I was hoping I'd enjoy this book but I just realized that this genre does not work for me. I am sure someone else would enjoy it if they are a fan of the genre.

I really liked the book ! The main character was liakable and I loved the plot ,I wish it was longer tho ,to enjoy it a little bit more

We Are The Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian has sports, friendship, and bonding. These elements adding up to a book that I loved reading. I love that Siobhan Vivian’s books tend to have feminist messages below the surface. As with the author’s previous books that I’ve read, I found this was another story that really resonated with me. And of course, I find that I want to read all the books that I haven’t yet picked up by Siobhan Vivian.

This book follows the West Essex Varsity Girls Field Hockey team – the Wildcats. The book opens with it being the last day of tryouts and then takes place over the next essentially twenty four hours up until the first scrimmage for the team. You see, the team is really good. They’ve won the state championships multiple times in a row — except last year. However, the girls are hopeful that this year they will bounce back and win the championships again — for Coach and for themselves.

Switching point of views between team captain Mel, her best friend Phoebe who is a powerhouse player, Ali the goalie, Grace and Lucia who are rookies, and Kearson who was temporarily on the team last season, We Are The Wildcats is immensely engaging and readable. We see the girls go from immense devotion to coach to realizing that actually he’s quite toxic and shady. The girls end up having a wild night with pranks and bonding and self discovery. Their night, and consequently the story, is not at all boring.

I can’t decide which girl’s story resonated the most with me. You see, I loved the glimpse I got into each Wildcat’s experience and story. Each girl was unique and had a different experience and circumstance. The impact was that it lends to a really fast pace especially as you are putting together the clues of why Coach is toxic. Also, what exactly happened last season. Additionally, I loved the sports aspect of We Are The Wildcats. It makes me want to read more sports books. Overall, this read was so compelling and worth checking if you’re in the market for contemporary about sportsmanship and the bonds of being on the same team.

I tried to read this but it didn’t really work for me. I think the art drew me in more than the story but couldn’t hold my attention for long.

This was a great book that I would like my daughter to read as well. The story shows how people can grow together as a team but also how one person, who is out for their own purposes, can damage the trust and honesty that the team has.

I like how the character of the coach was so different depending on who was 'speaking" but that ultimately all the pieces you see created the bigger picture of who he was. I finished the story feeling hopeful for these girls and so proud of them as well.

Recommended for ms/hs students to explore relationships between adults and students and uplifting female empowerment.

This is a book is about a team of fierce, determined, strong, stubborn, hard-working, and talented young ladies. They’re is also vulnerable, flawed, and loyal. It takes place over a one-day-period in which each character must come to terms with her identity, her fears, and mistakes.
A compelling read that will leave readers shocked by the Coach’s manipulation and abuse but cheering for the resiliency and bonds of female friendship. You’re gonna want to chat with someone about the end of this one!
P.S. The white bulldog was a perfect little addition to the story 💕! Go Wildcats!

I find this book hard to describe. I can't really say what their coach hopes to gain by manipulating them on this quest. He already controls them. And I'm a bit confused by their endgame as well. I understand that they are showing him that they see what he's been doing, that he needs them more than the other way around. They are in control in that moment but how does that work long term? I like the slow reveal of the truths that they learn about themselves but I'm not sure I like the book on the whole.

Strong, determined girls playing sports? I love everything about this and the path toward truth the girls take in this story. I especially love that the girls’ focus is on being unified and supporting each other, rather than being mean and vindictive. In the face of the realization that not everything is as it seems, they find their way to the truth and figure out how to stand up for themselves, together.. I am excited to put this on my shelves for students to find.

Something about the way the tenses were used was clunky for me but Overall, it was an excellent story:

While I see where the author was going with the theme and applaud her bringing to light a story of overcoming a toxic and manipulative male figure, the overall story felt lackluster and characters blurred.
The shining light of this story is the friendship and loyalty the girls had with each other.

A book all about a girl hockey team? Yes please.

I’ve never played a team sport, but after reading We are the Wildcats I wish I could join a powerful and fearless group of girls so we could kick some butt together.

In the novel, 20 girls are chosen to be on the varsity hockey team, but they didn’t win last season and are all still recovering from the loss. The next 24 hours see them come together as a team. They spend the entire night together, they pull some pranks, have a sleepover, and make some dark realisations about their coach and his unconventional methods.

I loved that this book was all about girls supporting girls. All of these girls have each others' back and band up together. They are a team, no matter what.

This book has a large amount of characters and it is written from the views of six different girls on the hockey team. They are all different and we get an insight into Ali who is Korean and how racism has impacted her life; we also see Grace struggle with not being conventionally “beautiful’; and Phoebe recovering from a severe injury. As there were so many characters, it was difficult to connect with all of them, but each reader will definitely connect with at least one of them.

I really liked Grace and Ali as they were both strong in their own way and always stood up for each other and the rest of the team. I think Mel was a very interesting character, but her relationship with Coach was what made me dislike her as I think we needed more development of these two characters and their relationship. Mel and Phoebe’s friendship was really heartwarming and I thought it was great that they both had flaws and that they had made mistakes in their friendship.

The book is set over 24 hours and the pacing was a bit difficult to read at times as we jumped back into the past quite a few times and it pulled me out of the story.

I was also disappointed in the ending and it made me uncomfortable. The Coach of this team is seriously problematic and I wish these issues had been addressed more. I think sport coaches do tend to get away with more, especially if their team wins and I think the author explored this idea very well but we needed more closure on this issue.

We need more books that draw attention to the fact that men never question the pedestal they are given just for being male and that girls should support each other and not tear each other down. I was so appreciative that these girls loved each other unconditionally and would never intentionally hurt one another.

Today it isn't always a compliment to say something is "smart," but Siobhan Vivian's "We are the wildcats" is a smart book about tough, athletic, brilliant, vibrant young women who bond over field hockey. Unfortunately, their season is disrupted by a manipulative coach who seeks to (sometimes in a sleazy fashion) use them to his own ends. When they discover what they're dealing with, however, the wildcats turn out to have claws! I can't wait to teach this one to the students in my Sports Literature class!

“They sprint, in sneakers and pajamas, hair blowing, high on endorphins. Bare-faced. Some of the girls hold hands, pull each other along. They know love. This is love. Better than with any guy because this is forever.”

The Wildcats girls’ field hockey team is ready to redeem themselves after their embarrassing loss for the championship last season. And now with the start of a new season, their first team “psych up” is happening tonight, a midnight tradition where the new girls get their varsity jerseys and officially join the team. But when the sleepover gets twisted into something more, secrets and revelations begin to unravel that can either tear this team apart or bring them even closer together.

This was a quick, easy read, despite six POVs. I love multi POV novels so much, but sometimes with contemporary all the voices can sound the same. Which in this case, they did not. Each character brought something new to the story, a different layer where their feelings and dreams and fears were fully realized and important to the story. The relationships the team shared was what made this novel for me. It was unlike anything I’ve read in a YA novel. Girls supporting girls? Yes, please. There wasn’t any jealousy or competition between the team, even with the coach’s meddling. Speaking of…

I wish his toxic behavior wasn’t mentioned in the summary. I think this book would have contained a bit more suspense if we hadn’t known he was the bad guy. His toxic traits manifesting slowly on the page would have made for a more enjoyable read in my mind, instead of knowing upfront that the team would eventually have to face him and his behavior. I knew before I even opened this book who our bad guy was, and I wish I didn’t.

Overall, I did enjoy reading from each POV and waiting as the secrets were revealed one by one. The ending felt perfect, a true testament to the strength and courage of teenage girls. I would gladly read more stories about each of these girls.

We Are the Wildcats is set to release on March 31st, 2020.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Content Warnings: emotional abuse, abuse by authoritarian figure, pedophilia (not on page)

This book was such a disappointment. I was hoping to get an awesome girl power/friendship story but instead we get a story about an adult man playing questionable mind games with teenage girls. No thanks. The whole book just kind of made me feel mad the entire time. And I also couldn’t get over the math for Coach’s age. The girls think he’s about 26, but this is his 7th year coaching (not to mention he played field hockey in and after college for at least a little bit). How did he have time for all of that? Also, that would mean he was hired to be the Varsity Field Hockey coach when he was like…19 or 20? Just a couple years older than the girls he’s coaching? I have a hard time believing a high school would EVER make a hiring decision like that. But anyway, I’m getting off-track…it’s just something I was dwelling on pretty much the whole book. I just didn’t think this book was very good. What was the point? What am I supposed to take away? So, so disappointing. 2/5

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A big thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Books for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows a girls field hockey team as they begin their season highly anticipated season. The story pulls the reader in by diving into the brains of adolescent girls as they navigate the politics of high school athletics on a state winning team. Beginning with the "jersey ceremony," the girls navigate one night of fun and betrayal as they struggle to earn the title of Wildcat.

I connected so heavily with this story. Growing up I was an athlete for most my life and I felt every moment these girls went through. I felt the anger, the insecurity, trying to fit in, the politics of being a captain and the pressure to be perfect. I connected to many experiences these girl went through including watching my friends struggle with a toxic coach, The story is broken down into different views which I loved because it allowed me to connect with how the characters and get to know them. The writing was heartfelt and described everything in beautiful detail. I enjoyed this story a lot and still catch myself thinking about it even a few weeks after finishing it.

This story is a great young adult read. This would especially appeal to those who have struggled with pressures of being a high performing athlete. I gave this book five stars because I would definitely read it again and recommend it to others.

This was my most anticipated read for March and I was so disappointed. I went back and forth about what rating to give. When I finished reading, I said a 3. Wasn’t as good as I hoped, but eh. Now the more I think about it, the more I want to bring it down to a 2.5.

This was first featured on First Impression Friday. So one of my predictions came true – I read it in two days thanks to the 24in48 readathon. Otherwise, I may have had some trouble getting more into it.

I loved the first two chapters, but SIX POV’s is A LOT. I would get confused about who I was reading and why I was switching story lines. Some authors can do multiple POVs and it’s great – like Queen Leigh Bardugo. Each character has a distinct voice. To me, all six girls had the same voice, same way of speaking. Sometimes I had to flip back to remind myself who I was reading at that moment.

The book was fast paced – it takes place just over 24 hours. The girls get chosen for the varsity field hockey team. Their coach is toxic and manipulative and emotionally abusive. From the synopsis, it seemed like they were going to realize that and take back the team. Like they say, “Team first, always.”

However, that was not the case. One girl realized his ways, but no one would listen. You see Coach’s favorite about to graduate. He’s already looking for another girl to mold. It wasn’t until late, LATE in the book where the girls realized who he really is and decided to get back at him. Most of it is all the girls but one defending him and harping about how it’s just his way and this is how he shows he cares. Ew. No.

The more I thought on it, this is the reason why I brought the book down to 2.5 stars. I just couldn’t justify three stars with the way the girls were toward this abusive man. It wasn’t the great feminist, burn the patriarchy book I wanted. I’m just real real mad about it.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

I had very high hopes for this book. I played field hockey in high school and college and was looking forward to a book about strong girls and team bonding. I may be showing my age, but I think field hockey teams must be very different from when I played. I didn't really connect with the characters or the plot like I wanted to. I can see where younger readers may find this book more appealing. Just wasn't for me.

As a former athlete and a current high school coach, I was excited to see a book that focused on a girls' sport. Those are hard to come by. However, I was disappointed in how the story was ultimately carried out. I felt as though the coach - clearly the villain - portrayed too many stereotypes that are not present in the majority of coaches. Most coaches I know, and maybe i am sheltered, are there to help kids and don't resort to what this guy did. I would not want to put it on my shelf to further perpetuate those stereotypes. Bummed.

This was an engaging, timely read that I enjoyed! I liked the many points of view and seeing the events unfold through different eyes. I think this book will feel relevant to many a teenage girl, athlete or not, with it’s important, empowering themes.

I devoured WE ARE THE WILDCATS in just a few days (rare for me, especially with all the distractions of being a person in the world at this particular moment.) Read if you love:
☑️ Sportsball
☑️ Girl gangs
☑️ Secrets between friends
☑️ Toxic relationships
☑️ Multi-POV
☑️ This gorgeous cover 😍

I requested this book before I was made aware of the author's behavior on Twitter. I am not able to sperate the author from the story and do not want to support someone who acts that way. Her behavior was gross and I don't support that.