The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas was one of the first young adult thrillers I read and loved, so I am so excited that a companion is coming out which will hopefully lead even more readers to The Cheerleaders as well. The Champions is very different than its companion though they both take on super tough topics within their pages. The Champions takes place in the same town as its companion, but it is years later and this time we are seeing the story of the town’s champion football team from the eyes of a student reporter who is extracting information that will change everything.

I am confident that I will read and love every one of Kara Thomas' YA thrillers, The Champions included. This is a follow up to her previous book, The Cheerleaders. The story takes place in the same town of Sunnybrook and shares some common characters but could certainly be read on its own. Hadley is the new girl in town and writes for the high school paper. When tragedies start happening around her, she aims to find out what is happening, why, and at who's hand. This story is fast and very enjoyable (even to this adult reader). I didn't figure out the ending so I enjoyed every minute of the ride to the conclusion. I highly recommend this book to all readers, YA and adult alike. Thanks to Kara Thomas, Random House Children's | Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just "okay" for me. While I appreciate the author's willingness to dive into tough topics like underage drinking, gang rape, nepotism, etc., the book felt too long without much character development. There were too many unnecessary characters. This caused the book to become confusing at times. Unfortunately, I found this book to be unremarkable, but I think many of my students would read it due to its relatability.

As mysteries go, this was a good one. It hit about the same as the companion/prequel, in that it didn’t resort to a romance angle and I appreciate that. However, not my favorite writing style and I did find it hard to sometimes keep track of all of the comings and goings and escapades of the many characters. But I dug the basic story. And I like the vibe between Peter and Hadley and the fact that they are not gorgeous perfection. They are real and flawed and I like that. 💜📚

Oh this was so enjoyable! It has everything I like in young adult literature; cheerleaders, football players, school backdrop, murder, and one determined girl that will put all the pieces together. Hopefully before it's too late.

I loved it!! I was skeptical because of how much I like the Cheerleaders; I was worried it wouldn't be as good. Thankfully it was!

This is a great paced YA mystery/thriller. It’s an excellent follow up to The Cheerleaders, and Thomas does a great job of welcoming us back to the small town. I liked the MC, and enjoyed the twists and turns.

If you liked the cheerleaders you will love the champions. This book takes you back to the same town but with new characters

I have mixed feelings about this book. I would rate it as a great book because I finished the entire book in one sitting (6 hour plane ride). On the other hand, I found myself distracted while I read and not as enraptured as I usually am with Kara Thomas' books. The stakes were never high enough and I felt like I waited for a true climax that never came. I also found it hard to differentiate between the brothers in the book, which made the mystery and narrative difficult to follow.

I really like The Cheerleaders from this author. Thankfully this didn't disappoint! Fun, surprising, great atmosphere. Recommended.

First, thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this novel. I love Kara Thomas and this book did not disappoint! The first book set in this town, The Cheerleaders, was my first Kara Thomas book so I was excited to dive back into the town of Sunnybrook. This book was really interesting because we got to see old characters come back and see what their lives had turned out like. These same characters are part of what helped break the story and solve the case. I think this novel showed a lot of what it's like in schools where sports are the be all end all for students and the communities. They can often have terrible effects and so many things can be hidden and sweeped under the rug. It took me right up until it was happening to piece together the "whodunnit" of this story. I will absolutely recommend this novel.

If you didn’t already consider Kara Thomas a wonderful thriller/mystery writer, well, that’s on you. Each book she writes gets better and better. I had no idea that I needed a “sequel” to The Cheerleaders but I did. Great characters, compelling plot, and lots of twists.

This book is a sequel to the book The Cheerleaders, but deals with the football team this time. The story line takes place 11 years after the murders in The Cheerleaders and we see how the murders/deaths have affected the community and the school. There is no longer a cheerleading squad, but they do have a dance team . When this book begins, the football team is gearing up to win a 3rd straight football championship, which they feel is inevitable. And then terrible things start to happen. One star of the football team is in a coma and another is killed. Our main character is the editor in chief of the school paper and she has some ideas about what is going on.

This was a solid YA thriller but there was nothing special about it to make it stand out for me or to elevate it to a 4 star or 5 star read, although I will give the author credit for her handling of difficult topics, such as nepotism and gang rape. I guess my main complaint is there were SO many nondescript interchangeable characters that I kept getting confused about who was who.

This book was amazing and I devoured this book in just a few sittings! I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

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.