Playing for Keeps

Gr 9 Up–Ivy and June have a lot in common: dreams of a groundbreaking sports career, overzealous parents, and grief over the loss of a family member. Their initial meeting is less than ideal when Ivy is called in to officiate one of June’s baseball games. Despite the rocky start, and the fact that officials aren’t supposed to date players, the girls bond over sports and loss, quickly becoming more than friends. Dugan delivers a satisfying queer sports romance, deepened by the emotional complexity of bigger topics. Ivy struggles to balance her responsibilities and her parents’ pressure to be more traditional, while June is pushing herself beyond her physical and mental limits to please her dad and live up to the legacy her mother left behind. June’s pain, both physical and mental, is breathtakingly real as she fixates on letters her mother left behind for milestones June now feels untold pressure to reach. The issue of young athletes risking their bodies is incredibly important, but June’s life feels more richly described than Ivy’s, creating some imbalance in the story. Still, Ivy’s pragmatic yet hopeful view of June keeps readers from becoming too frustrated with the sometimes-self-centered pitcher.