Waiting to Score by J.E. MacLeod
Release Date: February 23, 2009
Publisher: Westside Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 198
Zack Chase, new in town, gets a crash course in the dangerous, fast-paced lives of local teen athletes. A good-looking, book-loving hockey star, Zack’s also expected to be a womanizing, alcohol-abusing party animal, but it’s not who he is. As jealous, obnoxious team captain Mac hounds him, Zack falls for Goth-girl Jane and befriends her teammate brother, both with their own secrets. Tragedy strikes and affects them all in this true-to-life debut novel, giving readers an insight into the lives of high school students and athletes.
I wasn’t at all sure what to expect from this novel. It’s always interesting reading a debut author, for that reason alone. Secondly, I absolutely hate hockey, and as it happens to turn out it is mostly for some of the same reasons the girls in the novel have. Because I’ve met too many hockey player jerks. Despite what I initially assumed, Waiting to Score surprised me!
The characters at first glace, might seem like a stereotypical jock, goth girl, best friend, but there is a lot more going on under the surface. I would have like to seen more depth in Jane’s character, I felt like a was allowed a glimpse and almost had the door fully open, but was left a short. Character relationships were well played!
I was slightly skeptical believing that Zach’s mom would be pushing him into a hockey career considering what happened with his father, I would have thought it would have been the other way around. Him wanting to be like his father, his mother not wanting him to have his father's tainted future. But regardless of that I enjoyed the relationship between Zach and his mother.
Overall I think that MacLeod accurately depicted the complex world of the teen life.
And I don't want to say I judge books by their cover, but I DO! (sometimes) I'm not really all that impressed with the cover, but I was impressed with the pages inside! And really that's what matters. It's the inside that counts. Just because you're a hockey player doesn't mean you are a jerk... right Zack?