Amber McCloud’s dream is to become cheer captain at the end of the year, but it’s an extra-tall order to be joyful and spirited when the quarterback of your team has been killed in a car accident. For both the team and the squad, watching Robbie get replaced by newcomer Jack Walsh is brutal. And when it turns out Jack is actually short for Jaclyn, all hell breaks loose. The players refuse to be led by a girl, the cheerleaders are mad about the changes to their traditions, and the fact that Robbie’s been not only replaced but outshined by a QB who wears a sports bra has more than a few Atherton Alligators in a rage. Amber tries for some semblance of unity, but it quickly becomes clear that she’s only got a future on the squad and with her friends if she helps them take Jack down. Just one problem: Amber and Jack are falling for each other, and if Amber can’t stand up for Jack and figure out how to get everyone to fall in line, her dream may come at the cost of her heart. Have you ever felt the need to hide your true self? Do you feel that you would be shamed if you weren’t like everyone else? Imagine having to hide your identity from your closest friends because they don’t understand what it is like to be queer. That is the everyday struggle for Amber McCloud who is afraid how her cheerleading squad and homophobic school will react. Home Field Advantage takes place in Atherton, Florida, where the town is reeling from the loss of the quarterback in a car accident, and no one is pleased that the new quarterback is a girl, who just happens to be named Jack. Everyone is quick to be mean, but the only one who’s nice is Amber. She quickly realizes that she has feelings for Jack, but when being anything but being straight is frowned upon at school, Amber is forced to keep her feelings to herself. But when problems arise, and Amber discovers things about people she thought she knew, she wonders if it’s really worth it to keep hiding. This book was irresistible because of the character development, and of the conflicts that took place. I was excited to turn the pages to see what would happen next! Dahlia Adler did an amazing job portraying the struggles Amber goes through and how she overcomes them by standing up for herself and realizing that it’s ok to be different. I haven’t read a lot of LGBTQ+ books, but this one is now one of my favorites! Home Field Advantage will have you cheering and booing, all while connecting with characters that will last with you forever. EO Blogger, Bronwyn M.
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AuthorsBlog authors are students at EO Smith High School in Storrs, CT Archives
December 2022
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