Hooked

Title: Hooked
Author: Liz Fichera
Expected Publication: 1 Feb 2013
Pages: 338
Publisher: Harlequin Australia
Price: AUD 16.99

First of all, thanks to Harlequin Australia for providing me a copy of this book via NetGalley.

Second, here's my opinion: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book so much!!!
I always love reading stories or watching movies where the main characters are good in doing sports, and especially about a girl doing guy's sport. I remembered how I love Katie Campbell from Girl Talk series by L.E. Blair because she joined the boy hockey team. Jordan Woods from Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally also became one of my favorite heroine easily thanks to her fierceness as a captain in a boy football team. And now, I met Fred Oday. She's my new favorite girl.

Fred Oday seemed like an ordinary girl. She was shy and lack of confidence. She loved reading. She was invisible. But once she grabbed her golf club, she transformed into a fierce and full of confidence golfer. Fred's journey in golf wasn't easy. She's poor and Indian. No one ever thought that an Indian could have great talent in golf because Indians don't play golf. But Fred only needed a father who worked as a groundskeeper in Ahwatukee Golf Club and a bit opportunity to train to make her brilliant in golf. She was so talented and determined.

When her talent was finally recognized by the school coach and she was invited to join the team, Fred saw it as her opportunity to go out from the future predicted by her drunken mother-working as a full time waitress in a restaurant. But her road wasn't easy. All of her teammates especially Ryan Berenger hated her. Ryan had a good excuse to hate her. Fred made his best friends, Seth, kicked from the team. But that didn't last long. After their first game, Ryan realized that Fred was really talented and he fell in love with her. And things got more complicated. No one agreed with Ryan being together with this Indian girl, especially Seth. Ryan was threatened to loose his friends if he kept hanging out with Fred. And bad things simultaneously happened to Fred.

Can Fred survive and pursue her dream? 

This book really hooked me from the first time I read it. The story is so intriguing and deliciously written. Although there are so many golf stuffs here and there, it didn't confuse me at all (thanks to the glossary at the end of the book). In fact, I really enjoyed it. It really enriched my knowledge about golf. And I love Fred's character. She's so determined and focus and I love how she really loved her family despite the chaos. I can see why she can be a great golfer and I believe that she can be succeed in the future. Fred didn't sweat the small stuffs and despite all the drama she had after her joining the team, it didn't affect her performance in the golf course. However, I am a bit disappointed with Ryan. He's kind and yes, he had all that needed to be a heartthrob but I hate his inconsistency in choosing Fred or his clique. I mean, oh please.. Seth was insane and Gwyneth is nothing better. Why don't you just leave them?

For me, this book is not only talking about teenage love story but also about how to fight for your dream and how to change people's perspective towards you. Fred is definitely a perfect example for teenager on how to survive in school and life in general without losing their true identities. This book also will open its readers' mind that sometimes maybe we still discriminate people based on their appearance and this is not a good thing to do. We can start changing our perspective after we read this book.

One thing I kinda dislike about this book is the cover. The cover for Australian version is gorgeous indeed.. But I don't think it represents the book well. The cover gives summer-ish and beachy feeling while both were not in the story at all. I think a picture of golfcourse and clubs will be better.

My final verdict for this book is that I recommend this book to be read by all teenagers. The story is quite nice and you can learn a lot from this book.