The Comeback Season

Ms. Smith has written a YA novel that doesn't talk down to her readers. She tells a good story with themes of friendship, loss, family relationships and social insecurities. Ryan Walsh is a sympathetic protagonist that readers will identify with as she deals with lonliness and sorrow as well as optimism for a winning season for the Cubs and a budding friendship with the popular new kid, Nick. Facts, lore, and history of the Cubs is cleverly woven throughout the story. Ms. Smith's affection for the team shines throughout the book as parallels are drawn between hope and acceptance for the Cubs's chances for winning and the events happening in her own life. I recommend this book without reservation for any young adult reader as well as their parents. The story was told with honesty, and it made me cry without resorting to sentimentality. I hated to put it down. Hard to believe this is Ms. Smith's first novel. I look forward to more.

As a public librarian, I review a lot of books, particularly young adult titles so I can make useful suggestions to patrons. This is one of the best I've read in the past three years. The author blended angst, loss, grief, blended families, changing friendships, illness, the love of a baseball team and secrets to create a seamless story that grabbed me on page one and didn't let me free until the following evening when I finished it with a sigh. It has an ending that, unlike many books, is a bit ambiguous, just like real life. This is one I will really push to my YA summer readers as a great book that will both captivate and provoke feelings.

When their father passed away in an accident, Ryan was only nine years old and her sister Emily was a toddler. Now a freshman in high school, Ryan is pretty much just treading water, her head and heart firmly planted in the past as she watches everyone else move on. Her old friends aren't really in touch with her. Her mother has remarried and is expecting another child. Her sister adores her stepfather and knows him better than she ever knew her father. Ryan feels as though she's the only one who honors his memory anymore. On the fifth anniversary of her father's death, Ryan leaves school early to attend the first game of the season at Wrigley Field. It's more of an impromptu decision than a rebellious moment. She loved going to the games with her father. Because he supported the Cubs, so does she, even if they aren't the winningest team. They went to the games more out of love for the team than for love of the game itself. Ryan doesn't play baseball herself, nor does she have interest in any other teams or sports. While at the opening game, she bumps into a kid from school. They start talking, and she is instantly at ease with him. His name is Nick, and his presence will change her life. Without looking for loyalty, love, or friendship, all three have found her. Nick has his own reasons for being guarded, yet he remains optimistic about the future. Ryan's relationship with Nick teaches her to have hope. From their first encounter and throughout the book, their silences say as much as their dialogue. After feeling lonely for so long, Ryan finally connects with someone, someone who makes her want to move forward instead of backward. Shortly after she takes that first step forward, life presents her with a series of new challenges. Again scared and unsure, she stumbles into the bargaining phase of grief. Jennifer E. Smith's debut novel is poignant and memorable. The premise will grab sports fans, but the story is for everyone. You needn't be a baseball enthusiast to enjoy this book. It's far more about loss, hope, and trust than about pitches and innings. The Comeback Season will appeal not only to fans of the Cubs, but also to fans of Sarah Dessen and Nicholas Sparks.

Five years ago, Ryan's father died, and since then she's felt as if she's been living life in a fog, never truly awake. All that changes on opening day of the Chicago Cubs' season, when she finds herself skipping school and on a train headed to watch the game. Here is where she feels her father the most, eagerly cheering on the worst team in the league, and making that timeless bargain of "If the Cubs win, then..." Here is where she also meets Nick, new to her school. Nick shares her passion for baseball and the Cubs, and soon the two are fast friends, and maybe even more. But do they have the courage to look beyond what may happen and live their lives the way they want? Smith takes a deep look at death at how the human spirit deals with the tragedy in this novel. Ryan is an admirable character and the reader will find themselves empathizing, crying, and rejoicing with her as this beautiful story unfolds. Though some readers might find the thorough history of the Chicago Cubs team history dull, it is cleverly interspersed throughout the book so as not to slow down the story. The Comeback Season is a heartwarming mix of love and acceptance, life and death, and humor and sadness that you will not soon forget. Jennifer E. Smith is definitely an author to watch. For more book reviews, author interviews, and contests, visit: http://thecompulsivereader.blogspot.com/

I loooooved this book. A lot happens, and I don't want to spoil the plot, but the basic story is about a fifteen-year-old girl and what happens during a year of her life (backstory: her father died when she was ten). The author perfectly captures what it's like to be that age -- the changing friendships, the school dance, dealing with your parents in a new way, coming to grips with bigger issues. There are a lot of books on just these subjects, of course, but this book makes them fresh and fascinating. I ripped through the book in two sittings. It would also make a terrific gift -- no need to worry about age appropriateness.