Crushing It

by Erin Becker (Author)

Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

From debut author Erin Becker comes an action-packed but tender novel about first romance, queer identity, and learning how to be brave when it matters the most.

On the soccer field, Magic Mel is in her element. She's ready to lead her team to victory at the city championship in her new role as captain. Off the field, however, is a totally different story. Mel can't get a handle on her class presentation, her friend group has completely dissolved, and her ex-friend-current-teammate, Tory, is being the worst. The only place she feels like herself is in her text conversations where she shares her secret poetry with BTtoYouPlease.

Tory McNally, on the other hand, is keeping everything together, thank you very much. So what if her mom is more preoccupied with her craft projects and new husband than her, or that she's down to one IRL friend because of annoying, overly peppy "Magic" Mel? She's perfectly fine, and even when she maybe isn't, she's got NotEmilyD to text with.

As the championships loom closer, everything around Mel and Tory starts to get more and more complicated: the dynamics on the field, the rift between their friend group, and, as they connect anonymously online, maybe even their feelings for each other . . .

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Hardcover
$17.99

Kirkus

An engaging premise but not quite a game-winning goal.

Review quotes

Affirming family and friends surround the main characters as they struggle with changing relationships and insecurities about their identities. Fluttering romantic tension and fast, suspenseful pace...an engaging premise. —Kirkus Reviews 

Erin Becker's Crushing It is an exceptional debut that explores the way friendships change during middle school. Mel and Tory are relatable characters, and their stories weave together so perfectly as both girls find their voices and footing, on the soccer field and off. This book has my whole heart and will resonate with so many readers. —A. J. Sass, award-winning author of Ellen Outside the Lines and Ana on the Edge

Erin Becker
Erin Becker (she/her) is an author and marketer living in Washington, DC. She grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was a Morehead-Cain scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and holds her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Crushing It is her first novel. When she's not writing, you can find her at the gym, or occasionally playing soccer (though not nearly as well as Mel and Tory). Learn more and connect with Erin at erinbecker.me.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593523643
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Penguin Workshop
Publication date
August 06, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV026000 - Juvenile Fiction | Love & Romance
JUV032150 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Soccer
JUV060000 - Juvenile Fiction | LGBT
Library of Congress categories
-
A Junior Library Guild Selection

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