Defending Taylor (Hundred Oaks Series #7)

by Miranda Kenneally

Overview

Taylor's a star on the soccer field, but she's going to need a new game plan to protect her heart

Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor's always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that's what is expected of a senator's daughter. But one impulsive decision—one lie to cover for her boyfriend—and Taylor's kicked out of private school. Everything she's worked so hard for is gone, and now she's starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor's escape from the pressures of school and family, but it's hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she's going through is her older brother's best friend, Ezra. Taylor's had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it's hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?

Praise for Jesse's Girl:

"A a fun, sexy, suck-me-in read."—Katie McGarry, author of Nowhere But Here and Pushing the Limits

"An absorbing story…highly enjoyable."—Kirkus

"Inspires as it entertains."—Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492630081
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	07/05/2016
Series:	Hundred Oaks Series , #7
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	HL670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Growing up in Tennessee, MIRANDA KENNEALLY dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband. Visit mirandakenneally.com

Editorial Reviews

"On the surface, this work presents itself as a formulaic yet totally enjoyable summer read. However, this title has depth. Kenneally frankly discusses the realities of Adderall, Ritalin, and other drugs, and the sexually charged relationship between Taylor and Ezra feels authentic and unique compared with the cookie-cutter teen romances. " — School Library Journal

"I can’t quite put my finger on what is so enthralling about Kenneally’s newest novel, but it totally sucked me in. I loved that Kenneally didn’t go with an easy, traditional happy-go-lucky ending. I also enjoyed the flawed nature of the characters, which made them feel more relatable. This is a great summer read and my favorite novel by Kenneally so far!" — RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

From the Publisher

07/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Taylor Lukens has life all figured out. Captain of her soccer team, president of the debate team, and daughter of a Tennessee senator, she dreams of early acceptance to Yale. However, she gets expelled from her prestigious boarding school after she takes the fall for her Adderall-dealing boyfriend. Before Taylor knows it, she's back at home and starting over at Hundred Oaks High, friendless and forced to play defense on the soccer team that used to be her rival. Torn apart by the damage that she's done to her father's reelection campaign and her relationship with her parents, the teen refuses to tell the world that she is innocent, thinking that her father will view her as a snitch, the worst fate of all. But then she reconnects with her old crush, Ezra Carmichael, and he inspires her to question all of the truths that she has held dear. On the surface, this work presents itself as a formulaic yet totally enjoyable summer read. However, this title has depth. Kenneally frankly discusses the realities of Adderall, Ritalin, and other drugs, and the sexually charged relationship between Taylor and Ezra feels authentic and unique compared with the cookie-cutter teen romances that this volume initially seems to resemble. VERDICT Purchase for collections in need of sports fiction, deeper summer reading, and realistic romance.—Laura Lintz, Henrietta Public Library, Rochester, NY

School Library Journal

2016-05-04
When a Tennessee senator's daughter is expelled from her posh prep school, she faces challenges at her new, public high school.Seventeen-year-old Taylor, a white girl, has always been the perfect student. She's an ace soccer player, maintains a 4.2 grade point average, and has an SAT score of 1520. She's determined to follow family tradition by going to Yale and then working in its investment business—but now she has to do it without Dad's help, and the classes at her new school don't compare with those at her private school. Meanwhile, a possible romance looms with her childhood heartthrob Ezra, also white and well-to-do. But she can't shake the stigma of expulsion. She was found with drugs, and she can tell no one that she was actually covering up for her boyfriend, Ben, so the white boy would not lose his scholarship. She carries on as best she can, but she finds herself wondering if she even knows what she really wants. Worse, will Taylor's mistake have an impact on her father's re-election? Kenneally effectively evokes the stress experienced by the college-bound, including drug use to enhance performance. She also explores class issues—but not racial ones—as Taylor adjusts to her new school, but this exploration is undercut by the way Ezra and Ben are played off each other.Read it for Taylor's journey but not for anything deeper. (Fiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews