A character-driven piece set around a tennis tournament. Personally, I found some parts to be a bit underwhelming, but I truly appreciated the highlights on the heavy topics. I was hoping to see more of the sport aspect of the story, but nonetheless, I enjoyed the characters and their growth and their journey to self-discovery.

Thank you to Netgalley and Holiday House for the early copy! :>

Sports books aren't really my thing, but I thought I'd like this one because of the coming of age, female friendship vibe I got from it.

And it delivered, more or less. It was a simple, somewhat sweet story. I didn't find it particularly interesting, but the characters were pretty solid and relatable. I feel like it would be a good summer read for young teens, maybe around the time of the Olympics.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

2 stars ☆
⤿ arc review
tropes: middle-grade best friends <3

i want to start off this review by saying that i have been playing tennis since a young age, it's a sport that has seeped it's essence into almost everything i do, whether it be a sunday morning with wimbledon playing in the background or my father proudly sporting both a nadal t-shirt and book, yelling almost too passionately at the tv. i wanted to look at this book as something i would have enjoyed at 11 or 12, because i do truly think that some of my friends' younger siblings or perhaps a person looking for that childhood sense of nostalgia, would like the midsdirection of fault lines! i'm a historical fiction and mythology reader foremost, however i couldn't resist this (look how cute the cover is) but for my taste, the writing felt a little shallow and immature at some points.

three young girls are on a journey of self-discovery to find out who they are, something all middle-schoolers go through at some point, and why they should/should not continue with tennis. it's a nice coming of age story written in a childish manner but i can look past that. however, what i adored most as the way problems or "innapropriate topics" were written about. as young adults, i feel like we have the right to discuss about sensitive subjects (such as eating disorders, drug addictions, etc.) so that we don't come across these problems unprepared and with a lack of knowledge. books like this are a perfect example of how to write about this eloquently and teach children in a well-educated way.

now, the tennis-crazed part of me wanted a little more of the sport included because the thrill is just so appealing to me. the perfect *ping* of the ball hitting the racket, the smell of freshly-mowed grass courts, those split-second moments of decision that decide your fate in a match. one book i read; carrie soto is back, talked about tennis entertainingly and even got one of my friends interested in the sport. i feel like we are so easily influenced at a younger age and instead of writing more about their struggle to pick the right outfit for the day, maybe the importance of team-building could have been touched on.

thank you to anna gracia and netgalley for the arc! ♡

- 3.5 stars -

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to access an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I’m not a particularly sporty person, but lately, my reading habits have inspired me to dig deeper into sports (or aspects of them) that I would’ve never given a thought to otherwise. This book had me researching red clay courts and if Bastille, or a place like it, exists in the real world. I would be pretty enthused to attend a music competition held in a similar setting, minus the unpleasant factors that the environment seemed to invite.

I think this book did a good job delving into the world of teens who are highly dedicated to one thing or another. Being a teen is difficult. Often, you have many of the same pressures as an adult, but none of the agency and a lack of life experience to handle what you might be facing. These pressures intensify when the results of one’s actions are public.

Many wouldn’t see musicians and athletes as similar, but I do. We both perform for an audience, train many hours to refine the motor skills that allow us to do our jobs, and share our wins and losses with whoever might be watching. It’s nerve-wracking, and it can eat away at you. The three girls face different kind of pressures, and it’s likely that any teen in a similar position could identify with at least one of them.

For me, the ratio of “telling” (as opposed to showing) in this book was enough to be perceptible, which brought down the rating for me, as I feel that it has the inverse effect of what might have been intended and made the characters flatter. Still, in the end, I was invested in each of the girls’ journeys, burning through the pages to see who would prevail. Victory, as it turns out, can mean a lot of different things.

I really enjoyed this book, loved all 3 pov's. I found their individual stories very interesting. I flew through this book. Glad I knew a little bit of tennis terminology, not sure someone who has never seen a tennis match would understand everything.

Anna Gracia follows up on BOYS I KNOW with another fun, voicey contemporary that isn't afraid to let its characters be messy--which is extremely refreshing. I enjoy Gracia's frank explorations of being a teenager, with everything that entails, and the cast is so worth rooting for.

3.5 stars

This review is based on an ARC of The Misdirection of Fault Lines which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink/Peachtree Teen).

YA isn't my go-to genre these days, and in fact, I had glanced over, read the blurb, and discarded this book once upon a time whilst perusing NetGalley. But there was something striking, a little niggling in the back of my mind, a something that drew me back to the site, hoping the book wasn't yet archived. I found it, requested it, nervously waited, and was finally granted an ARC (thank you!!!). I am so glad I went back for this one; The Misdirection of Fault Lines does not disappoint!

This is one of those melancholy, yet inspiring, thrilling, couldntputitdown YA tales that centers around teens with "real problems". What Anna Gracia does right, she writes characters in their struggles while maintaining their individuality. That is, these characters are still unique and vibrant, and they have struggles, but the struggles do not define nor label them.

Now, I didn't really get the The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants comparison; I don't see these girls being more than casual text/social media "friends" in their separate futures. I'm gonna chalk that up to "marketing scheme".

The Misdirection of Fault Lines will be a hot spring/summer YA choice! I mean, hot weather, sporty girlies, strong character leads? C'mon.

I would really like to explore this author more; she may bring me back to the YA-verse.

Title: 5/10 - I don't really get it but it has the cadence of popular titles of late
Cover: 12/10 - so crisp, so fresh, so K-pop(???)

The misdirection of fault lines follows three teenagers in the world of tennis. The entire book is set during a tournament and it shows the three girls figuring out who they are and what they want to do in their life.

I really enjoyed this book, it was definitely a pleasant surprise.
The writing style is addictive and I did not want to put this book down. Really liked the development of the characters, the only thing I will point out is that I wish we got to see a little bit more of the competition in itself but the bits we had were very cool.

Will definitely be recommending this book for awhile.

Rating: 4/5 stars

I really enjoy fiction that features sport and fitness and I would have liked the tennis parts to feature a bit more—like the main draw quarterfinal and the scene where Noah helps Laylah restring her racquets. Those small yet technical aspects help draw the reader into the story and give the narrative depth.

That's not to say the narrative lacked depth. In fact, the characters seemed like genuine teenage girls and were quote distinct from one another. They're relationships with tennis, with their families, with each other, and with themselves were really fleshed out. 

This book being compared to Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants feels a bit misleading. But overall, I thought this was a great read and reminded me how important it is to lean on your friends.

Good story. Love to see some sport-based fiction, especially for girls. Enjoyed the multiple points of view, all different enough to be distinguishable.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I recently got back into tennis and I loved reading a book about elite athletes competing in it. The middle grade aspect really made it believe-able and really fun to read about. I've also only been to Paris once so I don't remember it too well, but the descriptions of the city felt true and exciting. I really liked how the author wrote these girls - and this setting really challenged them without putting them in physical danger (which has been a theme in books lately).

Alice is on her own for the first time. She has no coach. No friends. Not even clothes that meet the Bastille Invitational’s strict dress code. There’s only the steady drumbeat of guilt inside—pressure to make the tournament’s costly expense “worth it” in the wake of Ba’s unexpected passing. But will a win on court justify the price she paid to get here?
Violetta is Bastille’s darling: social media influencer, coach’s pet, and daughter of a former tennis star who fell from grace. Bastille is her chance to reclaim the future her mother gave up to raise her. But is that what she wants for herself?
Leylah hasn’t competed in two years, thanks to a back-stabbing ex-friend. Bastille is her last chance to prove she’s ready for a life of professional tennis. But will her fixation on past wrongs keep her from reclaiming her rightful place at the top.
One week at the elite Bastille Invitational tennis tournament will decide their futures. If only the competition between them stayed on the court.
The Misdirection of Fault Lines is an incisive coming-of-age story, infused with wit and wisdom, about three Asian American teen girls trying to find their ways forward, backward, and in some cases, back to each other again. Anna Gracia, acclaimed author of Boys I Know, delivers with a refreshingly true-to-life teen voice that perfectly captures the messiness of adolescence and the pressures of expectation.

i enjoyed this book! it wasn’t what i expected, but it was still interesting. i was definitely expecting it to be more about tennis (tournaments and matches) but the story mostly follows three girls trying to find out who they are and what they want.

as i said, it was more character driven which was a little disappointing, i wasn’t expecting the tennis aspect to be lacking that much.
seeing the story through alice, violetta and leylah’s eyes was interesting but we were always switching pov’s so quickly which made it hard to really connect to anyone. just when i’m starting to connect to one of them, we’re switching to a completely different person’s pov.

but even with this happening i still found myself rooting for one specific character which was leylah. she was definitely my favorite and her story was the most compelling. i kind of wish the whole book was from her pov.

overall, i liked this book. it was sweet and wholesome.

thank you to netgalley and peach tree teen for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review!

As a huge tennisfan I just had to read this book, so I’m very thankful that I could read this arc. It was a cute sweet (contemporary) read.

Honestly I expected the story to be more about the tennis matches and tournaments.
But the story is about three teenage girls and their struggles and how they try to cope with them. (These are current topics.)

Even though the story was different than expected, I still enjoyed it. The girls grew on me. I loved the setting!

This book deserves 3,5 stars

I had high hopes but this one didn't pan out and it's not because it's about tennis or that it has multiple POVs, but that it didn't have any verve. The story was weirdly pedestrian and not written in a way to draw me in to the three of their worlds and the three girls being at this highly-intensive opportunity while still working out how to be a teenager, have relationships, friendships, and understand family.

Nothing sucked me in and nothing really kept me there. So it was a dud for me.

as an asian-american girl, I felt so deeply intrigued by these girls, who somehow made tennis seem interesting to me. i liked how in depth their backgrounds were, how intricate their relationships with their families (or lack thereof). anna gracia executes these girls with confidence & they never stray from who they are, whether or not you like them.

this book did not feel like a hard hitter or strong commentary, and felt perfectly comforting.

This was such a powerful and emotional read. It wasn't what I expected at all and it went in a direction new to me! I like all 3 of the main characters and loved following their journey. As a lover of tennis I enjoyed this so much!

I love young adult contemporaries and tennis is my favorite sport, so I this would be the perfect book for me. Sadly, I didn't finish this novel, I gave up after 20%. I couldn't connect to any of the characters and I couldn't distinguish them.

📻 now playing: you're on your own, kid - taylor swift
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀0:01 ❍─────── 3:14

the misdirections of fault line follow three girls during their process of self discovery while competing in a elite tournament of tennis. it's a very character driven story, so let's talk about them:

• leylah: although all the three girls have povs, in my opinion she's the real protagonist. her family doesn't believe playing professionaly would make her have a good future, so she has to prove them wrong - winning the tournament, of course. i didn't feel when i was reading her chapters, they flew by! i wish this whole book was just about her & her journey.

• alice: her father died recently and she's dealing with grief and trying to understand if she still wanna play. her firsts povs were so boring, every single one a repetition of the last and it's only around the 50% mark she gets interesting, way too fast. if this book only focused on her it would be much more interesting, since she has so many topics the author could write about more deeply.

• violetta: honestly, don't get why she gets a pov. i won't say anything about her cause the thing about her only happens around the 75%. she's a very bland, forgettable character, which sucks because she had so much potential.

it is a very fast paced book. it would be better if the author focused on only one of the girls, since their problems are so different from each other's. we don't get much scenes of them playing tennis (and when we get them, it's blink-and-you-miss kind of scene) or even explaining the bastille tournament. either way, i had a good time reading it and would rec for the ya girlies who stan yoyok!

thank you netgalley and peachtree teen for the e-arc!

Love how this touches on drug use, eating disorders, grooming, grief, and parental loss, which will open the door for parents to have conversations with their teens.

Might be my favorite of Anna's books so far

I really enjoyed the first half of The Misdirection of Fault Lines as we learned about Alice, Leylah, and Violetta and what brought them to Bastille. Violetta and Alice were my favorite narrators since I could connect to their back stories and current predicaments, especially Violetta. Leylah I did not like due to her angry and rude demeanor; she never changed from beginning to end. I didn't like how things changed in the second half of the book which was a disappointment since I really liked the first half. I can't say anything more since I don't want to spoil anything, but I felt like this was two different stories smashed together. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.