Jersey Tomatoes are the Best

by Maria Padian

This is a hilarious and heartbreaking story of two teen girls and the summer when everything changes for them. Both Henry and Eva are New Jersey natives and excellent Henry's a master on the tennis court and Eva is a graceful ballerina. When opportunity knocks for both of them the summer before their junior year in high school they throw open the Henry sees freedom from her overbearing father and a chance to build her talents on the court. Eva sees the chance to be the best as well as even more pressure to be graceful, lighter, more perfect on the dancefloor.

Soon, Eva's obsession with physical perfection leads her down the path to anorexia, and her health issues overwhelm everything else. But through it all these two best friends know that Jersey Tomatoes are the Best, and nothing will come between them no matter the distance.

Genres: Young Adult, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Teen

352 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2011

About the author

I'm a reader and an author: not a critic or a reviewer! I believe in the power of stories. So while I definitely have my opinions about the things I read, my primary goal is to share great books and promote literature, which is one of my great, abiding passions.

That said, I'm no longer going to affix stars to the books I read. I'll offer a comment or two, and maybe if I'm deliriously in love and can't contain my excitement I color in five of those stars ... but as a creator of stories I well know what goes into writing a book, and can't possible assign a "number" to anyone's work. I'm in awe of anyone brave enough to put it out there. Carry on!

To learn more about the books I've written, visit my website at http://www.mariapadian.com

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry is such a wonderful character: a great friend and a girlfriend with integrity who knows where to draw the line. It's so refreshing to meet a teen character who's in love, but who tells her boyfriend she's not ready for sex! I really like how Henry supported Eva, and her nuanced relationship with David.

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 3 out of 5]

JERSEY TOMATOES ARE THE BEST is a deceptively light contemporary story that delves into the darker side of sports without getting preachy. Whether you’re an athlete or not, girl or not, you’ll find something to enjoy in this moving yet fun novel.

Padian’s straightforward narration makes it very easy to relate to these Henry and Eva’s situations. Few of us may be on Henry and Eva’s level in terms of athletics, but it was still eye-opening to read about all the pressure they faced, the difficult choices they had to make. I thought that the girls’ relationships with their parents was a pretty shockingly true portrayal of some overinvolved, living-out-their-dreams-through-their-children parents. The parents were realistically overwhelming: I didn’t consider them exaggerations of the type, and instead could totally see this happening.

I am envious of Henry and Eva’s friendship. These two, equal in pretty much everything, such as skill, looks, and wit, still displayed normal feelings of envy or inferiority at times. It was clear that the girls cared for each other very much, and yet their lives were clearly not wrapped up in the other’s: they both have separate interests and dreams, after all.

Eva’s heartbreaking eating disorder will resonate with anyone who has felt insecure in their bodies, often for all the wrong reasons. The voice in her head that yells at her felt a little extreme to me at times, but I am not one to judge for the voice’s “accuracy;” I just recognize that this is something that definitely happens to people. Henry’s romance at tennis camp also felt slightly contrived at times. Again, however, it may be that that was the point: their relationship was inseparable from their budding fame as star tennis players. And finally, as a Jersey girl myself, I thought it felt a little weird and unrealistic whenever Henry and Eva “acted Joisey”: do people really do that? But hey, maybe they do.

These points didn’t detract from my engagement with the story as a whole, however. JERSEY TOMATOES ARE THE BEST is a solid contemporary read, one that I would highly recommend to people looking for a good book involving female athletes.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy books about kids with a special talent, and this one has two so I was especially excited! Henry (don't call her Henrietta) is an amazing tennis player, and Eva has been dancing since she was young. The book alternates between the two girls, best friends, as they spend their first summer apart, going to tennis camp and a summer ballet program.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Henry develops away from her old strategy of winning games with mind tricks on her opponents, and learns to rely on her skills (with help from her new friend, Yoly, and a hot tennis player named David, nicknamed "Little Andre"). But while she is having a great summer, Eva is putting more and more pressure on herself, eating less and less, and finally putting herself in danger that she may never recover from.

I guess it's not exactly new territory for a book about ballet to have a storyline about Anorexia, but this was depicted really well. Instead of having it unfold like an after school special with everything being obvious and unsubtle, Eva's struggle is internal and always with her, and it takes the reader a while to realize what's going on. I don't have any real knowledge of eating disorders, but it sounds like the author really did her homework.

A few small things -- I was actually kind of annoyed that Henry got back together with David at the end, when he really did use her. Yoly was a bit too much of a wacky stock character, but I did like her nonetheless.

Best thing about it is that it can suit more than one type of reader.It's a friendship story as well, and it's funny even when it's being serious. A great book for anyone looking for a sports story, friendship story, and talent story. Looking forward to more from the author!

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

With an awesome title like this, I had high hopes for this book...however, what I got was some stereotypes (bennies say joisey, not people from new jersey!) and a book that was probably not well suited for today's times. While I did enjoy the story of gorgeous tennis star Henry with her intense game, budding relationship and introduction to Cuban culture, Eva was a stereotype from the past..the anorexic ballet dancer who refuses to eat because even at 70 pounds she thinks she's fat. It's 2012...65% of Americans are obese or morbidly obese and the numbers are climbing, yet here we are with another book about anorexia. Anorexia has never been the problem the media has made it out to be and in this day and age it's just irresponsible to beat this dead horse. Boring!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Padian’s Young Adult novel JERSEY TOMATOES ARE THE BEST gives readers an inside look at the training of two high-level female, best-friend, teen athletes. Henry (Henriette) is a tennis champ and Eva is a ballerina.

The book is told in alternating first person chapters with spot-on dialogue and voice unique to each character. Padian keeps the story moving forward, a difficult task with two narrators. She also captures the nuances of... more of this review on my blog.
http://annajboll.wordpress.com/2012/0...

[Scottsdale Public Library]

The story of two athletic Jersey girls and the life changing summer they spent apart - one at a tennis camp in Florida and the other in ballet program in New York. A moving teen tale that will linger in your thoughts for days afterwards!

-Lindsey D.-

[Jeanne Baker Stinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I just read Maria Padian's explanation of why she'll no longer give stars to books she reads and "reviews" here, and it's compelling. I joined "Goodreads" becasue I'd never found a good way to keep track of my reading for myself (so many half filled notebooks) and I had grown weary of the only method that had worked in the past which was keeping most of the books I read in my house so I could see them! Horrors! Goodreads allows me to write little reviews that help me remember the book and that help me answer the question "what great stuff have you read recently?" without having to rewrite a whole plot summary (I love that the summary and book cover are right there -- attached electronically!) I've also read that the stars are sometimes artificially manipulated for various reasons. Sigh. I guess I really need to think more about whether or not the stars are helping me with my purposes for using this platform. That being said, I approach every "review" (or memory aid!) with deep respect for anyone who has ever written a book!
Now -- this book! Years ago we read "Wreaked" in our book club and Maria came to speak with us about it. (A really good book and a great discussion!) At the time she said that "Jersey Tomatoes..." was her favorite and it was the only one I hadn't read. Time passed and I saw it at the used bookstore and brought it home to read. It got on my bedside table stack. (Less of a stack and more of a bookshelf with a deep recess that can hold....books without number!) More time passed... (years! I'm determined to clear that stack so I can restart!) and, finally, it resurfaced at a time when I needed something "light" and not too long!
This book fit the bill perfectly. As an adult I found it compelling, loved the characters and found the situations realistic and interesting. I learned more about tennis (which isn't hard since I know nothing) and more about high level ballet. The voice in Eva's head is terrifying -- mostly for the fact that it seemed like a MUCH meaner cousin to the one I have in mine. The one I counter with "don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to a loved one..."
Henry is just the kind of character I love -- you can relax emotionally when you are with her because you know she's going to make good decisions. I wish there was a sequel -- I really want to see how Eva gets better and how Henry "saves" David from himself, his family, and corporate sponsorship!

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I was drawn to this book because I enjoy another of Padian's books, How to Build a Heart, and it gives a nod to my home state. I will admit, I greatly enjoyed reading about these two Jersey tomatoes. Both young women were embarking on a promising summer. They earned spots in elite programs for both their sports and were excited to immerse themselves in the things they were so passionate about. However, one flourished, while the other wilted. Regardless of their journey, both learned a lot about themselves and each other, thus making their friendship even stronger.

Overall: I throughly enjoyed this story of friendship, complicated families, and enjoying things you are passionate about on your own terms.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was outstanding, but of course it was a bit unrelaistic and confusing at times. For instance, it took me a very long time for it to state that David and Henry got together. It really had no "wanna be my girlfriend" in which confused me when they all of a sudden started calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. Other wise, this is a great book, and I would TOTALLY reccomend it!

[Claire Quinlivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread from when I was younger. Despite being short, there is so much emotion in this book. A good reminder of the power of friendship!

[Joana Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more reviews at my blog, Words and Tea Bottles.

Well, it seems Maria Padian had a bad case of bad book summary with this one. The one on the back is actually an excerpt from the book, and out-of-context at that. It makes it seem like the entire thing is just about them living in New Jersey and surviving it, when it’s actually about two friends who get into summer programs for their respective interests. One learns that competitive sports should be about the game, not psyching your opponent out to the point where they mess up. The other descends further and further into an eating disorder that apparently started long before the book does.

Like her previous book, Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress, the book does live up to expectations where it counts. The story itself is well thought-out, and the characters are, for the most part, interesting. The basic writing is just as good as it was in her first book, too, with no clear flaws. She writes clearly and concisely, with no instances that come right to mind where she overwrote and brought more attention to the prose than what it was trying to say.

When it comes to more complicated conventions, though, she does fall a little short with this one. This book relies heavily on flashback scenes within the text, no indicators separating them from what’s currently happening. The flashbacks are in past tense, while the current action of the book is in present. As I said, the book relies heavily on these flashbacks rather than just having the scenes happen in real time, and it can get complicated and confusing, not to mention there are places here and there in the present tense text that switch to past (an editing problem, of course, but with so much jumping around it’s more of a problem than it might have been if the book had all been in past tense and some things were simply missed in the conversion).

Eva’s anorexia is handled realistically, I think, for the most part, but it gets a bit ridiculous when it comes to them actually sitting down and looking back at warning signs leading up to her being hospitalized. A common symptom of extreme anorexia in girls is missing their period. If I remember right, this is because the body is so malnourished that it uses the nutrients that would go towards preparing it for reproduction to sustain itself, and sometimes even eats the egg cells. According to the book, Eva hasn’t had her period in almost a year, which would suggest that her condition got really bad a long time ago. By all means, she should be extremely sick, if not dead. If it weren’t for that, Eva’s character arc would’ve been fine. As it is, it just looks like a bit of bad research and a lot of unhealthy denial on the part of pretty much everyone Eva knows.

For the most part, this is a good book, especially for one that alternates first-person points of view. Padian tried some new things with the book that didn’t quite work, but they didn’t deter me from wanting to finish it, and I say that’s a whole lot of points towards her. So, happy reading!

[P.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jersey Tomatoes are the Best deserves way more recognition than it has been receiving. It's a great story with two real girls who make strong choices.

Eva and Henry are both incredibly talented. Eva's a ballerina and Henry is a tennis player. They are both on the path to success which is actually pretty hard. They both have overbearing parents but they also have each other and are best friends. That kind of friendship is so sweet. It's refreshing to read of friends who are actually friends and not frenemies, who support each other and are equal. The story would have been good with only one of the girls as a character but with both it was fantastic.

I loved reading this book. I'm an (ignorant) Canadian so all I know about New Jersey is that it's near New York and there's Jersey Shore. So reading about all the Jersey jokes fascinated me. Jersey Tomatoes are the Best had this readability thing going for it too. The second I started the book I was hooked to the story. I wanted to know the ending, I was curious about the characters so much so that I didn't feel like I was reading a book as much I was seeing the story happen in my head. I LOVE when that happens.

Now a bit about the characters... Eva is a perfectionist. She has a thing for lines and is so sweet. Something does happen to her but I thought there were many hints and what happened happened in a way that was believable and continued the story. I do like that the story was more about Eva than what happened to her. Eva is funny, sweet, and a loyal friend though she does have a dark streak.

Henry is a character that radiates strength. She's deadly on the tennis court and like Eva, she has some issues but she's so real and teenage like about them that you can't help but be on her side. She's so relatable as she manages her life and makes strong decisions that prove the strength of her character. I really loved Henry.

What Jersey Tomatoes are the Best has going for it is the fact that there is not one sole problem and focus in the novel. There are numerous problems and events so the book reads truly like life with no clear good choices.

This is a contemporary read that should not be missed. It's not a super emotional read or full of light nothingness but an enjoyable genuinely good read. 4.5 stars,

**** & 1/2 *

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry and Eva are as different as two girls get. Henry is a fierce tennis player, excelling in tournaments while her aggressive father watches and belittles her opponents. On the other side, Eva is a talented ballerina who loves to dance and has a mother who lives through her. Despite their differences, the two are best friends, or at least until both of them get opportunities to expand their abilities - Henry to an exclusive tennis camp and Eva to a prestigious ballet summer program. Their friendship begins to strain from the distance, and then Eva's strive for perfection collapses upon her with disastrous results.


In a time when nearly all young adult books have romance as either the plot or among the main sub-plots, JERSEY TOMATOES ARE THE BEST was refreshing with its strong theme of friendship. Though love was touched on, Henry and Eva's friendship was the focus of the book, which made it stand out among many and provided a break from all the romance-heavy books I've read. One aspect that I really appreciated was how realistically the friendship was portrayed; with its ups and downs, it mirrored the way a real teenage relationship works without feeling forced at any point.


The story is told between alternating viewpoints of Henry and Eva. It's easy to see how truly different they are, and at the same time, how truly the same. Henry is fresh, energetic, and strong, quickly rising to the top at her tennis camp and making good friends, and even a boyfriend. Eva, however, while still getting special attention from the director of the program, isn't faring quite as well. The pressure on her to be perfect, particularly with her body, is stronger than ever and the other girls are jealous of her. Her storyline was darker and fraught with insecurities that were painfully honest.


The feel-good ending was perfect for this touching and funny book, showing that true friendship can overcome anything. Reading this book even with the darker parts ultimately left me in a happy, optimistic book, and I find my thoughts returning to it again and again. Alternately hilarious and wrenching, JERSEY TOMATOES ARE THE BEST is contemporary at its finest, and will absolutely make its way onto my Best of 2011 list at the end of the year.

[hollyishere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides the best efforts of the cover to deter me from this book, I actually really enjoyed Jersey Tomatoes, it may have not been hilarious as described in the summary but it definitely has me more than interested in the world of tennis and those who devote their lives to the sport.

Maria Padian's second stab at YA takes us into the lives of Henry and Eva who have been best friends for years and are both attending intensive sports camps for the summer, in tennis and ballet respectively. One happens to come home with a top athlete for a boyfriend and the other, unfortunately with anoerexia.

The book opens up with two in-depth chapters on either girls preferred sport which I actually found rather boring as it was a whole lot of technical jargon and didn't really paint a picture in my mind of what was really going on, I even assumed one of the main characters, Henry was male for a short while. I'm sure most people would dump the book at this point but I pushed through and the book grew a whole lot from then onwards.

It's almost like the book is split exactly in two, the first half being the good days and then the second half documenting what it's like with anoerexia and while I did find the light take on the disorder rather interesting to read about, it did take over the ending of the book when I was hoping it would go down another path entirely.

I think my rating has more to do with the expectations I held for this book and the fact that my opinion changed throughout the process of deciding to actually read this book and then completing it so thats where the four stars comes from if you're wondering as it no where near comes close to some of my recent faves such as Girl Saves Boy which also received a four star review.

Overall, I enjoyed Jersey Tomatoes are the Best, it took an in-depth look at the lives of professional sports players at a young age and really shows us how hard it is to work for such a high status. I would recommend this book to girls who actively give up their weekends and afternoons for sport on a regular basis.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eva and Henry are best friends and they both have a crazy parent. For Eva it’s her mom, Rhonda who drives crazy and always brags about how amazing Eva is as a ballerina. Henry on the other hand, it’s her father, Mark. He hardly gives Henry a break from tennis, and has total control of what she does. But this summer is a little different because Eva goes to a prestigious dance school is New York City and Henry goes to Chadwick Academy in Florida for tennis. At dance school, the teacher who is mean and all the students believe she doesn’t know anybody’s name notices Eva, which shocks everybody. Later it seems as if Eva is her favorite but during dance practice, Eva gets hurt, goes to the hospital, and a big secret of hers gets revealed. In Chadwick Academy, Henry becomes the number one girl tennis player. She also starts to develop feelings for David, the superstar at the tennis camp, and whom everyone knows will become a professional tennis player.
At first this novel is slow, and because of that I started to lose interest. But I decided to continue to read this, and it got better. This novel also was narrated in two different perspectives, Eva and Henry. What I found interesting about that was Eva would sometimes appear in Henry’s s chapter and vice versa. When I read novels with multiple perspectives and story lines, that wouldn’t usually happen until the very end. Also, to me, Henry’s story was more interesting than Eva. I don’t exactly know why, but maybe because I’m not really a huge fan of dance in general, so I wouldn’t really be able to connect to it. Lastly, I liked the fact that the author, Maria Padian put both Eva and Henry’s thoughts in the story. Because then the reader truly knows what they feel, and don’t have to infer it. It also helps just incase the reader gets confused because then you read their thoughts and it gets easier to understand.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for Eva's story and Henry's character development!!! Eva's story was the pulling factor as I am also a dancer and find EDs interesting to learn about. Henry was an interesting character, but I didn't really care for her story (especially when being in love at 15. Personally thought: Yeah, 15 and 'in love' then 16 and pregnant. Henry changed as well as Eva, but by the end, she thought it absolutely ridiculous that some even tried to suggest putting tennis over her best friend. She wasn't as competitive adn that was an improvement in her area.

I teared up. Silently, of course. My family already thinks I'm weird:)We all have some form of an ED, of a negative voice in our heads and I thought Maria Padian wrote about it beautifully.

I remember coming home from dance one night, complaining about being the tallest and biggest person in my class (granted they were younger so...) and my sister gave me something to think about. She said (with eyes rolling): "Yeah, a Marilyn Monroe in a room full of Audrey Hepburns." It's kind of like, who would ever dare say Audrey Hepburn was more beautiful than Marilyn Monroe? Granted, some could argue, but what would be the point? They are two separate people, both beautiful, both talented. In the same way, we shouldn't compare ourselves to anybody but ourselves, and that rang true throughout this book.

3 stars for the message of the book and making me tear up, but language and some annoying things that happened preventing me from making this book a favorite with 5 stars.

[Christaaay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sporty girls? I suggest you own this book. You can "own" a library book if you borrow it and read it and love it and spread the love. And then return it, please. :)
So, the contents of This Wonderful Book:
Funny, but also tough. Sexy, but also sweet--And always, always real. These are real girls doing what they love. It's hard not to get into that.
Read this book to learn how to tell a great story. I have aboslutely no complaints. I can almost never say that about a book.
Of course, I have this secret (or not-so-secret) adoration of Ballet and all its dancers. Eva lives and breathes ballet. She was such a complex person, I feel like I lived through her ordeal along with her, and came out dancing in the end.
And Henry (a.k.a. don't you dare call her Henriette) kicks butt (yes, even boy-butt) with her tennis skills. And it's awesome. That was a draw.
Stories about friendship always get me, and although it's about much more than that, the friendship matters to both Henry and Eva more than the gilded careers they could have.
The voices carried me through the story. If you don't know what voice is, this book makes it easier to pin-point; it's what makes the two narrators so different.
Also, if you struggle with endings (oh, I so, so struggle with endings), this book has a great one, if you feel like checking it out.
Notice the 5 star rating! Loved it.

[Arianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best, by Maria Padian, is a feel-good novel about two best friends who are going their separate ways for the summer. Eva is going to a ballet summer program in New York City, while Henry (short for Henriette) is off to a prestigious tennis camp in Florida. It’s the first time both girls have been apart for an extended period of time. While Jersey Tomatoes is a lighter read, it does deal with some serious issues. Each girl has an overbearing parent who seems to want nothing more than to live through his or her daughter’s talent. While Eva is passionate about dance and Henry lives tennis, both also feel conflicted and even dislike what they’re doing at times. They are constantly dealing with issues that are specific to what they do. In the end, the story asks these questions: What are the important things in life? Who are you as a person? How are you going to react if put in a given situation? What is the right decision to make? All in all, this is a very good read, and a healthy read, for girls 14-15 and up. I really enjoyed reading it. There is a lot of tennis lingo, but it does not take away from the story. I don’t know anything about tennis and very little about ballet and I was able to follow Henry as she plays her game and Eva as she becomes alive on the dance floor. Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best is also a good one for those who liked reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO SO GOOD! Like a breath of fresh air - teen girls with goals, friends who love each other enough NOT to compete with each other. Girls whose huge differences just make them more interesting and unique to one another.
Both girls are hugely talented in very different ways - one is on her way to becoming a prima ballerina, the other a statuesque jock - a hard ass tennis queen. Their first summer apart, moving in the directions of future goals - turns out to be a summer of learning more about themselves and what is important in life than ever before in their lifetimes. There are many tearjerking moments, but in a good way - in the way that means your heart has been touched. The book ends the same way - it's a book that leaves you with much to ponder and feel good about.
I feel like I know more about anorexia than I ever have. To have been able to experience the things eva thought to herself then have it explained as an 'alter ego' sort of...this, "ed" guy who tells her all of the bad things she fears about herself...really helps it make some sense. It's hard to understand how anyone can be 70 lbs thinking they are fat...anorexia is one of those diseases that has always made me scratch my head. HOW do they come up with such outrageous ideas and how do they hold on for soooo long - long enough to kill themselves? I now have a much better understanding.
Great book I think anyone would enjoy!

[Lisa Nocita]

Henriette, a.k.a. Henry, and Eva are Jersey born girls who have the world by the tail. Henry is a promising, up and coming tennis player and Eva is a graceful, masterful ballerina with lofty goals. The two have been best friends since they were six, sharing their hopes, dreams, ambitions, and, obnoxious parents. They call themselves "the Jersey tomatoes," an homage to their garden state. The summer before their junior year they both earn their way into gateway summer programs that will help them hone their crafts and boost their careers in their respective fields. Henry heads to Chadwick Academy in Florida while Eva heads to NYC. But will these Jersey tomatoes thrive or wither away from home?

Engrossing and engaging, this novel captures the joys and sorrows of friendship, the agony and ecstasy of athleticism, and overbearing parents. The story is told in alternating chapters in each girl's voice and it advances the narrative smoothly. It is also a deft and unflinching chronicle of an eating disorder spiraling out of control with tragic consequences, which I was not expecting. There is some mild language and a couple of situations that may be suited to a more mature reader, but it is never gratuitous, graphic nor explicit.

[Jody Bachelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting much from this book and maybe that's why I liked it so much. Two girls from New Jersey are best friends and obsessive athletes -- one a ballerina and the other a tennis player. This gives us a glimpse into the world of intense training and competition to become a world class athlete. Opportunity knocks for both of them when Henry, the tennis champ, gets a scholarship to attend an exclusive tennis camp in Florida and Eva, the graceful ballerina, auditions and is accepted into a prestigious summer ballet school in New York City. They handle the pressures differently, though; Henry blossoms away from her overbearing father and under the tutelage of the gorgeous but conceited star of the camp. Eva turns out to be much more delicate, letting that voice in her head tell her she's too fat which leads to nearly catastrophic consequences. In spite of the stage parents and all the pressure, their friendship saves them both. It's a beautiful and very realistic story that is well balanced. Padian is a Maine author who lives in Brunswick.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book on friendship- giving The Sisterhood a run for it's money. However the book was not coming of age, and it definetely was not corny. At the same time the high-pressure worlds of Eva and Henry are becoming increasingly common today, so it isn't hard to relate to these characters at all.

Eva's storyline was darker and more fleshed out then Henry's, probably because the author had more riding on her if she didn't do it right. While I enjoyed Henry's storyline, it was written a little more commonly, and the mystery part of it was slightly overhyped.

The author did a very nice job of keeping the two voices separate. In the reverse of earlier , Henry had more fleshed out supporting characters, while Eva's were more cookie-cutter. I also felt the book was written for a more adult age group than it is being marketed.

Enjoy the read, and then I dare you not to call, text, email, Skype, or carrier pigeon a friend when you finish.

[Clarissa]

Alden and I both read her other book - out of Nowhere - and loved it. So, I grabbed this from the library for Alden, who read it almost immediately and really liked it. He then brought it p as a possibility for his Health class reading project, as it deals with a character with an eating disorder, and they were supposed to read a book dealing with some sort of a health topic...

Somewhere along the line, I ended up picking it up too and reading it. Really liked it, though it was of course sort of depressing, being about a girl with an eating disorder and all. That's not, by any means, the only thing the book is about. Lots more going on, and it's one of those books where the chapters go back and forth in voice and perspective between the two man characters.

It's an earlier book, for Padian, and I think not as excellent as Out of Nowhere. The issues, questions, topics, writing are just not as strong. But, still a good read all around.

[Vicki Jaeger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A coming of age book that covered some good points. Best friends at the top of their chosen sports: tennis and ballet. The tennis star learns how to win fairly, without resorting to head games, name calling or nastiness. (A challenge when your father is a pro at it and encourages bad behavior.) The ballerina ends up with anorexia--I know, a subject that has been covered many times--but the author's treatment of it has a different take. She actually puts you inside the ballerina's head, where you can hear the self-criticism and insecurities that lead up to her very dangerous health issues. It makes you empathize with her, while at the same time you're able to observe as a third party and can recognize how irrational and damaging it is. And it never becomes preachy or talks down to the reader.

[elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling story of two BFF's from joisey. Henry (short for Henriette, which she hates) is an avid tennis player, who wins tournaments with her trash-talking (and psycho dad coach), and Eva is a ballerina who has both anorexia and a helicopter mom. Could have been trite, but the back and forth chapters between the two girls are fitting and fresh. The anorexia part felt a little over-done to me, but it fit well enough with the whole that it didn't stop me from wanting to read more, and I suppose when it's in your own head it's always overdone, so that might be more realistic than I think. The tone and writing remind me a lot of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but it's not derivative in any way. 3 1/2 stars.

[Susan Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one! Odd title - but once you've read the book it makes more sense. Eva (a ballerina) and Henry (a tennis player) are both stars in their respective sports. Best friends, they are each others major supporters too. Then the summer they are 15 and 16, Eva is accepted into a prestigious ballet program and Henry to a fancy tennis academy. Apart for the first time they can remember, they call and text and e-mail, but it's not enough to prevent Eva from dieting down to a point where her life is in danger. And Henry - all the way down in Florida - knows she has to get back to New Jersey to see her best friend...

A great sports book with some romance thrown in, and a good story of friendship too.

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good title for one of the better teen books I've read in a while. A lot of unresolved emotions and conflicts that never came to a confrontation--like real life. Some of them did. Sort of. Can't be more specific without giving it away.
Remarkably sane depiction of teens on the verge of sex. But again, can't be more specific.

So what can I say about it, other than to recommended it? Great story of a girl who lives and breathes competitive tennis and has a father who lives and breathes her competitive tennis. Good story of a girl who lives and breathes ballet and has a mother who, likewise. The two are the best of friends--and maybe that will pull them through the hard times. Keep your fingers crossed.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about two best friends who part ways for each of their summer camps. One girl goes to Florida for a tennis camp and becomes the best player there, moving into professional matches. The other goes to New York City to dance at Joffery over the summer and suffers from the danger of anorexia. She ends up in the hospital and isn't able to dance for a long time while she recovers in rehab. Both friends grow in a really big way and learn the dangers of becoming so serious in a sport. I learned a lot about myself while reading this book as well, it was really great and I would recommend it to anyone.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Jersey tomatoes are the best," huh? Well, if "tomatoes" is a metaphor for "main characters," then no - apparently, they're actually the worst. Eva's anorexia was boring and her attitude was so stupid I just wanted to open her mouth and shove sugary food down her throat, while Henry was sufficiently irritating that her romance just came across like a bland page-filler. This sounds like a 2-star review, but it's getting 3 because at least it was still fairly well written. I'm not sure how to reconcile that in light of what I said above, other than comparing it to something like a Gossip Girl or similar series book.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to love this but somehow I can't. The writing's too uneven--at times I believed in the characters, at other times I just couldn't hear their voices. Henry's father and Eva's mother are especially less than believable--their 11th hour metamorphoses from dysfunctional control freaks to supportive parents just don't ring true.
I am giving this the third star for one brief paragraph where Eva describes what it is like to dance and to have a sudden moment where it all comes together in your head, alone at the barre. Those lines redeem a lot of disappointing writing.