Hooked by Liz Fichera
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: January 29, 2013
Pages: 363
Source: purchased
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.
But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.
But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...
GET HOOKED ON A GIRL NAMED FRED.--Goodreads
“Hooked” by Liz Fichera is a tale
about a Native American girl (Fred) raised on the reservation and currently
attending the local public high school and hanging out at the golf course where
her father works. Fred teaches herself
the game of golf by watching the various golf course club members and gets
noticed by the high school gym teacher/golf team coach. Coach Lannon is impressed by Fred’s ability
and coaxes her into joining the team if only for the opportunity to try and
earn a college scholarship (something Fred desperately wants to improve her way
of life). Unbeknownst to her, the coach
cuts a current member (Seth) to fit her in and then teams her up with the cut
player's best bud (Ryan), both boys being privileged, white rich boys with an
upbringing about as total opposite from a Native American girl's upbringing can
be. Seth is understandably upset at this turn of events, turns everything into
racial contention and sets out to bring Fred down. Ryan gets to know Fred
little by little and becomes attracted to her self-discipline, quiet nature and
inner and outer beauty. Let the battles begin.
The inside of the back cover on the
book jacket states that “Liz (Fichera) likes to write stories about ordinary
teens who do extraordinary things.” Hooked
is exactly that. The novel goes into
enough depth that the reader feels the poverty levels that burden the Native
American families on the reservation yet without sinking into a morose
plaintive tone. The local reservation
doesn’t have enough funding to support more than elementary schooling so the
Native teenagers have to attend the local high school where they are often
persecuted for their race. Everyone on
the reservation appears to live in trailers and the reservation is fenced in
like the Holocaust concentration camps.
Due to local prejudices, the Native American population gets all of the
lowest paying jobs in the area so that modern technology is unaffordable for
them.
Equally the reader readily
recognizes the abundant privileges of the non-Native American persuasion. It seems rather extreme that the characters
were spread so far on either side of the spectrum, either poor Native American
or rich and privileged. The privileges
are defined by excessive ownership of all types of electronics, country club
status, over the top parties with drugs and alcohol, rich homes and fast cars,
not to mention an endless supply of cash to spend.
The characters were overall
developed well, but I take exception to Seth’s character (the privileged boy
cut from the golf team to make room for Fred) or shall I say Ryan’s acceptance
of Seth’s character. I get that Seth is
angry and upset with Fred because she took his spot on the team and it caused
problems at home with his step-dad (which I felt was kind of underplayed), but
I don’t accept that Ryan’s only retribution (while crushing on Fred) is to run
Seth off the road and leave him stranded in a ditch while he is still on the
reservation (Fred’s territory) right after witnessing Seth’s attempts to run
Fred down for the kill. A little bit too
unbelievable.
But in the end can Fred hold her own
on the boys team or excel enough to get a scholarship for her only chance at
college? Can Ryan overcome the pressure from his best friend and girlfriend to
disrespect and sabotage the newest team member's game and social life? Can Fred
and Ryan really believe they have a chance at anything more than a golf team
connection? Read "Hooked" by Liz Fichera and find out.
Cover: 3
Writing
Style: 4
Characters: 3
Plot: 4
Ending: 4
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