Nolan Lennox had things figured out. Named after a baseball legend, she enjoyed being the Tomboy, her closet filled with her brother’s hand-me-downs, cut-off jeans and soccer shorts. But when her first trip to high school results in a broken heart from the first boy to ever make her heart flutter and cruel words from an older girl she once thought a family friend, Nolan starts to question the very person she thought she was and wonders if her humble upbringing can compete with the afforded luxuries of her privileged peers.
Throughout the next four years, Nolan struggles to maintain herself throughout her path of discovery, learning just how cruel teenagers can be through the pressures of underage drinking, sexuality and class. And despite how life seems to continue to work against her, she still manages to listen to her heart, falling deeper and deeper for the guy the entire town adores, even if he only sees her as a friend. Can Nolan strike a compromise between her own integrity and the boy she loves? And can she make him notice her before it’s too late?
Reed Johnson came to Coolidge High School with a lot of fanfare. The son of a hometown football legend and the brother of a local football hero, Reed wore all the pressures of carrying a town without hope into the spotlight. Thankfully, he had the talent to back it up. But when he meets a girl who makes him think twice about exactly what being a hero means, he starts to wonder if following in his brother’s footsteps might be all wrong.
Nolan Lennox was everything that was opposite of expected. She didn’t flirt, she didn’t drink and she didn’t sleep around. Nothing about her was easy, but something about her made Reed want to try harder. Though she didn’t look the part, she seemed to be spending a lot of time in Reed’s thoughts, and he wondered if she could be the one who made it all worthwhile. But could Reed handle letting her down? And would breaking her heart break him beyond repair?
I am a big fan of sport in YA, I can't get enough so I had to get my hands on this book!
Waiting on the Sidelines follows Nolan and Reed throughout there four years of high school and the ups and downs of the friendship that they make during freshman year. Working on a science project together really sets the pace of their friendship, Nolan is from lower middles class, wears her brothers clothes and whereas Reed's family is wealthy and on his way to becoming the quarterback for Coolidge High.
The book just flows between each year which is great as we can see how things change about each character and how they mature. Freshman year Nolan has a crush on Reed but his girlfriend Tatum is a piece of work. As there relationship grows, the more that they slowly fall for each other. Getting jobs together, driving together, things start changing between them.
When they finally get together in junior year after some not so great events, things start looking up for them, Reed is quarterback and has scouts looking at him. But when an accident happens, it tears Reed and Nolan apart. Nolan blames herself and Reed becomes a shell of who he is. Nolan starts focusing on herself and her academics, volunteer work & scholarship applications for college.
The journey that Scott takes you on is one of friendship, first love, experiences things you expect out of a contemporary YA with sport thrown in there. I reccommend this book for anyone who is a fan of Miranda Kenneally's books.
Rating: 5/5
Keely xx
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