Rating: 
Summary: Great Inspiration for Young Athletes, Nostalgia for Rest
Review: A terrific read for anyone who has ever been part of a team! It catapulted me back to my high school days, playing girls hoops, and all the joys and challenges of that time in life! I'd highly suggest it for teen daughters - no inappropriate material, and quite a bit of reality and inspiration.
Rating: 
Summary: Unfortunately Disappointed
Review: Although this book was well written and almost poetic at times, it was a disappointment because Madeline Blais was not able to get to the heart of these young women. I wanted to learn who the Hurricanes were, what basketball means to them and how they interacted as a team. Instead Blais spends a few short pages describing the girls then moves on to an essay about Amherst or a neighboring town. For example, we are told that Jen and Jamilla are the co-captains and a little bit about their backgrounds, families and hobbies. We are even told that they have a tenious relationship, yet we never see it. And this in effect creates a void. As a reader you realize that the element of scenes to enhance the descriptions is missing. This book is 85% exposition and 15% scene. Thus without the scenes we can not truly relate to these young women. We are told, but are never shown. I was disappointed because I expected more of a narrative and instead I got more of an essay or newspaper article. This is where Blais' being a journalist rather than a novelist hurts her. The lack of a strong narrative results in a lack of emotion. I understand the stakes and the astonishment of the team's victories yet with the same distance as someone on the outside looking in. There are little pockets of true insight, where you see a girl get in trouble in practice, or be upset at a loss, but not as close as someone on the inside. The bottom line is that this book is essentially about women in athletics using the Amherst Hurricanes as a way into exploring that issue. The Hurricane's ascent to the top is chronicled faithfully, yet the narrative is sometimes overshadowed by an essay on the town or Title IX, for example. In this way, it makes it difficult to really know the girls and that is unfortunate because they are really the heart of this book. I was very disappointed to finish the book feeling like I didn't really know these very special young women.
Rating: 
Summary: Finally, a sports story about women by a woman
Review: As a former sportswriter and the father of a 10-year-old girl player, this is as good as it gets at capturing the essense of the sports experience from many angles. It's a story about women from a woman's perspective -- not a man's. The difference is what makes this a unique and insightful read. I bought it for my daughter, but I ended up reading it first. It's a "Hoosiers" story set in the 90s that is about girls, not boys. These are characters you care about -- and the fact that they're real makes it even better. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: The Agony of Victory
Review: Blais creates an elegant tapestry which depicts the struggles of families undergoing the rite of passage of adolescence. Her characters embody the sacrifices which they and their families make to achieve success. Why should you read this book? First, Blais blends humor and pathos in telling a 'feel good' story. Second, her prose and style simply inspire all readers to improve their writing. Third, she illustrates the generational transition resulting in the empowerment of women and the role athletics has played. Finally, she captures the spirit and the vicissitudes of the relationships between her characters, for example the two hour phone conversation where the team stars become friends instead of rivals. You don't have to worship at the sports altar to enjoy this book, but it won't hurt. If you make the small effort to read this outstanding book, you may understand better how life has improved for your daughters and sons, your peers, and yourself.
Rating:
Summary: A phenomenally important book--required reading!
Review: Every time I pick up this book I find another inspirational tidbit of wisdom to add to my quotebook, the idea of which is itself borrowed from the actions of Jen Pariseau, co-captain of the Hurricanes and role model to anyone attempting to thrive as a strong, intelligent, athletic woman. Jen is far from the book's only hero--the team as a whole stands as an affirmation to the benefits and the necessity of women's athletics. Anyone who is young, female, and devoted to a sport--any sport--will find in this book a resounding echo of the lessons they have learned through athletics, as well as an inspiration to challenge themselves and improve at whatever they do. Those who fall outside such a demographic will gain insight into a crucial world in which teenage girls are shaped into future leaders as they learn the values of hard work, cooperation, friendship, discipline, self-confidence, and devotion. This book is not simply about a team, a town, and a winning season--although even when read in such a limited focus, it is entertaining and intriguing. Rather, the Hurricanes serve as a microcosm for all that is wonderful about women's sports.
Rating:
Summary: An inspiring story of women in sports
Review: Give this book to the women athletes in your life! It is a story of hope and spirit and comraderie...it propelled me back to my own days as a high school basketball player. I've given this book to several women and girls in my life and they've all loved it. You can't go wrong with this choice!
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL!
Review: Hope.. is a wonderful depiction of life, sports, and growing up. I live in Northampton, MA and now play on the "hamp" team that the book talks about. And while Amherst is one of our rivals, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and found that both me and my team could relate to the trials and tribulations that the Amherst team did. Congrats Madeline Blais for a wonderful depiction of the high school athlete... this is a must read for all!
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful - but ...
Review: I confess to being a fanatic about girls basketball. I've coached my daughters over a total of close to 9 years, and loved every minute of it. I also went to college in Amherst, as did my eldest daughter. She even knows one of the assistant coaches in the book.
I loved the book because of those interests, but I was a bit disappointed that it didn't provide more that would catch the interests of people who are not already passionate about it. I was hoping I would be able to recommend it to the middle school girls I coach to provide them some inspiration, but it didn't fit that bill. It is more of an almost superficial study of some very committed girls without giving any insights as to why they were so committed. Everybody knows that it takes commitment to win championships. Where does that come from?
I recommend the book to the parents of girls who are passionate about basketball. I recommend it to coaches of girls teams. And I recommend it to anyone with ties to the Amherst area. Beyond that, it's an ok read, and pretty short so it won't take a whole lot of time.
p.s. unlike another reviewer, I didn't find a feminist agenda coloring the book.
Rating:
Summary: This book was facinating and I couldn't stop reading it!!!!
Review: I decided to read this book because my favorite player in the WNBA is JAMILA WIDEMAN, and she is the main character in this outstanding bood. I was shocked to know that there was actually someone, Jamila, who could inspire me so much to the point where I don't care about anything but basketball. My favorite sentence/ quote in this book is: "I'm bustin' mine...so I can kick yours!" This is what I believe describes my feelings towards basketball now that I've had the experience of reading this facinating book. Now I know for a fact that Jamila Wideman is my altime favorite idol because everytime I read something about her in the book I would either get goose-bumps all over or feel happy inside. I believe that Jamila is a very smart and talented person who helped lead her high school team, the Amherst Hurricanes, to a victory that was so fanominal that I almost cried when I read it, and I don't even know them! This book doesn't just focus on the girls basketball team, but it also shared a little bit about their personal life. The Hurricanes were/are an awesome team and never gave up hope, even if they were down by 15 points! The spirit and motivation they had was unbelievable and one could only wish for a team like that! Overall, this book isn't just about the Amherst girls basketball team, but it also showed how girls have just as much motivaion and heart, if not more, than boys. No matter how big the opponents croud was, they seemed to ignore them and perform even bigger and louder! I recommend this book to anyone and everyone!Thank you for your time! Jamila's biggest fan, Leah Arnold
Rating:
Summary: The most inspiring book I've ever read
Review: I don't play basketball at all. Any time I've picked up the ball it has ended in total and utter embarassment. But, I do play soccer... and I love it!! This book inspired me to do so much. Whenever I'm on a long run and all I want to do is stop and walk, I think of Jen and Jamilia and all of there teamates. Anyone who has ever lost a game should read this book. It has instilled in me a new desire to win. I can never give up now. Knowing that the Hurricanes did it makes me feel like my team can too.
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