Scan barcode
hippiequeen's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book! Amber and Jack have a nice dynamic, their relationship is not toxic - mainly they fight out of fear coming out, which, you know, it happens - as it may be in other YA lesbian romances so that’s a yay! I have read it in literally 6 hours, could not put it down! Would definitely recommend it as something lighthearted, inclusive and cute.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Sexism, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: Car accident, Deadnaming, Grief, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Violence
dizzymissliz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
the only thing keeping this from being a 2 is that some of the scenes are really heartwarming. but ....
OHMYHEAVENS.
the characters were all so annoying! they were all so selfish and whiney and very self-victimizing. was not a huge fan of when one of the mcs guilttripped a gay man by saying he was misogynist when he was nothing of the sort. the main love interests fought every two seconds and between that and the insta love i was like why tf are they together 😐 idk i think i just want a sapphic book thats sweet. the end was very tumblr "and they all clapped" and there were so many unresolved ends??
why do we have this whole arc about cara and ambers friendship and the explosion about the abortion and cara basically being the reason robbie died and then it all ends with her showing up to homecoming for five minutes and being like "sorry i was violently homophobic lol byee"
it was messy but honestly kind of messy in an entertaining kuwtk / drag race untucked drama way- i just wish the characters werent so insufferable
also all the stereotypes? 😭like i have religious trauma so i can acknowledge the point the author's trying to make but it seemed like she had a vendetta against christians 🤷🏼♀️idfk anyways.
OHMYHEAVENS.
the characters were all so annoying! they were all so selfish and whiney and very self-victimizing. was not a huge fan of when one of the mcs guilttripped a gay man by saying he was misogynist when he was nothing of the sort. the main love interests fought every two seconds and between that and the insta love i was like why tf are they together 😐 idk i think i just want a sapphic book thats sweet. the end was very tumblr "and they all clapped" and there were so many unresolved ends??
it was messy but honestly kind of messy in an entertaining kuwtk / drag race untucked drama way- i just wish the characters werent so insufferable
also all the stereotypes? 😭like i have religious trauma so i can acknowledge the point the author's trying to make but it seemed like she had a vendetta against christians 🤷🏼♀️idfk anyways.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Sexism
Moderate: Car accident, Death, Miscarriage, Abortion, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
danileah07's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion
kitheminges's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Grief, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Bullying, and Alcohol
Minor: Abortion, Death, and Miscarriage
snowydaze's review against another edition
challenging
funny
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
5.0
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
Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, Outing, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Miscarriage
beccaaaa's review against another edition
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really really wanted to love this book but a lot just fell flat for me. I didn’t hate it by any means but it felt like i was dragging my feet to get through the first like 80%. i found amber completely unlikeable and the coupling seemed so forced. there’s a lot of homophobia and misogyny in the book so be prepared for that.
more into amber: i didn’t like how she treated jack throughout the book and i certainly didn’t like how quickly she was forgiven. she put up with too much misogyny and homophobia from her friends and it was really hard for me to believe that she really loved the girl she was allowing to get maliciously bullied in front of her.
more into amber: i didn’t like how she treated jack throughout the book and i certainly didn’t like how quickly she was forgiven. she put up with too much misogyny and homophobia from her friends and it was really hard for me to believe that she really loved the girl she was allowing to get maliciously bullied in front of her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Lesbophobia
kalin_grace's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
There was a lot that this book did that just didn’t work for me. Most of the characters didn’t feel fully formed. The two MC’s really didn’t have any interactions that made me understand why they liked each other romantically. Most of the attraction seemed to be physical. (If I had to read one more line about how “bendy” Amber’s ‘great legs’ were I was going to lose it). I felt like full chapter could’ve been removed because they didn’t really add anything to the story. There was a payoff at the end, but getting to that point was painful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Abortion, Child death, Lesbophobia, and Misogyny
beffynicole's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley, Dahlia Adler & Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I got home from Pride, sunburnt and fully expecting to pass out when I decided to pick up this book to read before bed. Cue me reading the entire book in one sitting, not even moving, and staying up way too late before work!
Despite that, I probably would have rated this book lower if it wasn’t about being queer. There were some parts that hit me really hard as a queer person who has struggled with religious trauma and that relatability definitely brought the score up.
I highly suggest that readers view the trigger warnings before reading this book because it definitely wasn’t a bundle of queer joy.
I got home from Pride, sunburnt and fully expecting to pass out when I decided to pick up this book to read before bed. Cue me reading the entire book in one sitting, not even moving, and staying up way too late before work!
Despite that, I probably would have rated this book lower if it wasn’t about being queer. There were some parts that hit me really hard as a queer person who has struggled with religious trauma and that relatability definitely brought the score up.
I highly suggest that readers view the trigger warnings before reading this book because it definitely wasn’t a bundle of queer joy.
Home Field Advantage follows Amber, a high school cheerleader from a small-town vying to become captain, but she’s also got a secret – she’s polysexual. She’s been fine not having crushes on any of the Atherton High School kids, waiting until college until she can be out and free. That is, until the new quarterback, Jack, shows up.
After the fatal car crash involving Robbie, Atherton’s former quarterback, Jack Walsh becomes the high school’s first female football player – which already would make waves but on top of that, Jack is very obviously a lesbian, and the team feels like she is “taking” the quarterback position away from the guys on the team while trampling over Robbie’s legacy.
Amber and Jack navigate their attraction, social relationships, at times conflicting motivations, and small-town bigotry.
All in all, I did enjoy this book, but I do think there were a lot of issues that would have led me to rate this lower if it wasn’t queer and tugging at parts of my heart.
PROS:
I think the details on other queer characters not wanting to out other queer characters were perfect. A lot of times the media will portray a queer person as being upset that another queer person doesn’t want to come out. To me, this is completely the opposite because we all know that coming out can be hard and dangerous. Many of us wouldn’t hold it against someone, even if we decide that’s not a life we can personally choose for ourselves.
Adler does a great job of using Amber not wanting to come out as a great plot point, while also making it clear that her friends would have been okay with that if she had just been honest about it instead of lying to both of them.
The queer representation wasn’t limited to the two main characters. Obviously Amber and Jack are sapphic, but Amber has an openly bisexual mom, and a best guy friend, Miguel, who is gay and has a boyfriend. Miguel gets A LOT of page time for a side character. On top of that, Jack has a friend who is asexual (and aromantic maybe?) and another who uses they/them pronouns.
The conversation on not making someone out to be a saint just because they died was decently done. I think this is a hard topic to talk about and not one that everyone agrees with, but I still commend the author for addressing it. I don’t think it was perfect, but this is something that a lot of queer (and other marginalized) people can understand. There are people who have hurt us or continued to support our oppression and we don’t always feel like commemorating their deaths. In fact, some might celebrate.
There are also times that someone is being praised or glorified, dead or alive, who have hurt us, and we can’t say anything about it. This was something that especially rang true to me. We are not always safe to speak up about who caused us pain and it’s always a slap in the face to see people praising them.
Adler does a great job of using Amber not wanting to come out as a great plot point, while also making it clear that her friends would have been okay with that if she had just been honest about it instead of lying to both of them.
The queer representation wasn’t limited to the two main characters. Obviously Amber and Jack are sapphic, but Amber has an openly bisexual mom, and a best guy friend, Miguel, who is gay and has a boyfriend. Miguel gets A LOT of page time for a side character. On top of that, Jack has a friend who is asexual (and aromantic maybe?) and another who uses they/them pronouns.
The conversation on not making someone out to be a saint just because they died was decently done. I think this is a hard topic to talk about and not one that everyone agrees with, but I still commend the author for addressing it. I don’t think it was perfect, but this is something that a lot of queer (and other marginalized) people can understand. There are people who have hurt us or continued to support our oppression and we don’t always feel like commemorating their deaths. In fact, some might celebrate.
There are also times that someone is being praised or glorified, dead or alive, who have hurt us, and we can’t say anything about it. This was something that especially rang true to me. We are not always safe to speak up about who caused us pain and it’s always a slap in the face to see people praising them.
CONS:
Atherton felt like a movie version of a small town. You know the kind, where the person hasn’t actually lived in a small town and this is what they expect the high school and bigotry to be like. I grew up in a homophobic small town riddled with religious bigotry and misogyny. Two actually. There were several times I had to force myself to suspend belief because the characterization just wasn’t fully realistic. A lot of the words and language from the bigots felt more like shock value than what would actually be said.
It can be bad and dangerous; it just presents itself differently.
There were more points that just weren’t believable. A lot of times I just had to force myself to go “it’s a story, it’s already fake so what’s a little more.” I don’t want to have to argue with myself to continue reading the book. One specific example was the football coach not realizing the boys were throwing the game. I mean, come on, if they aren’t good at keeping it a secret from Jack, I doubt they’re good at being sneaky. Especially if they aren’t good at football, they’re not going to be good at faking losing subtly. That does take skill – to know how to fail subtly.
And yeah, adults aren’t always great, but you’re seriously telling me that Amber never went to her mom? Who would absolutely advocate for her especially because she’s bi and would have fought for Jack to be respected as a queer person? No one tried talking to the cheer coach or football coach…At all? Not even give the coach a heads up that they wanted to throw the game BEFORE the game so he could keep an eye on it?
For all the author’s commentary on misogyny, I think she unintentionally writes misogynistic characterizations of women. Every girl in this book except Amber and Jack are written to be completely misogynistic stereotypes of the mean girl airheaded cheerleaders. I think there were better ways to use them as bullies without writing them as completely one-dimensional and almost putting down the fact that they decided to participate in traditional femininity.
The way Jack talks about the cheerleaders, even Amber, is misogynistic too. I don’t think this was fully resolved on Jack’s end just because she ended up with Amber.
This book is heavy. Not physically – no, it’s actually a short read. But I was not prepared for how many topics were going to be touched on this. I honestly thought from the description that this was going to be way more lighthearted than it was. I fully expected misogyny and fear of homophobia to be a theme but this was... a lot. I think if I hadn’t just come back from my own local Pride and celebrated myself, this would have put me in a rut for a couple of days.
This is just as much a romance as it is a political commentary and a story on queer trauma, misogyny, and religious bigotry. I don’t think addressing these things are bad, but there was just one thing after another, and I really felt unprepared for the level of bigotry when I thought it would be romance-focused.
Really EVERYONE at Atherton but Amber, Jack, and Miguel were assholes? This book was lonely. I really wish the author had written a little bit more about some of the characters who started warming up towards the end, like Nia.
Some of the writing felt juvenile to me. I read Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler a week or so ago and while the topics in that book weren’t as heavy, the writing felt more advanced and those characters had more depth. I think an attempt was made to give Jack, Amber, and even Miguel depth, but I think this book was too short to do that properly. I knew their motivations, but mostly because it was written in plain print. It was stated not shown.
And the amount of verbiage used to describe Amber and Jack’s physical attributes and… nothing else was a bit much. With a book this short, these sentences are valuable and could have been used in more productive ways, like expanding on Jack and Amber’s relationship instead of it going from 0, to 10, to 100? There also were a lot of repeated phrases.
It can be bad and dangerous; it just presents itself differently.
There were more points that just weren’t believable. A lot of times I just had to force myself to go “it’s a story, it’s already fake so what’s a little more.” I don’t want to have to argue with myself to continue reading the book. One specific example was the football coach not realizing the boys were throwing the game. I mean, come on, if they aren’t good at keeping it a secret from Jack, I doubt they’re good at being sneaky. Especially if they aren’t good at football, they’re not going to be good at faking losing subtly. That does take skill – to know how to fail subtly.
And yeah, adults aren’t always great, but you’re seriously telling me that Amber never went to her mom? Who would absolutely advocate for her especially because she’s bi and would have fought for Jack to be respected as a queer person? No one tried talking to the cheer coach or football coach…At all? Not even give the coach a heads up that they wanted to throw the game BEFORE the game so he could keep an eye on it?
For all the author’s commentary on misogyny, I think she unintentionally writes misogynistic characterizations of women. Every girl in this book except Amber and Jack are written to be completely misogynistic stereotypes of the mean girl airheaded cheerleaders. I think there were better ways to use them as bullies without writing them as completely one-dimensional and almost putting down the fact that they decided to participate in traditional femininity.
The way Jack talks about the cheerleaders, even Amber, is misogynistic too. I don’t think this was fully resolved on Jack’s end just because she ended up with Amber.
This book is heavy. Not physically – no, it’s actually a short read. But I was not prepared for how many topics were going to be touched on this. I honestly thought from the description that this was going to be way more lighthearted than it was. I fully expected misogyny and fear of homophobia to be a theme but this was... a lot. I think if I hadn’t just come back from my own local Pride and celebrated myself, this would have put me in a rut for a couple of days.
This is just as much a romance as it is a political commentary and a story on queer trauma, misogyny, and religious bigotry. I don’t think addressing these things are bad, but there was just one thing after another, and I really felt unprepared for the level of bigotry when I thought it would be romance-focused.
Really EVERYONE at Atherton but Amber, Jack, and Miguel were assholes? This book was lonely. I really wish the author had written a little bit more about some of the characters who started warming up towards the end, like Nia.
Some of the writing felt juvenile to me. I read Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler a week or so ago and while the topics in that book weren’t as heavy, the writing felt more advanced and those characters had more depth. I think an attempt was made to give Jack, Amber, and even Miguel depth, but I think this book was too short to do that properly. I knew their motivations, but mostly because it was written in plain print. It was stated not shown.
And the amount of verbiage used to describe Amber and Jack’s physical attributes and… nothing else was a bit much. With a book this short, these sentences are valuable and could have been used in more productive ways, like expanding on Jack and Amber’s relationship instead of it going from 0, to 10, to 100? There also were a lot of repeated phrases.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Biphobia, Bullying, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, and Outing
Minor: Abortion and Racism
savvyrosereads's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Out June 7, 2022 [Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]
Rating: 4/5 stars
When the star quarterback of Atherton High dies in a drunk driving accident, no one expects his replacement to be Jack—short for Jaclyn—Walsh. Aspiring cheer captain Amber McCloud is as surprised as the rest of the student body—and her quickly developing feelings for Jack only complicate matters thanks to increasing pressure to choose between her squad and the person she wants to be with—as well as the person she wants to be.
This has been one of my most-anticipated reads for ages, and it was the absolutely perfect way to kick off Pride Month. The romance was adorable and the plot was perfectly mixed amounts of high school drama and feel-good sports story. I was initially pretty annoyed with Amber—though I also felt for the complexity of her situation and her very valid fears—but in the end she deeply impressed me as a tough and clever character, as did Jack, who can only reasonably be described as a badass. I was glued to my seat for the final few chapters, and my only real complaint is that the book was too short—and I mean this in both a figurative “I didn’t want to stop reading” way (because I didn’t) and a literal “I wish there was an epilogue or another short chapter” way (because I do).
I desperately hope there is a sequel or spin-off or bonus content or all of the above in our future, because I really want to revisit this world and these characters. But for now, do yourself a favor and go grab this one as soon as it releases next week.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: YA LGBTQ romance; sports romances; small town high school drama.
CW: Homophobia; lesbophobia; misogyny; outing; car accident;pregnancy loss .
Rating: 4/5 stars
When the star quarterback of Atherton High dies in a drunk driving accident, no one expects his replacement to be Jack—short for Jaclyn—Walsh. Aspiring cheer captain Amber McCloud is as surprised as the rest of the student body—and her quickly developing feelings for Jack only complicate matters thanks to increasing pressure to choose between her squad and the person she wants to be with—as well as the person she wants to be.
This has been one of my most-anticipated reads for ages, and it was the absolutely perfect way to kick off Pride Month. The romance was adorable and the plot was perfectly mixed amounts of high school drama and feel-good sports story. I was initially pretty annoyed with Amber—though I also felt for the complexity of her situation and her very valid fears—but in the end she deeply impressed me as a tough and clever character, as did Jack, who can only reasonably be described as a badass. I was glued to my seat for the final few chapters, and my only real complaint is that the book was too short—and I mean this in both a figurative “I didn’t want to stop reading” way (because I didn’t) and a literal “I wish there was an epilogue or another short chapter” way (because I do).
I desperately hope there is a sequel or spin-off or bonus content or all of the above in our future, because I really want to revisit this world and these characters. But for now, do yourself a favor and go grab this one as soon as it releases next week.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: YA LGBTQ romance; sports romances; small town high school drama.
CW: Homophobia; lesbophobia; misogyny; outing; car accident;
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Outing, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Car accident, Alcohol, and Miscarriage
betweentheshelves's review
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? It's complicated
4.0
Amber McCloud has been dreaming of becoming cheer captain for as long as she can remember. But, it's hard to cheer when the quarterback of your team was killed in a car accident. Watching him get replaced has been hard for everyone. However, when they realize that the new quarterback is Jaclyn aka Jack, everything descends into chaos.
For Jack, starting at a new school is hard enough without being scruntinized as the only girl on the football team. It's even harder when everyone resents you. As Amber works to try to bring everyone together, it's quickly clear that the two girls might be falling for each other. Which means, Amber might have to pick a side: love or her dreams of cheer captain.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this to review! When you pick up a Dahlia Adler book, you know it's going to be an adorable romance, and this is no different! Honestly, it's the perfect book to start off your summer with.
What I enjoyed about this book from the start is that it's a twist on the classic high school romance. We all know the story where the cheerleader and the quarterback fall for each other. Adler just made it gay. And oh my goodness, does it work so well. Amber and Jack have great chemistry from the beginning, and I loved seeing them evolve throughout the book.
Also, the core characters were just a treaet. I specificaly loved the dynamic between Jack, Amber, and Malcolm. They all support each other when they don't feel it's safe to be out. Yes, they all make mistakes, but they're teenagers! Everything they did felt realistic and teenagery. I was 100% here for it.
However, if you're looking for a book that's focused specifically on the sports, you might be dissapointed in the amount of sports actually inlcuded in the book. A lot of the football is just glossed over. I didn't mind, but it might throw you off if it's something you're looking for.
All in all, I loved this as a start of Pride Month read and can't wait for other people to read it!
-------
Dahlia Adler took your typical high school romance story, a cheerleader falling for the quarterbakc, and made it gay. And it was great. Stay tuned for a full review to come!
For Jack, starting at a new school is hard enough without being scruntinized as the only girl on the football team. It's even harder when everyone resents you. As Amber works to try to bring everyone together, it's quickly clear that the two girls might be falling for each other. Which means, Amber might have to pick a side: love or her dreams of cheer captain.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this to review! When you pick up a Dahlia Adler book, you know it's going to be an adorable romance, and this is no different! Honestly, it's the perfect book to start off your summer with.
What I enjoyed about this book from the start is that it's a twist on the classic high school romance. We all know the story where the cheerleader and the quarterback fall for each other. Adler just made it gay. And oh my goodness, does it work so well. Amber and Jack have great chemistry from the beginning, and I loved seeing them evolve throughout the book.
Also, the core characters were just a treaet. I specificaly loved the dynamic between Jack, Amber, and Malcolm. They all support each other when they don't feel it's safe to be out. Yes, they all make mistakes, but they're teenagers! Everything they did felt realistic and teenagery. I was 100% here for it.
However, if you're looking for a book that's focused specifically on the sports, you might be dissapointed in the amount of sports actually inlcuded in the book. A lot of the football is just glossed over. I didn't mind, but it might throw you off if it's something you're looking for.
All in all, I loved this as a start of Pride Month read and can't wait for other people to read it!
-------
Dahlia Adler took your typical high school romance story, a cheerleader falling for the quarterbakc, and made it gay. And it was great. Stay tuned for a full review to come!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Bullying, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Abortion, Death, and Miscarriage