This series just got better and better. Far from a cutsie YA trilogy, the books were filled with real-life meaning. DJ Schwenk is such a unique narrator. I love her voice. I love her take on life and I love the central meaning of the book. Courage doesn't mean doing something and not being afraid. Courage really means being afraid but doing it anyway. I've come away a better person having read this series. Very apparent to me why these books won so many awards. Completely deserved. WHY?! At this point I absolutely ABHOR DJ as a character and wish she would just sit down and STFU!! The entire premise of this third book, in a series that should have NEVER happened and completely detracted from any kind of charm the first book had, is that this poor farm girl is being offered too many full ride scholarships to really REALLY good schools but is scared. Are you fucking kidding me? That qualifies as a PROBLEM? I may be being a bit harsh but at this point I feel no sympathy towards DJ Schwenk or any of her family and so having to go through page after page of her going through anxiety over making phone calls (!!) and just being an ungrateful piece of shit just made me HATE every single character. If DJ had started out as an anxious, terrified, and extremely shy individual and this was a novel that took us through her thoughts and turmoil over every day interactions and just trying to make it by with the least amount of mortification then yes, I'm an asshole. But this is a girl who is involved in every single school sport and stands out and has for years. She went out for boys' football!! And played in front of a crowd! She's gone through national media attention. And now she can't make a phone call?! Fuck off.
What do You think about Front And Center (2009)?
Really really liked this book! I love how it all works out for her.... thanks Win :)
—Amanda
One of my favorite realistic fiction series. Great ending to the trilogy!
—nugget
very good ending. i could expect nothing less
—SJP
