Set at a small liberal arts college in 1992; the story follows six driven young women chasing athletic glory. What starts as a narrative about a team pushing toward a championship slowly unfolds into a raw and nuanced exploration of identity, secrecy, and solidarity.

Told in alternating perspectives, each voice in the novel rings clear and true, giving readers a deeply personal look at the inner lives of girls shaped by ambition, trauma, and a longing for control. Kristin, the team’s prodigy, is unraveling under the weight of an unnamed summer event, while Captain Danielle is haunted by her own buried past. Their entangled paths are full of conflict and care, and Stephanie Reents truly shines in these quiet moments of confrontation and connection.

This is a novel that understands how young women weaponize and wield discipline—not just in sports but in eating, silence, and perfection. It also understands how fierce competition can give way to fierce loyalty in the crucible of shared struggle. Reents writes with a rare mix of empathy and edge, never flinching from the pain her characters endure yet always illuminating the fragile strength that keeps them running—literally and emotionally.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel about running and coming of age in the 1990’s. A shared POV doesn’t always work for me but I thought this one was really well done - each young woman felt distinct and the collective voice was done well too. This reminded me (in a great way) of the recent book Headshot, so I’d recommend it to fans of that book.