Back of the Net

by Eve Ainsworth

Facing up to fears of bullying, Eva finds the courage to take to the field in this heartwarming tale from acclaimed author Eve Ainsworth.

Eva’s football skills make her stand out while playing at break-time at school, so her friends can’t understand why she’s reluctant to join them in playing for their local team, the Lightmoor Lionesses.Horribly bullied at her last school due to a painful skin condition, Eva is terrified that the same thing will happen again if her new friends find out. Her instinct is to hide away, but can she find the courage to take to the field and play the game she loves?

Genres: Ebooks

88 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Author of Seven Days & Crush
Scholastic
www.eveainsworth.com

http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/eve-ains...

I have also self published an adult comedy - The Blog of Maisy Malone.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blog-Maisy-Ma...

I love reading, long walks, hot baths, eighties music and tea.

Please follow me on Twitter

https://twitter.com/EveAinsworth

Or find me on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/eveainsworthn...

Reviews

[Tiny Tots]

This book was very inspiring and I really enjoyed it

[Joey Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Union Square Kids Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Eva loves to play football, but after being bullied by her last team hides herself away. Suffering with Psoriasis she keeps herself covered so no one has to see or know, not wanting to be bullied again. But when her best friends want her to join their team she must find her courage within herself, to share who she truly is.

This was such a beautiful story and does a great job and sharing the differences between people, but that it shouldn’t stop them being who they are. Eva really struggles a lot through the book all because of her skin condition, she keeps it covered up all the time even when she shouldn’t be, she became so ashamed by it. She gets worse when people bully her for it too, I really liked though that her friends were there by her side, she wasn’t struggling alone anymore.

I also loved how empowering this story is, showing just how talented girls can be at football, if you have a young footballer or football fan in your life Thai is a book they will certainly love a lot. It has plenty of scenes of the team playing matches, which were great to read and I know nothing about football personally.

A really sweet book, with many great messages throughout. The kindness of the team will really make you emotional it did for me. I loved seeing them all so supportive of each other, so encouraging. It’s a great and easy read that I do really recommend a lot.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about Eva playing football, bullying, and believing in yourself. Eva has psoriasis and hides it because she was bullied at her last school and enjoys playing football for fun. When her friends ask her to come to tryouts, she agrees to come but wears her track suit because she hasn’t told them of her skin condition. She agrees to join the team. At a game a fan from the other team sees Eva and says don’t touch her. Eva is embarrassed and leaves. She feels she needs to quit the team and goes to practice to tell them. The team says don’t let the bullies get to you. Will Eva stay on the team?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Erlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back of the Net by Eve Ainsworth is a sweet and uplifting story about Eva, a girl who absolutely loves football (soccer) but struggles with her confidence because of her psoriasis. After being teased at her old school, she’s unsure about trying out for the team again, but with encouragement from her brother and friends, she gives it another shot. Along the way, Eva learns that true friends will stand by you no matter what and that everyone has their own battles, even if they don’t show them. It’s a heartwarming story about self-acceptance, resilience, and the power of friendship, all wrapped up in a fun sports setting that makes it really relatable and inspiring.

[Bookgirl888 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about being ok with who you are, hidden in the backdrop of football. A truly fantastic story and one that I will definitely be promoting at school. Not all children have a visible condition that makes them feel uncomfortable, but the message from this book can be applied to whatever you are hiding. Get out there and be yourself and you will find your people. You may hit bumps along the way and not everyone will accept you, but somewhere there is someone who will like you for you, not what you look like.

[Remi · Rating 4 out of 5]

*thank you to netgalley and union square kids for this arc in exchange for an honest review*

an inspiring middle-grade read for kids who love football and for anyone learning to embrace who they are. it’s not just about the sport, but also about self-acceptance, friendship, and finding the courage to live openly with an illness.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a sufferer of psoriasis, it was a real shock to see it in this book. I’ve been Eva so much - not quite the football trials, but the anxiety about people seeing, the wanting to cover it up. I love that she had people around her encouraging her. This made me smile!

[Hâf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt reminder to never let bullies stop you from following your dreams, and also the importance of surrounding yourself with a supportive community of friends. Eva definitely needs to join the #ItchyGang on Instagram to boost her confidence about living with psoriasis.

[Jane Meagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really good book about how a young skilled soccer girl deals with her psorisis and bullying. My 5th/6th Class novel group really loved this. 5 stars around the table. The only complaint was it ended too soon!