So yeah, Ryan is not too happy about that and he makes his displeasure known again and again and again.Īt times, I found myself annoyed with both Fred and Ryan. Fred’s now apart of the golf team and with her inclusion, some cuts need to be made and the guy they cut just so happens to be Ryan’s best friend. There are plenty of things that jump out during this story. Being Native American, living on the res and being a girl, Fred’s father isn’t too wild about Fred joining the team but he leaves it up to Fred and she accepts. She’s a fantastic golfer and the coach wants her on the team. We first meet Fred when the golf coach for the high school is talking to her and her Dad about Fred joining the golf club. I wanted to read this book because I heard that the main character was a golfer and that was different enough from what I’m used to in a main female lead for a contemporary YA that I was intrigued. 'Not just a Romeo and Juliet story, the book examines the conflicts of white versus Indian and rich versus poor, giving it far more heft than the average romance. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.īut Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome - especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.īut there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile. When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. (Feb.Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary Agency.

Making her YA debut, Fichera shows strong storytelling chops as she weaves together plot lines involving class struggles, violence, bullying, and-of course-romance.

Fred is strong and resilient, and it’s easy to root for her as she succeeds in golf and bonds with her “Rez” friends, including a cute boy named Sam her story, laced with information about Native American culture and traditions, sheds important light on the many struggles Native teens face. He’s torn between his romantic feelings for Fred and his allegiance to his popular but often cruel friends. Meanwhile, handsome rich boy Ryan becomes Fred’s tournament partner, and half the book comes from his unsteady perspective.

She encounters raw, realistic racism from the student golfers, especially the one whose spot on the team she took.

Her talent impresses her high school coach, so he gives her the top spot on the all-boy team. Sixteen-year-old Fredricka “Fred” Oday, who lives with her impoverished family on the Gila River Indian Reservation, plays on the town’s fancy golf course during off hours when it’s free.

Played by liz fichera