by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
ages: 12+
First sentence: “Here are ten words I never thought I’d be saying…”
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I adored both Dairy Queen and The Off Season. Really, I did. But… maybe it had been too long since I read those books. Maybe I really wasn’t in the mood for D.J. (which surprised me, because she is one of my favorite characters). Maybe there was something just off about this book, because while I enjoyed it, I just didn’t love it like I did the other two books.

We basically pick up where we left off in The Off Season: D.J.’s back at school after taking a month off to help her brother Win after his injury. It’s not easy being back: for one thing, she can no longer hide on the sidelines. For another, basketball season is starting and there is major pressure on her to pick a college and verbally commit. Not to mention her coach breathing down her neck about showing “leadership skills”. This is all overwhelming for D.J., who’s used to just basically sliding by.

Perhaps it was this waffling D.J. that grated on me after a while. While I recognize that she’s always been shy as a character, for some reason the arc of this book — with D.J. finally realizing how to believe in herself — was a bit much for one book. Granted, there was a sub-plot with a love triangle between D.J., her former boyfriend Brian, and her current boyfriend Beaner. Again, while it was enjoyable, there was too much waffling and agonizing for my taste. Then again, it may be just that it’s been too long since I was in D.J.-land. I do wonder if I had read this right after the other two, then maybe I would have liked it more. Because I do think it’s a fitting stopping point (not really an end…) to D.J.’s story.