Catching Jordan [Paperback]

Miranda Kenneally (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 1, 2011

"Whoever said football and girls don't mix hasn't read Catching Jordan. I couldn't put it down!" — Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author of the Perfect Chemistry series

ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though–she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Greeen moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

"A beautiful novel with a real and captivating depiction of high school relationships, Catching Jordan shows the same reverence for the human heart that it does for the game of football." —Karsten Knight, author of Wildefire

Editorial Reviews

Review

""I am still so in love with the characters in this book, and I read it a few weeks ago.
I had so much fun reading it, there were great characters, great romance, and a great ending. I will definitely check out more by this author."-Slightly Bookish" - Slightly Bookish

""Catching Jordan was everything that I hoped it would be and more! It's the kind of book that you pick up to read and find that you can't put it down until you've turned the last page!"-Reading in the Corner" - Reading in the Corner

""All you really need to know about American football to enjoy Catching Jordon is that they throw the ball a lot, don't worry about the rest the story itself is so witty and the romance is so deliciously good and that's all that really matters in the end."-My Keeper Shelf" - My Keeper Shelf

""Catching Jordan is a definite read for everyone; sports fan or not"- Blogger AnnMarie, World of Books " - World of Books

""I fell in love with the hero on page 1, and CATCHING JORDAN just gets better from there. This feel-good romantic comedy about high school football is the novel I've been waiting for. I loved it!" --Jennifer Echols, author of LOVE STORY
" - Jennifer Echols

""Anyone who's ever questioned her path in life will connect with Jordan's struggles and ultimate triumphs." " - Sarah Ockler

""This sounds absolutely fantastic! A girl being captain of the football team??? Love it! "" - Two Readers Reviews

""Jordan is a strong and independent young woman. Who just happens to be the best football player in the state, and a girl."" - The Book Whisperer

""Catching Jordan is the chocolate cake you eat after a very fulfilling meal. I couldn't get enough of it and it ended way too soon.
I definitely would recommend this book to anyone, because when you get right down to it, this book can be summed up in one word: AWESOMENESS!!!"-The Cozy Reading Corner" - The Cozy Reading Corner

""This is a wonderful young adult novel about following your dreams and facing life's realities. Jordan says it best, "Sometimes you have to give something up to get something better."-Reading Eating and Dreaming" - Reading Eating and Dreaming

About the Author

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek, and her husband. Visit www.mirandakenneally.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (December 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402262272
• ISBN-13: 978-1402262272
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (246 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Miranda Kenneally enjoys reading and writing young adult literature, and loves Star Trek, music, sports, Mexican food, Twitter, coffee, and her husband. She is from Tennessee but now lives and works in Washington, D.C.

Visit www.mirandakenneally.com and www.dearteenme.com!

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#87 in Books > Teens

#87 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One-of-a-Kind, Inspirational, and Fun! :D December 15, 2011

By Ambur (Burning.x.Impossibly.x.Bright)

Format:Paperback

I've been wanting to read Catching Jordan since before they changed the name from Score. The cover was adorable and the blurb had me hankering to read it. Now, after having read it, I can totally confirm that Catching Jordan is an amazing book! :D

The characters of Catching Jordan were fantastic! Jordan was an amazing heroine, and she was so strong...physically and psychologically. Just in case you aren't sure about what I mean with psychologically there (and I don't blame you, I'm even a little unsure :P), I mean that she knows what she wants, and she has her mind made up. That being said, she also knows when it's time to change her mind and be open for those changes. Jordan's football teammates were awesome! I loved her relationship with the guys. They respected her, and they were her best friends. It was also pretty adorable when they would stand up for her. Her relationship with her brother was awesome, too. My brother and I are definitely not that close...and I think maybe that's a good thing. I don't really want to start talking about boys with him. :P Anyway, I loved Jordan, and her friends...and now onto her love interests. Oh, Ty, well Ty was gorgeous, sweet, and I liked how his relationship with Jordan changed. I won't tell you those changes, so you'll have to read about them. Then there was Henry. I loved him as her best friend, and again, I'll let you all read the book to see what happens there. :P

The story itself was...awesome. Honestly, it's hard to describe just how different this book is from others out there. Most YA books with sports, football in particular, are male-centric, or if there is a female lead, she's usually a cheerleader or an outcast who loves or pines after a football player. Catching Jordan was completely different.... Jordan is the starting quarterback and captain on her high school's football team. It was so inspiring to have such a strong female character who was so determined to do what she loved and be seen as an equal. She also stood up for herself, which was fantastic. Another amazing was that this book didn't just focus on romance. I love stories that have relationships in their forefront that aren't just romantic ones, and Catching Jordan had familial and amicable relationships (minus the romance) in spades. One relationship in particular that stood out to me was Jordan's relationship with her father. It made me so sad because it was so strained at the beginning of the book, but I loved seeing their relationship change and seeing them grow closer.

One thing I will warn readers about is that there is sex in this book. It isn't vividly described, but it is mentioned a lot, and quite casually, so I'm not sure if that aspect of the book will appeal to everyone. The flippancy that the characters had for sex was one of the few things that kind of turned me off (no pun intended :P). It just seemed like no one really took it seriously. Maybe that's just my romantic side rearing its head, but it kind of stood out to me, so I wanted to mention it. Now, I will say that it didn't really change how I felt about the book. The characters and the story itself were still amazing, and I think that the book still carries a strong message. Actually several strong messages. It stressed equality, and how being one gender shouldn't stop you from doing what you love even if it isn't "normal" for you to be doing it. A girl can play football, and it shouldn't matter that she's a girl, only that she's skilled. It stresses equality, respect, and following your dreams. It stresses standing up for yourself, and realizing when you're letting other people control you.

Catching Jordan is amazing. It's a powerful story, and will stick with you long after you've read it. Okay, now here come the lame football jokes that I've been holding back. Just as you Remember the Titans (amazing movie, btw), you will remember Catching Jordan, and you can be sure this book will score a touchdown with you. Okay, maybe you can't be sure, but I hope that if you guys do check it out, you like it as much as I did. I definitely recommend Catching Jordan, especially if you're looking for a contemporary YA that's one of a kind. :)

So, have you read Catching Jordan yet?
Are you thinking about it?
Does it sound good?
Did my lame football jokes fumble? *haha I did it again*

***This review was originally posted on my blog, Burning.x.Impossibly.x.Bright.
---I was provided with an egalley of Catching Jordan through NetGalley in order to participate in the blog tour, this did not influence my review. Read more ›

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The awesomeness of Friday Night Lights with a twist December 1, 2011

By Sarah Ockler

Format:Paperback

Meet Jordan, high school football captain, quarterback, and... girl. This book is about football the way Friday Night Lights is about football. Yes, it's there, and it's a big part of the characters' lives. But at its core, this book is about one girl standing up for her dreams and tackling any obstacle thrown in her path -- sometimes successfully, sometimes not. It's about expectations, family, friendships, love, and a healthy dose of straight-up girl power.

And don't even get me started on all those cute football boys. Competitive drive and sexual tension for the win! ;-)

I devoured this book. Anyone who's ever questioned her path in life will connect with Jordan's struggles, missteps, and ultimate triumphs.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what I expected, but fun December 29, 2011

By Keary Taylor

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had really high hopes for Catching Jordan. The premise sounded cleaver: a girl who's the quarterback on her high school football team? Yes please! Falling in love with the guy that plays her same position? I'll take some of that! And just look at that adorable cover!

I have to say, I have really mixed feelings about Catching Jordan. Jordan is a compelling character, she's tough and can hold her own, but she's still a girl who has very girl-ish feelings. She gets confused by her feelings and doesn't know how to deal with things.

But I kind of felt like Jordan was a player. What I didn't expect from this book was the major love triangle. I really don't mind love triangles, I usually love them, I just like to know when to expect them. I was really thrown by it, not really sure who it was that I was supposed to route for.

Parental alert: There is a LOT of swearing in this book. It does kind of make sense, considering these are all football players, but there is a lot of it. And sex is dealt with very casually.

Overall I did enjoy the book. It was compelling and I did finish it in about two days.

3 out of 5 stars.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Equality does not mean girls have to become boys May 30, 2012

By The Book Runner TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

Jordan seems to be dying for her famous father's attention and feels that playing football is the way to accomplish this. Her father is a famous NFL player who heaps praise on her quarterback brother, but will not give her the time of day. All of Jordan's friends are boys from the football team where she is the quarterback and captain. Her best friend is Henry, a man-whore who is in love with her and occupies himself by fooling around with all the other girls. Yes, he is a real winner you hope she ends up with.

Trying to prove herself in a man's game and get her father's praise, Jordan pretty much acts like a boy. She curses, bumps fists, hits and pushes the other boys, has sleepovers and game days, and can out eat most of the team. She is 6 foot and weighs 170 lbs yet is considered a beauty. When a new guy, Ty comes and competes with her for her quarterback spot and her heart, she witnesses discrimination from college scouts who pay attention to Ty's small playing time, and ignore her aspirations of playing college ball.

The love triangle is predictably between Jordan, Ty and Henry when Jordan is finally told that Henry has always loved her but never told her because he didn't want anything to change between them. Henry can't stand seeing her with Ty, though, so their relationship does end up changing anyways. Jordan gets to see Henry all over a lot of other girls including her arch enemy Kristin, and yet, she still wants him. Yes, he loves her so much, he is having sex with other girls. Quality. Of course, Jordan goes from kissing her first boyfriend one day to giving him her virginity the next day, apparently thinking of sex in the same terms as the guys do. That seems believable....

I got this book from the library after downloading the free chapters and not convinced I wanted to pay for it for my kindle. The tone and attitude of the story really reminded me of Shut Out by Kody Keplinger. Both Miranda Kenneally and Kody Keplinger use their books to address what they see as the unfair standards that girls face in society. Kody Keplinger thinks that girls who love a lot of premarital sex should not be considered sluts, but studs like the boys. They shouldn't be slandered because they are getting as much action as the boys are. Miranda Kenneally thinks that 6 foot, 170 lb girls should be able to play ball with the boys and be respected by them for their abilities. Equality does not mean girls have to become boys.

Maybe Studs should be considered man-whores and not admired for it and girls should allow guys to have one sport they can call their own. When you have to look and talk like a guy to play his sport, maybe the issue is not equality. When boys behave like dogs, girls shouldn't want to/be encouraged to join them.

Both books use hurting families and amoral friends to demand a change in societal views on sex. What is not revealed is what women give up when they are treated like men.

Would I/Did I buy it? No. Public Library
Would I read it again? No
Would I recommend it to friends? Not Really Read more ›