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A review by literallybookedsolid
Dangerous Play by Emma Kress
4.0
Zoe loves field hockey and her ultimate goal is to play at UNC. After a terrible season last year, Zoe and her co-captain Ava decide to work all summer to turn their high school team around. As season starts and their team begins winning, Zoe gets assaulted at a party, which turns her inside out and spirals the team into a losing slump. After more girls come forward with similar experiences, Zoe, plus the team, decide to take matters into their own hands, becoming vigilantes to save other girls from similar fates.
Dangerous Play is a story about friendship, what it means to be a part of a team and consent. I loved the loyalty that the team showed each other, especially when times were rocky for some of the girls. Instead of competing against each other, the players truly embraced each other, which is something that is sometimes hard to come by in the high school athletic setting. Seeing the team rally around each other repeatedly was inspirational.
This book delves into heavy content. It talks about assault and rape and what comes after for the victims. Every girl in the book was depicted as brave and loyal. Dangerous Play featured a large cast of complex characters with lots of layers.
Zoe was an excellent heroine. Her tenacity and perseverance was admirable. She shoulders a lot of outside pressure, which is very common for teens in high school. I adored the relationship she had with her father and the respect she showed him through her actions. The book did a wonderful job depicting a tough relationship with her mom, but then finding a way to meet in the middle.
⚠️ CW: assault, rape
Dangerous Play is out August 3.
Thank you Roaring Brook Press, Books Forward and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Dangerous Play is a story about friendship, what it means to be a part of a team and consent. I loved the loyalty that the team showed each other, especially when times were rocky for some of the girls. Instead of competing against each other, the players truly embraced each other, which is something that is sometimes hard to come by in the high school athletic setting. Seeing the team rally around each other repeatedly was inspirational.
This book delves into heavy content. It talks about assault and rape and what comes after for the victims. Every girl in the book was depicted as brave and loyal. Dangerous Play featured a large cast of complex characters with lots of layers.
Zoe was an excellent heroine. Her tenacity and perseverance was admirable. She shoulders a lot of outside pressure, which is very common for teens in high school. I adored the relationship she had with her father and the respect she showed him through her actions. The book did a wonderful job depicting a tough relationship with her mom, but then finding a way to meet in the middle.
⚠️ CW: assault, rape
Dangerous Play is out August 3.
Thank you Roaring Brook Press, Books Forward and NetGalley for the advanced copy.