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