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zworlund's review
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Very well written and an interesting story but just not for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Fatphobia
Depictions of children in poverty which some may not be ready for.litperuse's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
melodyriggs's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more, but I felt like the book needed an extra inning or two. The ending was rushed and abrupt. I was left with so many questions after enjoying how all of the stories were related.
amysideris's review
3.0
Mixed feelings about this one. I liked the multiple-POV structure, each character took on life and expanded the world. The story managed to feel cohesive in spite of switching focus from character to character. What didn’t work for me were two things: (1) the story would grind to a halt at the opening to each chapter to slog through a rambling tortured metaphor of a prehistoric civilization as a baseball franchise in the voice of a discarded old-guard sportswriter and (2) the abrupt ending. If there’s any point to having this detached omniscient narrator it seems like it would be to wrap up the story into some kind of conclusion, but the book builds toward a climax and then just... stops.
It’s good but ultimately frustrating because I think it could’ve been so much better without the frills.
It’s good but ultimately frustrating because I think it could’ve been so much better without the frills.
yankeefangirl's review
3.0
3.5* on this one, I'm kind of undecided between a 3 and a 4. I was really excited to win this on a Goodreads giveaway because I'm a big baseball fan and just took my first trip to Arizona, so I started it on my trip.
It's centralized around a fictional baseball team called the LA Lions and a superstar player named Jason Goodyear. Each chapter is a different POV of various people involved with the team or residents of Phoenix. I found all the characters realistic and relatable, but none of them were revisited in the book, so it seemed like there wasn't any character development. There didn't seem to be any huge plot developments either. It was just about what each person was doing, there wasn't any climax at the end.
I didn't dislike the book, just think it fell a little flat and ended up thinking "what's the point?"
It's centralized around a fictional baseball team called the LA Lions and a superstar player named Jason Goodyear. Each chapter is a different POV of various people involved with the team or residents of Phoenix. I found all the characters realistic and relatable, but none of them were revisited in the book, so it seemed like there wasn't any character development. There didn't seem to be any huge plot developments either. It was just about what each person was doing, there wasn't any climax at the end.
I didn't dislike the book, just think it fell a little flat and ended up thinking "what's the point?"
jonathanwlodarski's review against another edition
1.0
This book frustrated me on nearly every level. As a linked collection/novel in stories, I wasn't satisfied with how it all came together (or resisted coming together), nor did I understand/care for the sports journalist connective tissue. As a collection of short stories, I wasn't particularly excited by any individual piece, many of which copped out with writerly endings in favor of trying for some kind of conclusion. There is a lot of weird sexism and homophobia and race stuff going on here, none of which is explored or commented upon, which I do think ethically is an issue—not accusing the writer of holding these viewpoints, but I think if you're going to let some character, for example, unironically compare the Trail of Tears to a baseball player being traded to another team against his will, there should at least be a moment where the book acknowledges how fucked up that is.
Just not a winner for me.
1/5
Just not a winner for me.
1/5
eddiebecker712's review
1.0
I love sports, and enjoy reading the occasional sports fiction book. Good ones exist (Grisham's "Bleachers" for example). The Cactus League is just too slow, jumps around too frequently, and doesn't get me interested enough in the characters. Abandoned it halfway through.
tacoshark's review
4.0
I really liked this. Shades of Cloud Atlas (but don't be scared off, this is under 300 pages!), a little bit like Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, but all in the context of spring training ball in Arizona. It's a lovely book, though the end was a bit abrupt for me, and some chapters worked better than others. A few of the longer-playing metaphors got a bit creaky along the way, but overall there's some lovely writing, interesting character work and an overall feeling of time and place that were very engrossing. If you like baseball, I would definitely check this out - but even if it's not your thing, I think there's a lot of enjoyment to be found in this book. I'll definitely keep my eye out for this author's other work!
bjfischer's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
gweiswasser's review
5.0
Full review at: http://www.everydayiwritethebookblog.com/2020/01/the-cactus-league-by-emily-nemens/
Emily Nemens’ debut novel, The Cactus League, is a book about baseball told through interconnected chapters set in Scottsdale at the beginning of spring training in 2013. Jason Goodyear, a two-time MVP outfielder for the fictional L.A. Lions who is going through a tough stretch, is a recurring character threaded through the chapters (of which there are nine, of course), but the book is told through the point of view of other characters living in varying distances from the sport.
Warning for baseball fans: The Cactus League may take a bit of the sheen off the sport. These characters are down on their luck, for the most part, dealing with personal demons. The book opens when a late-career minor league hitting coach arrives in town for spring training to the grim discovery that his Arizona house has been looted and trashed by squatters. A hotshot sports agent is, we learn later, sick with what appears to be cancer. One of the team’s owners makes an impulsive but career-changing decision about a star outfielder after his ego is bruised. These people, some in town only during spring training and some of whom live in Scottsdale year-round, struggle with their self-worth and the prospects for their future. There is a lot of detail and atmosphere in The Cactus League, all of which add up to a richly textured depiction of this strange but revered desert ecosystem.
But spring is a period of renewal and hope. Nemens describes beautifully how the pre-season awakens in players the drive to start over with a clean slate, to erase past failures and claim their rightful lineup spot or win the title that’s escaped them through their years in the majors. For the industry hangers-on – the stadium organist, the wives, the woman selling hot dogs in the new stadium – they too express their hopes and resolutions amidst the warming sun and green grass of the newly mowed field. Will they find redemption?
The Cactus League is a rarity – a beautifully written, character-driven novel about sports. As for whether you need to be a baseball fan to enjoy it? I can’t answer that. I will say that as a baseball fan, I absolutely loved it.
Emily Nemens’ debut novel, The Cactus League, is a book about baseball told through interconnected chapters set in Scottsdale at the beginning of spring training in 2013. Jason Goodyear, a two-time MVP outfielder for the fictional L.A. Lions who is going through a tough stretch, is a recurring character threaded through the chapters (of which there are nine, of course), but the book is told through the point of view of other characters living in varying distances from the sport.
Warning for baseball fans: The Cactus League may take a bit of the sheen off the sport. These characters are down on their luck, for the most part, dealing with personal demons. The book opens when a late-career minor league hitting coach arrives in town for spring training to the grim discovery that his Arizona house has been looted and trashed by squatters. A hotshot sports agent is, we learn later, sick with what appears to be cancer. One of the team’s owners makes an impulsive but career-changing decision about a star outfielder after his ego is bruised. These people, some in town only during spring training and some of whom live in Scottsdale year-round, struggle with their self-worth and the prospects for their future. There is a lot of detail and atmosphere in The Cactus League, all of which add up to a richly textured depiction of this strange but revered desert ecosystem.
But spring is a period of renewal and hope. Nemens describes beautifully how the pre-season awakens in players the drive to start over with a clean slate, to erase past failures and claim their rightful lineup spot or win the title that’s escaped them through their years in the majors. For the industry hangers-on – the stadium organist, the wives, the woman selling hot dogs in the new stadium – they too express their hopes and resolutions amidst the warming sun and green grass of the newly mowed field. Will they find redemption?
The Cactus League is a rarity – a beautifully written, character-driven novel about sports. As for whether you need to be a baseball fan to enjoy it? I can’t answer that. I will say that as a baseball fan, I absolutely loved it.