This book was a rolled coaster ride in the best way possible! There is soooo much happening here and while reading the other book set in this town isn’t necessary it is supremely helpful! Hadley is hoping to made editor-in-chief of the school newspaper but when she is assigned to write a piece about the championship winning football team she gets way more than she bargained for. There are some very nefarious things afoot in this athletic department and town where football players are gods and everyone is willing to help them win. As always with this author there are broader issues discussed: women being blamed for being raped, nepotism, toxic masculinity and so much more. A read I can’t wait to get for my classroom.

I love a good thriller, and this did not disappoint. I had not read The Cheerleaders before reading this, but the author did a great job making this a standalone sequel. I didn’t feel at all lost having missed the original story. Overall, I enjoyed this. I found the characters very believable, and having taught in a place where high school football reigns supreme, the whole athletic culture and privilege portrayed was very authentic. My only “complaint” would be that there are so many names to keep track of! I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I have loved all of Kara Thomas’ books, especially The Cheerleaders. This is an extension of that story weaving in old and new characters to the previous book. One of the best things about her stories is it feels like something that could actual happen and we would read about in the news/true crime. My only complaint was that there were too many characters to keep track of and I found myself mixing a few of them up, both the football players and dance team girls. The ending wasn’t as explosive as her previous novels, but still enjoyable.

I thought this was a good follow up to The Cheerleaders. You didn't need to read The Cheerleaders to understand what was going on, which I appreciated!

This was a great sequel to the book The Cheerleaders. It takes place 11 years later and the murders have left a lasting impression on the town and especially the school. The football team are 2 time champs and they feel untouchable and can get away with any...or can they. With two murders and one attempted on the football team, the editor of the newspaper is digging into the mystery and finds out who committed these heinous crimes.

"I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Gosh. I love how teens are getting access to such great thrillers! This has the addictive energy of 13 Reasons Why and the who dunit nature that kept me guessing.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Kara Thomas, but this one didn't do it for me. The Cheerleaders had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish but this one was a little harder to get into. It really picked up about 25% of the way through, but there were so many characters that it was difficult to keep everyone straight and connect with any of them. I also felt that the athletes' secret felt random and more of a shock factor than something that fit naturally with the rest of the plot. I think readers could read this as a standalone, but it certainly helped to have the background of "The Cheerleaders" to provide more context. It does touch on some heavier topics, making this a better fit for more mature high school readers. Thanks so much for the ARC!

4. One reason I like Kara Thomas,is that she consistently nails high school age characters. She definitely has again! This sequel to The Cheerleaders has plenty of Easter eggs for readers, and a twisty mystery for returning fans. Hadley has to unlayer her assumptions and be willing to lose it all to get to the truth. Raises good questions about what justice is for victims and their community—why isn’t justice achieved? There’s a lot here, all of which is relevant to current events. Well done, Kara Thomas!

Good pace and sense of urgency, believable characters, fast plot. I wish I'd read The Cheerleaders first to give me background, but it stood on its own!

4 stars! This was a good follow-up to “The Cheerleaders”. The plot kept me engaged for the whole novel, and I appreciated that this book delved into some serious topics, as well.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for the galley copy of the book!**

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I just recently read The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas, so I pushed this to the top of my TBR since it is set in the same town. The Champions tells the story of a winning football team who the town loves, but secretly has a dark side. I liked the tenacity of Hadley, the main character. She is relatively new in town, has dreams of an exciting future in journalism, and uses those skills to uncover what is really going on with the football team. Overall, the book was fine and I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't groundbreaking. The story included some serious topics, but they were addressed in a pretty superficial way, which almost seems like an insult to teen readers who may be dealing with those things in their own lives.

The Champions is another amazing book by Kara Thomas. This book kept me guessing and believing the false leads through the entire book. I was rooting for the evil characters without even knowing it. I can't wait to a dd this to the library collection so that I can recommend it.

Looking back, I see that my reviews for her other books were...not overwhelmingly positive (I evidently disliked the cheerleaders so much I felt bad leaving a review - not something I normally struggle with), so I'm not completely sure how this one ended up in my pile. That said, no major problems and that cover is lit, so.