Review: Pippa Park Raises Her Game

Title: Pippa Park Raises Her Game
Author: Erin Yun
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Pages: 288
Genres: Contemporary, Realistic, Sports
Availability: February 4, 2020
Review copy: Digital ARC via Edelweiss

Summary: A Contemporary Reimagining of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens for Middle Graders

Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look. So when Pippa gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself by following the “Rules of Cool.”

At Lakeview, Pippa juggles old and new friends, an unrequited crush, and the pressure to perform academically and athletically while keeping her past and her family’s laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates. But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media, her carefully built persona is threatened.

As things begin to spiral out of control, Pippa discovers the real reason she was admitted to Lakeview and wonders if she can keep her old and new lives separate, or if she should even try.

Bonus Content: Discussion Questions, Author Q&A, and Korean Language Glossary and Pronunciation Guide

Review: I'm not a sports fan so realistic sports novels aren't usually my first pick. I have to admit sports are a bit of a reading gap for me. Many times though, the stories are great and I end up wondering why I don't read more of them. Pippa Park is one of those books. Basketball isn't why I picked it up, but it also didn't make me stop reading. When a character is passionate and enthusiastic about any one thing, it makes me want to stick with them and see where they go with it. Pippa runs into many roadblocks, but she does not stop pursuing her dreams.

Strangely enough, I didn't go into this knowing about the Great Expectations connection. That let me see that even if readers are unfamiliar (I imagine not many middle grade readers are), they will still be able to follow and enjoy the story. For those who do know the original, there may be times when things are obviously echoing the first telling of the story starting right off with her name and economic challenges.

Many readers will likely be able to empathize with Pippa as she bends over backwards trying to keep up appearances and trying to fit in at her new school. They will also have opportunities for laughter even as Pippa does her balancing act between academics, basketball, working at the laundromat, making and maintaining friendships, and basically trying to remake herself.

It's a cute and fun read about a girl trying to figure out how to fit in and be herself in both her school and her family. She doesn't want to let down her family, but their wishes for her don't always match Pippa's dreams. Added to typical issues of growing up are the specific issues that come up for immigrants.

Recommendation: If you're looking for more sports related realistic fiction with a dash of comedy, this would be a great pick. Pippa is charming and the story is entertaining and just unique enough to keep readers flipping the pages. This will do especially well with fans of K-dramas and K-Pop though some of the references are a little dated. Quite a few of the shows and music mentioned were popular just after current middle schoolers were born. I believe fans will still be excited to see mention of Korean media even if they may not know the specific titles.

Extras:
Author book summary - video
Q&A with Erin Yun

Review: Veiled Dreams

Title: Veiled Dreams
Author: Gill James
Publisher:  Our Street Books
Pages: 177
Review Copy: Provided by author
Release Date: July 16, 2013

Summary: Feisty fifteen-year-old Christina's parents don't like her biker boyfriend. They think he's too old and his hair is too long. She doesn't like her epilepsy but has to deal with it. An accident leaves her in a coma for several weeks. Whilst in the coma she visits another world where she starts to understand her own awakening sexuality and her illness. She also becomes more tolerant of other people, in particular of those who wear a hijab or burka. But Jan is still waiting for her at home and her new world is getting more real by the minute. Problems abound and she feels alone. She is still in love with Jan, but can she still reach him?

My Thoughts: My favorite part of this book is when Christina is in another world. Gill James does a great job in a brief amount of text transporting the reader to a different land. Christina obviously has many adjustments to make as she transitions to a new culture and her experiences are intriguing. Part of her learning involves wearing the veil and appreciating some of its benefits. Many things are terribly confusing for her in this alternate land, but she finds friends on her way and even a bit of romance. The whole adventure is on the exotic side and tension rises as the reader is unsure of whether Christina will be able to get back to her real life or if she will be trapped in this other world.

In Christina's real life, she was having difficulties dealing with her dating relationship. I found her to be immature and selfish. I couldn't really understand what Jan saw in her honestly, but the author didn't specifically show why he adored her so much, but simply stated that he did. In the other world, Christina managed to mature a little through the events that transpired, but I was still left feeling that she was not ready for a serious relationship. There have been posts online about whether characters need to be likeable. I found that Christina wasn't especially likeable in my mind, but I felt that she didn't necessarily need to be. Later in the story, I determined that she was so young that her behavior made sense even if it wasn't terribly attractive.

This book was written with a European perspective so I did notice a few terms that were unfamiliar. One that stuck out to me was the references to IB textbooks and the exams that go with them. It was certainly not essential for the storyline at all, but I did notice things that made me pause for a second as an outsider. I found that made the book more interesting to me rather than just being a distraction.

I would have liked the book to be longer so the transitions could have been less abrupt. The development of the relationship with her boyfriend and the romance in the other world moved very quickly among other things. Often I would have appreciated more depth. The pace did keep the story lively and engaging though, and the other plus is that the book can be read in a short amount of time.

Veiled Dreams has a relatively unique storyline with a dash of romance and fantasy if you are looking for a light, quick read.

-- Cover image and summary via Goodreads