Thank you to BooksForward & Roaring Brook Press for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this story! This story brings up tough topics (CW: sexual assault, rape) but they are important topics. The author covered them in a way that makes them accessible and relatable to teens, giving them a story that they can likely relate to even if they haven't found themselves in those specific situations.

Parts of it had me rolling my eyes but then I remembered myself as a 16/17-year-old and realized I likely had a similar viewpoint as Zoe. There was only one portion of the story that I didn't find believable but it still worked. And being a New Yorker myself, having gone to the Syracuse Dome, I really enjoyed reading the description and found myself nodding along to the description of the feelings.

The best part was that this wasn't a love story, it was more about navigating teenhood and leaning on friends and family to get you through tough situations in life.

Based on the few @goodreads reviews posted, I seem to have unpopular opinions on this book. In short, negative ones. While the writing itself was decent, it felt like I was reading what an adult THINKS high school kids say and do. It just didn’t feel genuine. (But maybe I’ve just been out of high school too long to know 🤷🏼‍♀️).

The characters seemed like cookie cutter stereotypes, and there were far too many to give them well fleshed out personalities. It also felt to me like the author was trying to tackle too many issues at once, and ended up doing none of them well. And unless you are well versed in hockey, be prepared to skim over the many pages of play-by-play game action.

Overall, a miss for me, but might be a favorite for someone else. Thank you to @netgalley, @booksforward, and @roaringbrook for the eARC. This book will be released on August 3.

Thank you to the Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and netgalley for a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

There wasn't much that I didn't enjoy about this book and what I didn't like were small things but for review purposes I will still put them here. One, there were a lot of unnecessary characters in the book. We are introduced to Zoe's mom's friend group but then they don't have any significant part in the plot and we don't hear anything more from then after. They basically just pop in to say hi and are gone again. The second thing was the over use of the word "absofockinglutely". This has to be one of the most annoying words I've ever read and it's used way too much throughout the story.

I loved the lesson Zoe learns after the night of vigilantism referred to in the synopsis. It really is important. I feel like that alone could have carried the entire book by itself had it of had to.

The character arc for Zoe was done amazingly. She's tough and she's strong but she has so much to learn. Watching her grow as a character was absolutely wonderful. The characters that make up the girl's field hockey team are diverse but it isn't really talked about as much as it could have been.

The writing was good. The pacing was really good. There was a steady flow to the plot without much filler. It was fairly easy to get through and decently quick to read.

If you enjoyed the book Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu then you'll most likely enjoy this one as well. It has the same girl power spirit with a similar yet totally different cast of characters. Or if you're looking for a fictional book with teenage Feminism and girl power but haven't read Moxie, you should still give this a shot. And if you like it go read Moxie next.

This is such a great contemporary ya novel! it was my first Emma Kress novel. And i loved it it was a grate girl power novel

This is such a great contemporary ya novel! Broke me out of my shell of fantasy and I loved every minute of it!

Dangerous Play delivers an atmosphere of friendship and survival. Of simmering rage, sexism that protects perpetrators, and how society encourages silence. I knew that stories like this hit me differently emotionally, and while I was prepared, the rage that boils to the surface always somehow surprises me. How society forces us into this box of not saying something because of the repercussions, consequences for our future, and how it reinforces itself.

Dangerous Play is about both that feeling of powerless, but also the importance of agency. Of anger at injustice, the necessity of solidarity and support, and how rage can overwhelm us. I felt so deeply for Zoe and her worries, her stresses, and her love. The needs to feel in control, the ways it all suddenly crumbles down. All the ways we will do what we need to feel safe. Dangerous Play is about the power of speaking up and using our words, but more importantly about solidarity and supporting each other.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) This is the ultimate girl power story. I loved it. They’re strong, determined and tough. Each one faces fierce adversity, and while it does bring them down briefly, they work through it and come out on top.

I don’t read sports books. I haven’t been into sports much for years now but I thoroughly enjoyed the field hockey and parkour with this one. The writing drew me in immediately, not just the sport but to the team and each one of their personalities. That is great writing.

This one is intense. It’s about rape and assault and it’s hard to read at times. It has some details that may be too much for some. The delicate way the author wrote about it was well done and considerate. It left me feeling hope instead of fear or disgust.

I wasn’t impressed with all the things the team did (teenagers can be dumb, right?) but the remorse was there and I felt lessons were learned. Did that make it ok? No, but it made it better. I was glad it was approached.

All in all, it showed the importance of girls being powerful over their own bodies and choices. It showed that women can be better together but still amazing apart. It was empowering and respectful. Bravo.

Content Summary: Language is high, the intimacy is higher than most. Most of the intimacy points come from aggressive sexual assaults or crude comments. Even though they are in the intimacy category, I consider them very violent. It’s easier to separate the sexual crimes from purely violent crimes for my points system. There were definitely both (sexual and violent crimes) in this book.

Thank you to Fierce Reads for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book I was really excited to read. It had a lot of tropes I enjoy in books, and it was my first Emma Kress novel. I thought it was interesting and the story was compelling. I definitely rec it!

Well, Emma Kress has created a work that is equal parts mourning and celebration. We mourn for the loss of innocence for these girls as they are forced to cope with a culture of assault that goes unchecked. We celebrate that they find a way to come out the other end stronger.

Our narrator, Zoe is a victim of a crime, but Kress reminds us that we are not just one thing. We are not defined forever by the events that happen to us. So, Zoe is not just a victim. She is a friend, daughter, athlete, student, leader and all around bad ass. Honestly, she is one of my favorite characters in all of fiction so far this year. Her life is hard, because being a teenager is hard and being a teenaged girl is harder. That is just a fact.

This book is not just about the abusive culture that happens in America, but it shines a light on consent culture. There are examples of consent throughout the book. Kress could beat it over our heads with the Field Hockey sticks that the girls use, but instead, she does what any good writer does, she shows us instead of telling us.

If you have a teenager, boy, girl or non-binary, send this book to that person. After you both read it, have a long, thoughtful conversation.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

There is so much I loved about this book. I love how characters like the boyfriend talk about consent, and the parents ask for permission to be involved with what happens. I appreciate the portrayal of chronic illness, and found the protagonist authentic and relatable. Highly recommended.

I thought that there were definite strong elements to this title, a readalike to Exit Pursued by Bear and We Are the Wildcats, particularly the main character, Zoe, who is fierce and flawed and whose perspective was extremely readable. The portrayal of her relationships with her parents, and her father’s disability were also really strongly portrayed, and I enjoyed the inclusion of her mother’s friend group, the Rebels. However, the large cast wasn’t particularly differentiated and even characters who were intended to stand out didn’t seem to have much personality. The pacing and transitions also seemed off, as if the story was too strict in following an outline and moving from one event to another, and the tone seemed to shift to be extremely dark without much warning or follow-through. Also, other readers might enjoy the game play-by-play, but I ended up skimming over quite a bit.

Zoe is a junior and co-captain of her field hockey (or fockey as they call it.) She’s also a good student, helps her father manage, after a crippling accident, and she and her fellow co-captain Ava have recruited and trained girls all summer so their team can look good to college recruiters — because Zoe and Ava believe that’s their only way out of suburban Syracuse. As well as practicing hard, the girls sneak out of their homes late at night to do parkour.

Their school doesn’t care that boy are harassing them, in fact, they blame the girls. After Zoe and another girl are physically attacked, they gang up on boys who are assaulting girls. This is fun, in spite of its sports ball setting, that was a bit beyond me. I loved the Syracuse setting. Read on Kindle. Thank you Net Galley!

Thank you to the publishers for letting me read this as part of the Books Forward Program!

First off I love the cover, the art is amazing!

The book was amazing! The characters were very well developed and well-rounded. You can relate to them so well.

It talks about very real-world serious issues that happen today. This book shows girl-friendships in such a good way, banding together to help each other overcome and get through obstacles.

I recommend this!

I didn't particularly like this book, but I could see younger YA readers enjoying it and learning from it. Dangerous Play covers some heavy topics, but I couldn't help but feel like there was too much going on for any of it to mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Basically, I could tell this was Kress' debut novel. It wasn't for me, but I don't think it was a bad book at all.

(P.S. - I couldn't get past the slang words used in place of cursing (i.e. focking, instead of the real word), but that's typical in YA novels, so no harm done I suppose?)

At its heart, this is a great book about female friendships and the importance of a peer group. The girls bond over parkour, field hockey (fockey), and their passion for one another. They lean on and support each other through thick and thin. When several of the girls are sexually assaulted in different ways, they pull together and become fierce vigilantes. They are sick of being cat called, emotional/verbally harassed and physically assaulted by boys “just being dudes”. When the girls take things too far, they quickly realize their efforts are jot affording the results they hoped to achieve. Set against the backdrop of field hockey stardom, the relationships forged through blood, sweat and tears is fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Emma Kress is a new to me author. I did not look into this book at all before I started it but I have to say I was both surprised and happy to watch these girls become Queens! I think some people would have a harder time coping with topics in this book but the trigger warnings are in the blurb. (sexual assualt) I found the girls to be inspiring through their journey and loved reading a book about girls empowering other girls! We need more books like this!

4.25 Stars

Content Warnings at end of review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Fierce Reads for an arc of this book.

Zoe Alamander is determined to lead her field hockey team to States this year. Zoe and her co-captain Ava spent the summer recruiting and training the best possible varsity team, and they are going to have each other's backs on and off the field. But when the girls keep experiencing sexual assault and harassment from the boys at their school, they decide to fight back in the shadows.

Wow this book made. its. point! The struggle with rape culture in this book is all too real and extremely poignant. It was honestly making me feel a little sick because I know how true this stuff is in our schools and it was so frustrating to see the same stale arguments and victim-blaming happening in this book. It did such a good job illustrating the power differentials at play and a few of the different ways people might deal with that trauma.

I honestly really liked Zoe and related to her a lot (other than her overactive crush). I loved her determination and the way she fiercely fought for her teammates and friends, and for herself. The sports aspect was very fun!

My only dislike of this book was the pacing. There were times when chapters felt like they ended really abruptly and started later on, and I didn't really like the way that worked. Some of the sports scenes in particular felt really drawn out and detailed, while things I thought were more important didn't always get enough air time.

Overall, I definitely recommend picking this up!

Pub Date: August 3, 2021


Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, Rape, Vomit, Violence, Misogyny , Medical content, Gun violence, and Body shaming

YA Fiction. Zoe is excited about field hockey this year; she put together a tough and capable team. Practice, parkour, and family responsibilities keep her busy. When she realizes that her teammates face sexual harassment and more from the football team and school admin are turning a blind eye, she and the girls decide to get "justice." While my students may be attracted to this story, I felt this novel would have created more of an impact by focusing on the sexual harassment/molestation theme and approaching these travesties lawfully (to provide correct guidance for teens). The story's focus was muddied by a menagerie of sidestories: dad's injuries, mom's "neglect," college scholarship path, foster parentage neglect, racial inequities, girl justice/revenge, etc.

It’s her junior year of high school and Zoe Alamander has put together a team of her school’s best field hockey players in hopes of making it to the state championships and earning a scholarship for college. However, after Zoe is sexually assaulted at a party, she finds herself playing a whole new game. Zoe wants no girl to feel unsafe. But, in her attempts to accomplish such a goal, Zoe may have gone too far and now her future is on the line.
This book is a tough read. It’s hard not to be angry at the injustices Zoe and her peers face. However, I think that’s a sign the book accomplished its goal. It has a lot of hard, but important, conversations. I liked how Dangerous Play focused on the larger ramifications of rape and sexual assault on a community. It also touched on internalized misogyny and a bit on intersectional feminism. Although, I do wish it went a little more in-depth on those topics.
Dangerous Play did start a bit slow, but it picked up after the first quarter. My biggest issue was that I didn’t really connect with Zoe. I found the other characters to be more likeable. Overall, Dangerous Play is a well-written story that discusses important, real-life, issues.

5 Stars

This book was everything I needed and more. It was absolutely amazing! To start with the long list of the things I loved is the characters. The characters for me really stood out they were all very well developed and were so easy to relate to. I was so connected to this story I found myself laughing out loud and getting nervous for the characters. Another really well done thing is incorporating the issues of sexual assault. The topic was well covered and shined a light on how many women go through this and the struggles that come after. I think the author truly did a great job with that. The romance in the story was another thing I absolutely loved. I was jumping up down for them and was so happy with the ending. Overall this book was amazing and I cannot wait until it is fully released!