BOOST by Kathy Mackel

“You need to Boost your game Christopher!” is what Savvy Christopher has been hearing ever since she has moved to this new town. All she wants to do is play basketball, even if it’s on an 18U team where she’s pushed around by older, stronger players. Callie (Savvy’s older sister) also needs to Boost her game. She realized at the beginning of the school year that she gained too much weight to be a Varsity Cheer flyer. There is a lot of pressure for both girls to up their game. How far will they go to get better?
The description Kathy Mackelgives throughout the book about the characters is excellent. After you read this you will feel like they could be one of your friends too! This story is very realistic and is possible of happening. Kathy made this story really interesting and exciting; I couldn’t put it down! Also, the descriptions of what was happening in this book are incredible!

I felt the ball, leather like second skin, and bent my knees, loose and strong. Powering up through my legs, I flexed my wrist and watched the ball take flight.

Swish.

A murmur went through the coaches, parents, and other girls. They would be saying, Who is that girl, where did she come from, and how the heck tall is she?

Savvy Christopher. Newly arrived in Rhode Island, all the way from New Mexico. Six two and still growing.

This passage helped me create a picture in my head of all the pressure on Savvy, and how important it was to succeed in basketball to her. Mackel gives this incredible detail all throughout this novel.

The theme of this book would be not to change your body for anyone. If you want to get in shape or whatever your goal is then you should work at it and not do anything drastic or stupid to your body. Readers will come out with more understanding about steroid use and consequences when using them.  Boost showed me no matter how much I want to get better at sports; I shouldn’t do anything harmful to my body because in the end it will just mess everything up.

            I would give this book a definite ten. I immediately got into this book. For me, since I’m really interested in basketball, I sped right through it! Also, if you’re a girl athlete and tired about all the sports stories where the characters are usually guys, then you need to read Boost. If you’re the least bit interested in basketball then you should give this book a try! It’s a great read about life’s difficulties, making friends (and enemies), family, and of course; basketball.

Reviewed by Stephanie Smith

8th Grade