Head Games

Judul: Head Games (Pretty Tough #3)
Author: Keri Mikulski
Publisher: Razorbill
Year Published: 2011
Pages: 288
Price: USD 6.98 at BetterWorldBooks

Taylor Thomas was a promising basketball athlete in Beachwood High. She was tall, talented, and very focus. Thanks to her father who was also an athlete during his youth. However, Taylor was an awkward and unpopular person outside the court. Only her BFF and talented designer, Hannah, thought that Taylor has a material to be a model so that she chose Taylor as her fashion show model.

Taylor had been secretly crushing Zachary Murphy for so long. Zachary was a handsome and popular jock and also a boyfriend to Taylor's teammate, Kylie Collins. One day, Taylor found out that Zachary had broken up with Kylie and had decided to make a move on her. Excited but also confused, Taylor didn't know how to accept Zachary's feeling toward her. When Kylie knew what happened between Taylor and Zachary, Kylie started to make dramas and threatened the basketball team to win the competition, an important one because it decided Taylor's future in college.

Taylor knew that staying focus was the only thing that she needed. But how could she be focus with all those dramas?

The story of this book happened right before the story in Stealing Bases took place. If you want to know the characters better and want to read the story chronologicaly, I recommend you to read Head Games first before Stealing Bases. However, reading one of them or not in the right order is okay too because the story of each book is quite independent. I myself read Stealing Bases before Head Games. I enjoyed the story of Stealing Bases but I want to know the characters better so that I decided to buy Head Games too.

Head Games is lighter and more teenage-ish than Stealing Bases. While in Stealing Bases the readers would be introduced to the complexity of Kylie Collins' personality and life problems, Taylor Thomas, as the main character of Head Games, is actually a normal and has almost perfect life as a teenager. Yes of course she has issues, but not the kind that every other teenager haven't faced. Who haven't have to deal with popularity and boys issue at school? However, it's still entertaining and fun.

The main conflict is so common to teenagers. Taylor, as the main character, was a type of teenager who actually a good girl and always live in her comfort zone. She was used to live with her dream of being a professional basketball player so that it was the only thing in her mind. She had never mind being an outcast in life outside the court. She was used to admiring Zachary from the distance. When the life scenario suddenly changed to what she didn't expect, she felt overwhelmed. This book teaches its reader to face the change in life and not to be scared. I think this theme fits the most with teenagers. 

However, I don't think this book will be memorable to me. Yes the theme is good and the twist is also good. But I feel that something is missing here. The characters weren't explored enough. In some parts, I felt Taylor's personality was irritating. Her inability to make decision made me, instead of sympathy to her, want to shake her shoulder hard. And Zachary.. I don't know what to say about this guy since he also played a major role in Stealing Bases but I still cannot read his true personality. He was a kind of dangerous bad boy who can be romantic at a moment and break your heart in seconds after. I cannot love nor hate him. Fortunately, the secondary characters were told very well. I love the interaction of the basketball team members. And Kylie... She was definitely my favorite character, although sometimes she was so bitchy. At least she had a strong personality...

This book would bring you fun and entertainment. Reading about girls doing sports is never boring. But don't set your expectation too high, just follow and enjoy the story. Between this book and Stealing Bases, I have to say that I love Stealing Bases MOAARR.