of Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Overall, I found this book to be very easy to get into, which was partially due to the well written dual POVs of this novel. Additionally, although I don’t know anything about football I still found myself enthralled with the way it was being described in this sapphic spinoff of the trope of quarterback and cheerleader. On a final note, some of the deeper topics of the novel do require a trigger warning (teen pregnancy, death, homophobia, miscarriage and death among others).

Content Warnings

angelfireeast24's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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gabstersreads's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this book! It took a little bit to pick up pase but about 20% in I was hooked! The author does a really good job of writing dual perspective and both the MCs have a distinct voice.

This book does heavily center around homophobia, sexism, and bullying. At times it was difficult to read about the intense bullying Jack was facing. She faced a lot of homophobia and sexism so I would avoid this book if that triggers you.

I absolutely loved the ending and I felt it was very hopeful and satisfying while still addressing the ingrained homophobia in a conservative environment.

Highly recommend!

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brokenbodybitch's review against another edition

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4.5

Their quarterback dies in a car accident and is replaced by the new kid Jack Walsh, Jack happens to be short for Jacklyn and having a girl replace their fav QB is a huge task. Jack's team and the cheerleaders are mad and try to take her down at all costs, Amber, a cheerleader aiming for captain next year tries to calm tension, her team mates make it clear that she will lose cheer captain if she helps jack.....the problem with that Jack and Amber are falling in love.

I WISH I HAD THIS IN HIGH SCHOOL!!!! this was the sapphic cheerleader and QB romance I was dying for when I was younger and I was genuinely sad for this book to end; Natalie Naudus and Lori Prince did a fantastic job with the chemistry between the two characters and I thoroughly enjoyed how they brought them to life (I loved Natalie already). I didn't really get into any of the sports/cheer/popular kid scene in high school because of ✨bullying✨ so I was that kid who read all the books about the popular and cool kids to see what the 'ideal' high school experience is like and this was my fav trope so when I saw this on NetGalley i knew i NEEDED it. It defiantly lived up to the hype! It was fantastic writing and an adorable story.

Amber identifies as polysexual which I absolutely loved seeing a micro-label talked about, I generally really enjoyed the queer rep in this book; a line in particular I loved is when Jack talks about how amazing it was to hear Ambers mom mentioning being queer so casually. Ambers mom says something about having a bi bob and I know its a small thing but i totally would've picked up on that too, especially when i was younger seeing adults be queer casually was such a big thing and i loved that it was added in. the dynamics between Amber, Jack, and Miguel and them with their teams/other cheerleaders was also done well, although I do wish there was a bit more from the storyline between Amber and Cara(?I don't know spelling it was the audiobook), I think I would have enjoyed them discussing how Cara played into the bullying and hate the three of them faced a bit more, but it also isn't enough of a complaint for me to even think of lowering the rating.

This was such a beautiful story of queer love with the popular cheerleader and football QB trope done perfectly, and I cant recommend it more. Especially the audio book Natalie Naudus and Lori Prince crushed this!

*I received this as an audiobook arc from NetGalley, but these are my un-influenced thoughts*

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brokenbodybitch's review against another edition

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fast-paced

5.0

played into the bullying and hate the three of them faced

a bit more, but it also isn't enough of a complaint for me to even think of lowering the rating.

This was such a beautiful story of queer love with the popular cheerleader and football QB trope done perfectly, and I cant recommend it more. Especially the audio book Natalie Naudus and Lori Prince crushed this!

*I received this as an audiobook arc from NetGalley, but these are my un-influenced thoughts*

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE is another entry in the growing collection of YA books about embracing your queerness and your found family in red states hostile to queerness.
- I loved that both Jack and Amber were comfortable with their sexualities, if not both out and proud yet. I am also glad to see some butch representation with Jack, and also that this book is quite open about the characters' sex lives and urges: a lot of gay media in the past few decades has introduced gay characters but kept them quite chaste on screen, and that is not the case here.
- My one quibble with this book is that I just didn't feel like the characters talked like teenagers. They sounded much older, often using overly descriptive language in a way no real person does.

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meganelise's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Home Field Advantage is the sweet, sapphic, YA sports romance I did not know I needed. Jack and Amber are characters who know what they want - or think they do - but sometimes can't quite figure out how to balance what they want with what others think of them. The question of when to come out, or whether to come out, when you think a dear friend might reject you for who you are, is executed brilliantly in Amber's arc. This book is a delightful read, and I highly recommend it.

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