Hooked Review

Hooked
by Liz Fichera
Genre: YA Romance
Format: ARC, to be published: 01.31.13, received for honest review from Around The World ARC Tours.
Midnight Minute: A girl golfer fights prejudice and finds romance.
From Goodreads:

Get hooked on a girl named Fred...

HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Why is a girl taking my best friends spot on the boy's varsity golf team?

SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys' team? Everyone will hate me - especially Ryan Berenger.

HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred's got to go - especially now that I can't get her out of my head. So not happening.

SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he's not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.

But there's no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile...

***

Advance Praise from Kirkus Reviews:

"Not just a Romeo and Juliet story, the book examines the conflicts of white versus Indian and rich versus poor, giving it far more heft than the average romance. Bravo." (Kirkus STARRED Review)

Midnight Thoughts:

~This book reminded me a lot of the old school YA romance series of my youth (oh so long ago!).  Does anyone else remember the Couples or Wildfire books? 
~I like that Fred had a boy's name, because I think it's cute when girl's have male names, although Fred is not my first choice and while we find out her full name is Fredricka, I can't remember reading why her parents named her that.  Because with that kind of name, there should be a reason behind it... like a wealth relative you're trying to flatter to get into the will, or a much beloved deceased grandmother...
~Despite the fact that Fred and Ryan come from such different backgrounds they had family drama in common- Fred was dealing with her alcoholic mom, and Ryan dealing with his father's infidelity.  Both of their parent's marriages were less than ideal, which gave them some common ground.
~I found the romance to be refreshing- no one is suddenly learning that they're half demon/half angel, Fred and Ryan aren't talking marriage or forever, and their love neither saves or destroys the world. 
~The book is told by alternating between Fred and Ryan's pov, which I liked.  Ryan was a bit harder to like in the beginning, but he really grows up during the novel and Fred is falling all over herself to capture Ryan's heart.
 ~My favorite part of the book was that Fred was from the Indian Reservation, and in the beginning of the book there were several footnotes whenever any Native American term was used, but they were very few and far between as the book went on; I would have loved more.
~That said, I felt that the Native American aspect to the story felt underdone and a bit of a mixed bag.  I am by no means an expert on the culture, but I don't really feel like I learned anything more from the book which I was expecting to.
~In the beginning of the novel, Ryan's friend Seth does little things to get "revenge" on Fred for taking his spot on the golf team, but his increasing attacks on her boggled my mind as Fred continued not to report him to authorities. SPOILER (highlight to read)Ladies, if a male tries to run you down with his truck, it's time to call 911!
~There's already a sequel in works featuring Ryan's little sister, who even though she's a sophomore, felt very young in this novel.  But I think that's mainly because she was barely featured.  The same thing with Fred's older brother, the two siblings just weren't fully fleshed out.
~There is a lot of golf in this book, which I thought would be mind numbing because I am not a golf fan, but actually I found it interesting.  It was never too much or too detailed, but I do feel I learned more about golf than I knew prior to reading Hooked. 
~Seth ends up having some crazy motivation, which I would have liked to explore more.  He reminded me a lot of the friend in the movie A Walk to Remember (the one that had that big belt buckle) only a lot more sinister.

Timeless Characters:

Fredricka "Fred" Oday- female golf phenom
Ryan Berenger- golden boy love interest, who's not so shiny in the beginning
Coach Lannon- the golf coach who recruits Fred and changes her world
Seth- Ryan's friend, pretty much declares war on Fred
Gwyneth Riordan- Ryan's default girlfriend, and current "It girl"
 Sam- Fred's friend from the Rez, a solid dude
Riley- Ryan's little sister, who I thought was much younger than she turned out to be

Midnight Moment:

Hmm, because I liked this book, but didn't love it, I'm having trouble coming up with the Midnight Moment, but the scene where Seth tricks Fred into thinking she's meeting up with Ryan really took the action to a different level.  Up to then Seth is just your average jerk and not a burgeoning psychopath.

Stop The Clock:

If you're looking for a sweet YA romance that's on the realistic side and doesn't feature lots of bow-chickie-bow-wow action, then this one is for you!  Fred and Ryan are typical teens, and contrary to popular belief, not every teen has lots of sex or magical abilities. ;)

Hooked gets a Midnight Book Rating of: