School Library Journal (Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Gr 6-9 Savvy Christopher and her older sister, Callie, each have their own "one thing," and when they move from Arizona to Rhode Island, that's what they rely on to help them adjust. Savvy quickly shows her stuff when, not yet in high school, she is accepted on the elite 18-and-under basketball team. Callie's passion is cheerleading, but stress has caused her to gain weight, and she is devastated to find that she no longer qualifies to be one of the fliers on the squad at her new school. She goes on a strict exercise and diet regime, and Savvy, realizing how quickly her sister is losing weight, brings it to the attention of their parents. They put a stop to Callie's use of over-the-counter diet aids, which does nothing to improve the already strained relationship between the sisters. In October, one of Savvy's basketball games is interrupted by a detective who has been alerted to a bag of steroids in her locker. She insists that they are not her pills, but the fact that she has been on prednisone for a bad case of poison ivy does not help her case. Savvy and her coach are temporarily suspended, and Savvy finds that even close friends regard her innocence with some doubt. As with Mad Cat (HarperCollins, 2005), Mackel has turned a tough subject in the world of teen competitive sports into a highly readable blend of intense action, interfamily relationships, and intrigue. Readers will come away with a better understanding of the controversy surrounding steroid use, and with an appreciation for a talented voice in young adult literature. Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Kirkus Reviews

Against the odds, 13-year-old, 6'2" Savvy, the psychologically tough heroine of Mackel's engrossing story, makes it onto a competitive basketball team for older girls. To boost her level of proficiency so that she can battle the more experienced players, she must practice, and practice hard. Besides the pressure of basketball, Savvy, whose family has had to move from their large house in New Mexico to an aunt's sheep farm in Rhode Island, must begin a new school and help her injured aunt with the sheep. It's a demanding schedule, and Savvy is determined to meet all challenges. But her biggest test in this basketball novel, which features play-by-play action and deals empathetically with both the pleasure and pressure of athletic competition, comes when her integrity is called into question with accusations of steroid use. Although the author tries to muddy the waters with an undercooked subplot that involves possible past malfeasance on the part of Savvy's coach, the final revelation is heavily foreshadowed, making the most surprising thing how readily Savvy forgives. ( Fiction. 12 & up)

Voice of Youth Advocates

Fourteen-year-old Savvy Christopher's one passion is playing basketball. She is six feet two and growing, with court skills that promise to vault her into an elite class of players. But first she must cope with many difficult adjustments, including a new town, team, friends, and economic status. Her father was a golf star who, through the PGA tour, provided his family with a comfortable life and luxury home in New Mexico. But after a career-ending injury, he fell into bankruptcy. Savvy, her parents, and older sister Callie move to their father's aunt's sheep farm in Rhode Island. Callie is fearful and insecure in her new life, although she earns a spot on the cheering squad and has a popular boyfriend before school even starts. Savvy and her new friend Gonzo try out for an under-eighteen basketball team and surprisingly make the roster-along with some less-than-friendly older players. As long as she has basketball, Savvy endures the taunts of junior high classmates about her height, the demanding farm work, and sharing a bedroom with Callie. But when a steroid called Winstrol is discovered in her gym bag, her basketball life is threatened. This novel offers a realistic picture of girls who are serious and passionate about sports as well as an examination of the pressure to win and be the best-but at what cost? Although initially the plot jerks around a bit, Savvy's story eventually emerges as a strong and human portrait of how a person can be true to self and still be a successful athlete.-Florence H. Munat.

ALA Booklist (Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Savvy Christopher and her family have just moved to a sheep ranch in Rhode Island in the wake of her father's crippling accident. Thirteen years old, and already six foot two inches tall, Savvy plays basketball well enough to earn a place on an 18-and-under squad, The Fire. Her older sister Callie is a cheerleader and lands a spot on the varsity squad. The pressures to perform at the highest level, combined with Savvy's precarious family situation, the rigors of life on the ranch, the politics of elite competition, and all the regular trappings of hormonal adolescence push the sisters to the breaking point. After a rival player finds steroids in Savvy's gym bag, her family's tenuous integrity crumbles, leaving her alone on all fronts. Mackel packs plenty of dramatic turbulence into Savvy's eighth-grade year. With careful characterizations and honest relationships, she keeps the trouble contained and directed, though, much as Savvy herself organizes her gangly limbs and driven energy into focused athletic success.

Horn Book

Savvy is thirteen, over six feet tall, and obsessed with basketball. Her talent gets her onto an elite team, but when someone plants steroids in her bag, everyone--including Savvy--questions whether that talent is enough. Strong writing and compelling action engage readers, while the layered plot (family troubles, love interests, social struggles) develops Savvy's world beyond the central conflict.