Training Ground by Kate Christie

Training Ground
by Kate Christie
Pages: 302
Date: June 17 2016
Publisher: Second Growth Books
Series: Girls of Summer (1)

Review
Rating: 5.5
Read: October 3 to 4 2016

In a way, this one kind of reminds me of another book I read recently (Five Star) – though this one here, Training Ground, is an young adult FF book, while the other is a new adult MF book (difference between having characters 16-17; vs. characters in early 20s, like maybe 20). Both though include sports as an important though not overly graphically detailed theme, include much about parents/family/expectations, and both are more slice of life books than romances (or, I should say, Romance – while both include romance, just not the capital R kind).

Jamie Maxwell and Emma Blakeley are young soccer players (or, as they sometimes say, football, or ‘real football’) who play for youth travel leagues. Jamie, who has a tendency to get called ‘Max’ at times, or, on occasion James, is a little bit short of her 16th birthday. Lives in California. Emma is around 17 and lives in Washington.

One night while both are in the same hotel after a soccer tournament has ended in California, the two bump into each other. Jamie needs some air and some time alone. But something about Emma, who she spots attempting to get ice from a machine that has no ice, gets her to ask Emma to tag along. So they do – and sit and watch the sun go down while talking about themselves and getting to know each other. I mention all of this because – but for a set of circumstances that might never have occurred – (1) both soccer players; (2) both at the same tournament; (3) both still there in the hotel when many have already returned home; and (4) both out of their rooms at the same time – they would likely never have made the connection they did, and potentially might never have meet each other. But they did meet, and they did get to know each other. They still might have just had a nice meeting if one didn’t ask and receive the other’s phone (so they could swap numbers).

From this meeting grew a deep friendship – a long range friendship (since, as might be recalled, the two live in two different states, and if I recall correctly, their dwelling units are about 800 miles apart).

Oh, I forgot to mention that this is 2003. Before skype, after internet appeared.

For a year both grew deeply into the other – with morning and nightly texts, with shared long distance viewing of overseas football (soccer) matches (as in, both recorded a game, then watched together in their separate houses, while talking on the phone).

They were friends, not lovers, not girlfriends. Though both had ‘feelings’ – one didn’t think that the feelings could be built upon because of the experiences of the other (I’m being simplistic Jaime is recovering from an incident in France that causes her to have trouble being touched and occasionally being near others. That incident makes her feel damaged and unworthy she was raped. That was her first sexual experience. And she blames herself (she had been drinking).) plus not being 100% certain of their own feelings/orientation; while the other knew nothing could grow beyond these ‘feelings’ due to the other’s straightness.

There was a lot of drama, family entanglements, missed chances, missteps – all of which seen through the eyes of naïve young women below the age of 18. I wish to say that this is one of the better young adult books that I’ve read, but I’m not sure exactly what I’d put in front of it.

I’d definitely recommend this book, bearing in mind that this is a slice of life book, not a capital R romance book (certain things ‘required’ for a capital R romance, as per ‘rules’ of the big Romance publishers – ending has to be HFN, or HEA).

As I’ve seen in at least one other review – be aware that it’d be easier on yourself if you read this book after committing yourself to the idea that it is part of a series that involves two published books and a mention of a third – all of which are deeply linked to the others. This is a series that follow two (and more) people over a longish period of time (at least 10 years – first book sees people in 2003; second book sees those same people in 2013).

October 5 2016