Can friends turn to enemies and then back to lovers?
We Got the Beat is the forthcoming (Feb 20) young adult novel by Jenna Miller.
The story follows Jordan Elliot, who is a fat, nerdy lesbian who dreams of being the youngest editor-in-chief of the school newspaper.
When she is instead put on the volleyball beat, she is confused but determined to prove herself in the role. The problem? Her nemesis has just been named captain of the team.
Mackenzie West and Jordan were quick friends when Mack moved to Minnesota before their freshman year, but once school started Mackenzie made friends with the volleyball team, leaving Jordan behind after their summer of growing close.
Jordan, and her friends, have had a hard time trusting, or even liking Mackenzie since, but now Jordan will have to write a spotlight on the captain, meaning they will need to spend time together outside of the games.
As Mack and Jordan start to hang out more, for the paper of course, Jordan starts to feel their friendship coming back to life. But she doesn't know if she is ready to trust Mackenzie again, especially when some members of the team think Jordan is just there to 'stalk' her.
After a trip to Minneapolis for a tournament brings them even closer together, Jordan and Mackenzie need to find their place within the dynamic of their teams, friends and high school.
But is Jordan ready to have her heartbroken by Mackenzie again? She doesn't know, and approaches their rekindled friendship with walls and worries the same thing will happen that did before.
This book is the second book by Jenna Miller, and is just as good as the first! Filled with nerdy references for both young adults now and older readers, there is a lot of love within the text. A plan like Mean Girls, that meets with journalism and wanting more from people who are your friends, plus the addition of a sapphic romance. This book is full of representation as well as sporty references that everyone will understand.
I overall really enjoyed some of the realness of this book, learning to gain trust of people who may have hurt you in the past, not letting your emotions lead you to doing something stupid, and even opening your heart to what you weren't expecting. The Minnesota setting is great, with a small town vibe and a lot of fun locations the characters enjoy.
One of my favorite subplots was Jordan learning to talk to and trust her old brother, who knows some of the kids on the team while also having just left for college. There is a really nice sibling plot throughout the story, with Jordan and Casey trusting each other and growing closer.
Overall, this story is really cute and fun, with many laugh out loud references for me.
5 out of 5 stars.
We Got the Beat comes out Feb 20,2024!
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