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Boost
Thirteen-year-old Savvy is six two and full of raw basketball talent; her three-point shot is deadly. But she's also skinny and gets pushed around on the court. Her older sister, Callie, is a freshman on varsity cheerleading, but she's not quite light enough to be a flier - her coveted position. Both girls need to boost their level of competition to get off the bench and into the action. When steroids are found in Savvy's gym bag, she claims they are not hers. Suddenly, accusations are flying and nobody knows who is telling the truth.
When it comes to competitive sports, no one is exempt from being offered a boost.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published February 29, 2000
137 people are currently reading
814 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
March 20, 2011
I read Boost because one of my friends ,Peyton M., had goten it from the school library and had me read the back of the book. It was very interesting, it was about a girl my age, 13 and she was 6 foot 2 inches, and she played Basketball. I thought looked like a very good book. So I went to the plublic library and saw it their and got it. And I couldn't sleep last night and I had just the day before finished other book I was reading so I got this book out and finished it last night I don't know how long I stayed up, but I finished Boost.
I thought Boost was really good and the most intresting part was who the drugs were from, it leaves you hanging until the end.
I think any body who likes basketball, fiction, or just a plain good book should read Boost. In fact I made my mom read it right now she is in the middle of reading it.
I thought Boost was really good and the most intresting part was who the drugs were from, it leaves you hanging until the end.
I think any body who likes basketball, fiction, or just a plain good book should read Boost. In fact I made my mom read it right now she is in the middle of reading it.
June 23, 2011
I loved the novel, Boost by Kathy MacKel. It is about a fourteen-year-old girl, who is very tall.(6 feet 2) Savannah "Savvy" Christopher is obsessed with basketball. She and her family move to Rhode Island where she meets a girl named Nina Gonzalez or "Gonzo" who becomes her best friend. They both try out for the local basketball team for players who are around eighteen. Savvy isn't sure if she will make it or not, but the coach tells her that she did make it because she has a lot of talent. He says she is raw though,and gives her a plan that she must work on every night to become a better basketball player.
Meanwhile, Savvy's older sister,Callie, who is a cheerleader, is having problems. She has suddenly become overweight and unconditioned, causing her problems with cheerleading. She is jealous of Savvy because of her basketball prowess. Also, Savvy takes a liking to an athlete named Mark. She flirts with him a bit, and he seems to like her back. But, she becomes upset when she sees him kissing her sister, and realizes he was just being nice to her in order to go out with Callie.
Savvy eventually gains a starting role on her basketball team and becomes a star with a lot of hard work. She takes a teammate's named Lori's starting position, who getes jealous and is not nice to Savvy at all. But, a major conflict comes up for Savvy because while playing in a tournament, steroids have been found in her gym bag. Everyone thinks she has been cheating, and it certainly looks that way because she is very muscly. But, Savvy knows that somebody has planted the steroids in her bag, and she sets out to figure out whom. She wants to play in the tournament, but has been suspended from play until the matter is cleared up. Will Savvy get to play? Who has done this to her? Will the person who has damage their relationship? Read Boost, by Kathy MacKel to find out.
Boost is a book that will appeal to all sports lovers. Many modern athletes are mentioned and referenced (LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Shaq, and more.) Savvy is an avid WNBA and NBA fan. Girls between the ages of ten and sixteen will probably like the book the most, but others should enjoy it as well.
Meanwhile, Savvy's older sister,Callie, who is a cheerleader, is having problems. She has suddenly become overweight and unconditioned, causing her problems with cheerleading. She is jealous of Savvy because of her basketball prowess. Also, Savvy takes a liking to an athlete named Mark. She flirts with him a bit, and he seems to like her back. But, she becomes upset when she sees him kissing her sister, and realizes he was just being nice to her in order to go out with Callie.
Savvy eventually gains a starting role on her basketball team and becomes a star with a lot of hard work. She takes a teammate's named Lori's starting position, who getes jealous and is not nice to Savvy at all. But, a major conflict comes up for Savvy because while playing in a tournament, steroids have been found in her gym bag. Everyone thinks she has been cheating, and it certainly looks that way because she is very muscly. But, Savvy knows that somebody has planted the steroids in her bag, and she sets out to figure out whom. She wants to play in the tournament, but has been suspended from play until the matter is cleared up. Will Savvy get to play? Who has done this to her? Will the person who has damage their relationship? Read Boost, by Kathy MacKel to find out.
Boost is a book that will appeal to all sports lovers. Many modern athletes are mentioned and referenced (LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Shaq, and more.) Savvy is an avid WNBA and NBA fan. Girls between the ages of ten and sixteen will probably like the book the most, but others should enjoy it as well.
November 8, 2010
This book is very interesting to me because it is about my favorite sport which is basketball! This book is about a girl who is in 8th grade and moves from new mexico and her name is savvy and she now lives in new york. Her sister callie is in high school and is on the cheer leading team. Their dad is in college, and mom works. Callie has to lose alot of weight before cheer starts but what she uses to lose weight is illegle and not good for her health. Savvy trys out for the high school basketball team called fire and she makes it! Later on in the season callie goes to put her gym bag away in the lockeroom and comes out to the gym and the police gets her into an office and says they have found some steriod pills in her bag and all over the lockeroom floor. Nobody knows who put them in her bag, but people know that savvy did not own the pills. The reason why i like this book is that eit is sports/mystery. If you enjoy sports with a little humor and romance and mystery then i definitly recommend this book! The author Kathy Mackel says that she has played many sports so i think that is really cool! I give this book a 5 star rating!!
May 24, 2011
this book was really, really good! As soon as I saw it in the library...I picked it up and read the back of it. It sounded pretty good from the blurb so I took it out. I finished the book in about 2-3 days because I couldn't put it down! I really recommend it if your are into mysteries and basketball. They use a lot of Basketball terms so if you don't really know the sport it might be a little confusing.
October 11, 2021
I really liked this book and many people could relate, like having to step up your game to do some thing you really want to do and know that you could be good at, while not overdoing it or trying to hard. This book goes between the POV of El Savvy and her older sister Callie and what they need to do to achieve their goals and how it would affect them if they did/didn't.
February 1, 2016
I really enjoyed reading boost. I read boost the first time in the 7th grade when I as just reading books to reach a certain amount of points for my English class. I enjoyed boost the second time I read because I'm older now and some situation you can start to relate to more and actually realize what is being said and enjoy it. At first it took me a minute to get into it because the beginning isn't very attention grabbing but about 30 pages in you Anna know how things go for her and wonder what's she gonna do to get what she wants ands what she wants to be able to be." A murmur went through the coaches, parents, and the other girls. They would be saying who is that girl, where did she come from, and how the heck tall is she?"(Mackel 5). Savvy Christopher was a 13 going on 14 year old girl that was going to the 8th grade. She had just move to Rhode Island from New Mexico and the first thing she did was try out for travel basketball team. Easily could've made middle school at 6"2 with a sweet shot but she didn't she tried out for 18s. She made the team but she couldn't take a girl spot that was already there because that would make the parents and a players mad. That's why the book is called boost, because she has to boost her game to prove that she belong on the team that she deserves a starting spot. An to add she has to do this while being new in town and having problems at home. Boost gives a perfect example of positive and negative aspects of chaos and order. On the farm the that they moved the coyotes had gotten to some sheep and aunt Betty who they stayed with had went and shot the coyotes protecting her flock and ended up dislocating her foot and to add on the dog died. Savvy's sister Callie doesn't handle things like that well she just shuts down and closes up and keep to herself. But there parents had both went to the hospital to make sure everything was okay at the hospital. They stayed there by there selves with coyotes still out. Although at first Callie was kept to her self she started to Open because she had to eat she haven't eaten all day. When she finally starts talking to savvy they start talking and ultimately had to come together to protect the sheep because the coyotes was still out there even tho they were the only ones there. I recommend this to people that like fiction books and enough being strung along to the very end to see how everything turns out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 29, 2018I loved this book. I really liked the way that the story was laid out. My favorite part was when Savvy made the two free throws, because she won the game for her team. I also really liked the way that the pills were introduced into the book. I also think that Callie was not being a good sister/friend. She lied and she took the pills just so that she could get on varsity cheer. I think she was being really selfish when she did this, because she got Savvy in trouble for it. I think that towards the end of the story Callie got better, because she was nicer and more honest. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes sports. I think that this book is really good and I loved the plot twists.
June 5, 2011
Really good sports writing! Savvy Christopher is 14, 6-foot-2-inches tall, and has just arrived in Rhode Island from New Mexico. She used to live in a house with a pool and a basketball court, thanks to her father's professional golf tour wins, but their family lost everything after he was injured. Now they live with elderly but feisty Aunt Betty on her sheep farm, and all Savvy cares about is playing basketball... and so she tries out for the high school level travel team instead of the middle school team. Even as an 8th grader, she's good enough, and makes the squad, but the other girls are stronger and more experienced. Savvy's older sister Callie makes the varsity cheerleading squad, but learns that even though she's much smaller than Savvy, she's too heavy for the flier position she's always had, because she's been eating poorly and not exercising since the move. Both girls have to figure out how to boost their performances and reach the levels expected of them. What are they each willing to do for that? There's the more difficult "clean" way, and there are other ways... The basketball game scenes are thrilling, and the drama on the court is matched by the family and school dramas off-court. Excellent characters and plot! 7th grade and up.
November 30, 2017
The book was very good, it is a teenage girl who plays basketball and is very good at it. The book is about her struggle and grit in order to make do well in her season playing up.
November 11, 2020
Savvy Christopher is an 8th grader who tries out for the HS basketball team. She knows that she is good enough to play, but struggles with fitting in and proving her worth. While Savvy relies on hard work to elevate her game, her sister Callie, a varsity cheerleader, turns to steroids for a boost, and ends up causing problems for Savvy. Even though this got a "meh" rating from me, it's a decent sports book for young adults that deals with topics of honesty, drug use, and fitting in.
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Jayme A. / Milton Public Library
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Jayme A. / Milton Public Library
September 21, 2020
I really liked this book. At some points it had me wondering what was going to happen next and then other moment I knew exactly what was going to happen because of the prediction i was able to make. Throughout the entire book there were major ups and down that I was somewhat able to relate to. So if you are a basketball player that goes through some things I really suggest this book for you.
October 2, 2018
This book started with a lot of basketball action, but then it just died down and was a lot of drama. Was not my type of book, but if you like drama then you will like it.
January 4, 2012
In this book, 13-14 year old Savvy has just moved from New Mexico to Rhode Island. Her house was all-that back in New Mexico, and now she lives on her aunt’s farm. She is 6 foot 2, so for the 8th grade, she looks like the freak show. If all that teasing wasn’t enough, her sister Callie is the girlfriend of Savvy’s crush. What’s worse? I’ll tell you. She’s on the high school basketball team with a friend. During a game, she looks back at the bleachers, not seeing her parents. She walks back to the locker room she saw people there. Standing with her bag ,which was locked in a locker before the game, was a CIA agent and her parents. Inside the bag were steroids. She denies that they are hers, however nobody believes her. Who’s are they and how did they get into her locker?
What i really enjoyed about this book is the suspense! The book also makes you want to keep reading.
If you read the first few chapters, or in the inside of the book jacket, they tell you a basketball story. The author wants to hide a hidden story from its readers, so in order to find it, you must read. If you skip pages you won’t find it because you must read ALL pages to find the pieces of it. Very fun and creative! The book is also Not too girly and not “boy-ish” so anyone can read it.
I think Boost is a great read. I would recommend it to anyone.
What i really enjoyed about this book is the suspense! The book also makes you want to keep reading.
If you read the first few chapters, or in the inside of the book jacket, they tell you a basketball story. The author wants to hide a hidden story from its readers, so in order to find it, you must read. If you skip pages you won’t find it because you must read ALL pages to find the pieces of it. Very fun and creative! The book is also Not too girly and not “boy-ish” so anyone can read it.
I think Boost is a great read. I would recommend it to anyone.
March 17, 2016
I read this book because it was recommended to me by a friend. I enjoyed the book because I enjoy the sport of basketball. The book started off slow but as I kept reading it became more interesting. It was interesting to read about how all Savvy and Gonzo just wanted to play ball, which is something I can relate too.
"While Mark and his buddies golfed, I decided to grab my basketball and work on my game."(Kathy Mackel, pg 122).
In some cases a positive personality trait can become a tragic flaw like what happens in this book. Savvy is only 13 years old and she try's out for the 18s team. She is a very hard worker. That is her tragic flaw in this book she works to hard. Savvy is about 6'2 but not very strong at the beginning of the book. But all the hard work and all the stuff she had to do at the farm because her aunt Betty got hurt. She had to herd sheep at the farm. All these things plus the basketball made Savvy much stronger which got her into problems. She is then accused of using steroids to make herself stronger but really just worked hard to get stronger. So in this case hard work was a tragic flaw for Savvy.
I recommend this book to people who love sports. Anyone that likes a good read. It was an excellent book and I really think everyone would like this book. Especially recommend this book to girls who play sports.
"While Mark and his buddies golfed, I decided to grab my basketball and work on my game."(Kathy Mackel, pg 122).
In some cases a positive personality trait can become a tragic flaw like what happens in this book. Savvy is only 13 years old and she try's out for the 18s team. She is a very hard worker. That is her tragic flaw in this book she works to hard. Savvy is about 6'2 but not very strong at the beginning of the book. But all the hard work and all the stuff she had to do at the farm because her aunt Betty got hurt. She had to herd sheep at the farm. All these things plus the basketball made Savvy much stronger which got her into problems. She is then accused of using steroids to make herself stronger but really just worked hard to get stronger. So in this case hard work was a tragic flaw for Savvy.
I recommend this book to people who love sports. Anyone that likes a good read. It was an excellent book and I really think everyone would like this book. Especially recommend this book to girls who play sports.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2013
Since my last good reads book which was The Outside Shot by Walter Dean Myers, I decided to got to a different author named Kathy Mackel. I have heard that she wrote great books such as, Vanished, Crackers, and Outriders. I have heard that this book Boost will tell kids that drugs aren’t a great thing to have or use. This book has taught me a lot and gave me great directions for my life.
Boost by Kathy Mackel has impacted a lot of people’s life. She has impacted & related to my life because my parents had the same words as Mr. Mackel. She has a lot to tell and to give to other people.
In order to boost your game you have to work hard and fight for your position. But in this book, 13 year old Savvy has a deadly shot for three pointers and shes 6`2 but she is skinny so students make fun of her and shove her around on the court. She is a very athletic girl but she was 6th man for the team. The coach new she had a hot hand. Her sister Callie which is a cheerleader for the varsity team couldn’t become what she wanted because she wasn`t light enough to become a flier. So instead of working their butts off they got some boost (steroids). So the gym teacher found pills in Savvy’s bag, but the question is did she really have them or did someone framed her.
Boost by Kathy Mackel has impacted a lot of people’s life. She has impacted & related to my life because my parents had the same words as Mr. Mackel. She has a lot to tell and to give to other people.
In order to boost your game you have to work hard and fight for your position. But in this book, 13 year old Savvy has a deadly shot for three pointers and shes 6`2 but she is skinny so students make fun of her and shove her around on the court. She is a very athletic girl but she was 6th man for the team. The coach new she had a hot hand. Her sister Callie which is a cheerleader for the varsity team couldn’t become what she wanted because she wasn`t light enough to become a flier. So instead of working their butts off they got some boost (steroids). So the gym teacher found pills in Savvy’s bag, but the question is did she really have them or did someone framed her.
October 31, 2008
Savvy, 8th grade basketball player extraordinaire, has been uprooted from Arizona to Rhode Island, courtesy of her parents. On impulse, she tries out for her new town’s elite senior basketball team, rather than the 15 and under team, and makes it. Boost follows Savvy as she struggles to prove herself among older, stronger players, navigates her new life on a sheep farm, and deals with her older sister’s strange behavior. Though spare on development for the supporting characters, Boost offers realistic sports scenes interspersed with family drama. The cover and jacket copy make this book seem like it focuses on steroid use, yet that plot point does not dominate the story. While not as strong as Catherine Murdock’s Dairy Queen (Houghton Mifflin, 2006), the combination of sports and family make Boost a fine choice for girls looking for books with female athletes.
October 27, 2010
OK, there really are sheep farms and coyotes in Rhode Island. I’ve confirmed that much. But all the talk about sheep and coyotes and RI and New Mexico had me confused at first. It didn’t help that there’s a few typos and sloppy editing in the early pages.
Savvy Christopher, on the other hand, is a very interesting character. She has a world of basketball talent, and is willing to work hard – on and off the court, but that doesn’t make her perfect. She makes a lot of quick judgments, and misses some obvious signs of trouble around her.
The trouble builds, and that’s when the book goes into fast break mode. I read the final 100 pages in a single sprint. Even though I wasn’t thrilled by this book overall, the plot is strong, and deals with teenage elite sports in a realistic, exciting manner.
Savvy Christopher, on the other hand, is a very interesting character. She has a world of basketball talent, and is willing to work hard – on and off the court, but that doesn’t make her perfect. She makes a lot of quick judgments, and misses some obvious signs of trouble around her.
The trouble builds, and that’s when the book goes into fast break mode. I read the final 100 pages in a single sprint. Even though I wasn’t thrilled by this book overall, the plot is strong, and deals with teenage elite sports in a realistic, exciting manner.
February 21, 2012
In the book boost, I can compare the main character Savvy to another character named D.J from Dairy Queen. Savvy is trying to make the 18's for basketball, but the coaches suggested that she should go to the 16's. Savvy did eventually she made the 18's. D.J from Dairy Queen, wants to be on the Red Bend football team. They didn't really want her, but they want her to stick to training one of the football players. D.J did make the football team & had great success, & same with Savvy on the basketball team. I like D.J from the Book Dairy Queen better because she helped out the football player with his training, & she doesn't care what people think about her. Like Savvy, she took drugs to give her a boost in her Basketball, she did not need to do that. I liked Dairy Queen better than Boost because Dairy Queen is more like a love story about a girl on a farm.
March 1, 2013
Boost is a book about basketball and love. Savvy is a 13 year old girl who is very tall and skinny and plays basketball. Cassie is Savvy's older sister who has just started high school and a cheerleader. Both of them are just trying to make it to the top. Neither one of them ever really get a chance to play or be in the team effort. But while they are doing that things start to turn for the worst for Savvy. Somebody framed her for taking steroids. Now there is absolutely no chance for Savvy.
I really enjoyed this book because it talks about basketball which is a sport I really like. I would recommend this book to people of the upper age group. People kinda do have to be mature for this because they do talk about things that immature people would go crazy about.
I really enjoyed this book because it talks about basketball which is a sport I really like. I would recommend this book to people of the upper age group. People kinda do have to be mature for this because they do talk about things that immature people would go crazy about.
February 7, 2009
While drug use in sports, especially among girls, is an important topic, I really wish this one hadn't been so heavy-handed and one-note about it. Did we really need a lecture from a doctor about the evils of steroid use and an extensive Google search?
The basketball scenes were really well written - well, what I could understand of them. This is definitely a book for basketball fans, since none of the basketball jargon was explained (for example, while the move was used several times, I still have no idea what a "full court press" is). Perhaps this is a way to make sure the message reaches its intended audience?
The basketball scenes were really well written - well, what I could understand of them. This is definitely a book for basketball fans, since none of the basketball jargon was explained (for example, while the move was used several times, I still have no idea what a "full court press" is). Perhaps this is a way to make sure the message reaches its intended audience?
May 16, 2010
If you liked Catherine Gilbert Murdoch's Dairy Queen trilogy, you'll probably like the story of Savvy, an eighth-grader whose drive and determination - and friend who has crazy ideas - convince her to play for an elite 18 and under summer basketball team in her new town. Like D.J. in Dairy Queen, Savvy is carrying more of her family than she really should be, and she has to balance her family responsibilities with training. Occasionally the book isn't as nuanced and well-rounded as Dairy Queen, as it sometimes veers more toward a teen problem novel about steroids in sports, but overall this is a great book for people who like smart, gutsy, strong teen heroines.
June 17, 2016
All Savvy wanted to do was play basketball. She was always with a ball on and off the court. She played for a 18U team when she was 13 and met a new friend named Gonzo who also played. They were the two youngest players and not many people on there team liked them because they were so good. Savvy has a crush on this boy Marc who is her sister Callie’s boyfriend. They live in a ranch house with there great aunt who has a bad foot because she fell while trying to protect her sheep that are on her farm. The problem is, Savvy has had drugs found in her bag and people are mad. I like this book because it has a really nice plot.
May 27, 2015
When Savvy moves to a new town, all she wants to do is make a couple friends and play basketball, her favorite sport. She settled in and made a good friend, But then she found steroids in her bag, so people spread rumors and she got a bad name. Then, she eventually found out that her sister hid them there so that people dont suspect her for doing anything. This story is about mistrust, friendship and honesty.
October 25, 2013
I would say that this book is aimed toward a female perspective. Boost relates to a girls feelinsgs and thoughts growig up. Boys might not undertand or connect with the feelings the main character, Savvy has. I give this book a 5 star rating because i enjoy the constant plot twists and how it relates to real life. Kathy Mackel keeps the reader on their toes.
November 19, 2014
This book was ok, anyone who enjoys playing sports should read this. This writer was effective because she make me feel like I was in a game. My attention was hook on the book because I felt like I was in her shoes playing basketball. The strength of this book was it taught me a lesson on being an athlete.
May 26, 2016
A compelling story about sibling relationships, finding your place, and fitting in. This story is appropriate for 8th grade readers who are able to deal with challenging moral questions related to privacy, drug use and complex relationships.
March 18, 2023
Boost is a teen sports book written by Kathy Mackel. The reading level of this book is 3.9. This was a very good book and if you ask any of my friends I couldn’t stop talking about it. This book is about a girl whose family is going through a tough time so they move and live with her dad’s aunt. Right after they move, their aunt gets hurt and has to stay in the hospital. Over this time the main catheter, Savannah, has to work on the farm. She takes over care of the sheep and runs the whole farm doing all the chores. She is also practicing for hours a day on basketball. In the process of all this, she gets stronger. She is also 6’2. Her sister, Calie, is a cheerleader, and the move took a huge toll on her weight. She needs to lose weight to be a flyer. Callie meets a girl and they become best friends. Savannah looks in her sister's bag for something and then finds steroids, she tells her parents. They then searched her bag and flush them. A few weeks later after the incident, Savannah is playing in one of the most important games of her season and right as the game was about to end, they called her out for having drugs. After a long stressful time in the room, they let her go. After a week of not being able to play ball, she gets cleared of having drugs in her system. After Savannah figures it out, she makes her sister confess to putting them in her bag. She knew her parents wouldn’t look in her sister's bag. So that's where she hid them. She only confesses after the cops and coaches got involved and it got really bad. In the end it all gets worked out and the cops clear her. She goes on to play and saves her team in the qualifying tournament.
I felt this was a very well written book overall. However, I believe she really sells it. It was really life-like and was really believable. It seems situations like this may be happening more often than we think. The characters in this book changed a lot and they do fight sometimes and still act like little kids. But they also get along at the same time. “Someone phoned the police to report a significant quantity of drugs in your gym bag.” This is the exact line that is said when she gets accused of having drugs. Savannah really developed from this moment. In many ways learning what people may do for drugs, that you can just not watch your back. “Callie stood up so fast her chair fell over”. This is the moment before a huge fight and Savannah blames her boyfriend. Her boyfriend shortly after made the decision to break up with her because he thought their family was crazy. It got very intense and there where a lot of sibling fights, I can relate. There where many, many, times where it made me wonder who did it. In the end you could just see how much they had learned and grew from the chaos. I do believe that they learned to help each other and how to get along.
Once again this was a wonderful book and I recommend it to 7th or 8th grade students. It's relatable if you are starting sports or just starting to play for your school. It was just like, wow this can really happen, and the fact her sister was the one who had pretty much framed her, added all the more drama. It was really dramatic and kept you feeling like it was a true teenager's life. It was so engaging it kept you reading. It had set points you couldn’t end on and you had to just keep reading. There were times when you can relate to how she felt sad or alone, overall left out. There wasn’t anything I truly disliked about it, it definitely flowed very well. The ending however, to me was just ok, nothing amazing. That was the only part I was uncertain about. It was more like a fairytale ending and let's be honest how many of those are really real. But my favorite part overall, that was definitely really good, was when she gets “caught” or “framed”. There was just so much drama and it was so juicy. How the one coach rats on the other one and how it all played out. One of the connections with this I made was when the coaches got mad with other coaches, you see it in games all the time. Another connection I made was when they had a team meeting and they all had to man up because if you want to get anywhere you need each other and that's what happened at our state softball tournament. We relied on each other because we had lost our second game. If we lost again we where out and we decided as a team what we wanted, and we won state. The author's story was amazing and just awad me, the way it hooked you.
I felt this was a very well written book overall. However, I believe she really sells it. It was really life-like and was really believable. It seems situations like this may be happening more often than we think. The characters in this book changed a lot and they do fight sometimes and still act like little kids. But they also get along at the same time. “Someone phoned the police to report a significant quantity of drugs in your gym bag.” This is the exact line that is said when she gets accused of having drugs. Savannah really developed from this moment. In many ways learning what people may do for drugs, that you can just not watch your back. “Callie stood up so fast her chair fell over”. This is the moment before a huge fight and Savannah blames her boyfriend. Her boyfriend shortly after made the decision to break up with her because he thought their family was crazy. It got very intense and there where a lot of sibling fights, I can relate. There where many, many, times where it made me wonder who did it. In the end you could just see how much they had learned and grew from the chaos. I do believe that they learned to help each other and how to get along.
Once again this was a wonderful book and I recommend it to 7th or 8th grade students. It's relatable if you are starting sports or just starting to play for your school. It was just like, wow this can really happen, and the fact her sister was the one who had pretty much framed her, added all the more drama. It was really dramatic and kept you feeling like it was a true teenager's life. It was so engaging it kept you reading. It had set points you couldn’t end on and you had to just keep reading. There were times when you can relate to how she felt sad or alone, overall left out. There wasn’t anything I truly disliked about it, it definitely flowed very well. The ending however, to me was just ok, nothing amazing. That was the only part I was uncertain about. It was more like a fairytale ending and let's be honest how many of those are really real. But my favorite part overall, that was definitely really good, was when she gets “caught” or “framed”. There was just so much drama and it was so juicy. How the one coach rats on the other one and how it all played out. One of the connections with this I made was when the coaches got mad with other coaches, you see it in games all the time. Another connection I made was when they had a team meeting and they all had to man up because if you want to get anywhere you need each other and that's what happened at our state softball tournament. We relied on each other because we had lost our second game. If we lost again we where out and we decided as a team what we wanted, and we won state. The author's story was amazing and just awad me, the way it hooked you.
September 8, 2022
I really loved this book! I am not one to go for a sports book, but I am so glad I read this one. Savvy is just thirteen but she is playing basketball on the upper level team with high school students. Not only is she very tall, she also has a lot of raw talent. But landing a spot on a team like this at a young age, puts a lot of pressure on her, and being accepted by some of her teammates is not something that will come easy.
Before all the on the court and locker room drama, Savvy's home life had been turned upside down when her family had to move in with her dad's aunt, on a sheep farm. Because of an injury, her father had to change jobs and the luxurious life they had been living before is a thing of the past. Add in a very dramatic older sister who just found out she was too heavy to fill her regular position in cheerleading and you get the idea. Savvy spends a lot of time carrying her sister and keeping her out of self induced funks, but even she gets tired on carrying the weight of both their worlds on her shoulders. Something has to give.
This books was very clean but still deals with some very real issues for young adults, especially athletes. I really enjoyed the way the book put focus on what happens outside the sport, giving a full visual of the life of Savvy. Excellent!
Before all the on the court and locker room drama, Savvy's home life had been turned upside down when her family had to move in with her dad's aunt, on a sheep farm. Because of an injury, her father had to change jobs and the luxurious life they had been living before is a thing of the past. Add in a very dramatic older sister who just found out she was too heavy to fill her regular position in cheerleading and you get the idea. Savvy spends a lot of time carrying her sister and keeping her out of self induced funks, but even she gets tired on carrying the weight of both their worlds on her shoulders. Something has to give.
This books was very clean but still deals with some very real issues for young adults, especially athletes. I really enjoyed the way the book put focus on what happens outside the sport, giving a full visual of the life of Savvy. Excellent!
October 9, 2017
Kathy Mackel really knows how to keep you hooked with a book. Kathy has made a book about a life of a teenage girl moving and having to also move into a new school. Boost has two main characters you want to know: Savvy and Callie.
Savvy is six two and she is only 13 years old. She is full of raw basketball talent, her 3 point shot is deadly. But she's also skinny and gets pushed around on the court. Her older sister, Callie is a freshman on varsity cheerleading, but she's not quite light enough to be a flier, her coveted position. Both girls need to boost their level of competition to get off the bench and into the action. When steroids are found in Savvy's gym bag, she says they are not hers. Suddenly, people are blaming each other and nobody knows who is telling the truth.
Anyone one looking for a book on the go, reading a quick one or just trying to get a nice long and relaxing book, I differently recommend this book for you. Mackel really knows how to keep you hooked on such a good book and this is one of my favorites I've read. So overall, the book is a hook book, keeps you on your toes with suspension trying to answer the big question of how the steroids got into Savvy's bag.
Savvy is six two and she is only 13 years old. She is full of raw basketball talent, her 3 point shot is deadly. But she's also skinny and gets pushed around on the court. Her older sister, Callie is a freshman on varsity cheerleading, but she's not quite light enough to be a flier, her coveted position. Both girls need to boost their level of competition to get off the bench and into the action. When steroids are found in Savvy's gym bag, she says they are not hers. Suddenly, people are blaming each other and nobody knows who is telling the truth.
Anyone one looking for a book on the go, reading a quick one or just trying to get a nice long and relaxing book, I differently recommend this book for you. Mackel really knows how to keep you hooked on such a good book and this is one of my favorites I've read. So overall, the book is a hook book, keeps you on your toes with suspension trying to answer the big question of how the steroids got into Savvy's bag.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2017
Boost was a very inserting book. When you start reading, it makes you not want to stop. The book had very descriptive words that painted good imagery in your mind. This book took some turns that I did not expect. It left me making guesses on what would happen next and wanting to quickly flip to the next page page to find out. When I first saw the cover I made a prediction on what was going to happen in the book, but I was wrong. That is an example on why you can't judge a book by it's cover, you have to read the book to really find out what the cover means. This book also teaches that one wrong decision can cause a big impact on someone else. This book was a very realistic book it related to things that happen in the world we live in, even though we wish these things did not happen. For example, steroid use and injuries. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends. If you like basketball and realistic books this is the book for you.
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