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C. Hall
4.0 out of 5 stars Football and Friends
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2022
Verified Purchase
Kara Beitz does two things really well: tell an engaging story and get to the heart of young adults.

Against the backdrop of Texas and football, we meet once best friends, Julian Jackson and Elijah Vance. Theirs is a friendship complicated by not only their own past but also the past of their fathers. Beitz weaves these stories seamlessly through their relationship, though that doesn’t mean it’s an easy playing field.

As a fan of football, I really enjoyed the setting; I may be the only reader who wanted more football! But I also appreciated that this is a story about two young men who are working through the emotional perils of high school and growing up to find their place in the world. That they happen to be gay adds another layer of depth but there is so much more to SIDELINED. Love Beitz’ voice and storytelling, look forward to more from this adept author.
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J. Hernandez
5.0 out of 5 stars Football... but not too much football
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2021
Verified Purchase
An enjoyable read set in coastal Texas. For those not aware, football is king in Texas, and especially High School football. Kara Bietz has crafted a well built, startlingly convincing setting for our characters to live in. The story is told in first person by the two protags and is engaging to read. The differences between Julian and Elijah are well thought out and written, and the things they share in common are sweet. It was refreshing to read an LGBTQ+ story that was set in I guess what would be called Post-Bigot America, or at least this was the case in the small Texas town of Meridian. The drama Ms. Bietz brought us was not founded on homophobia, but instead on the viewpoints of the two MCs and their emotions and connection to each other. The secondary characters were given just enough life to make them stand out on their own, especially Julian's grandmother. And as I said before, it was nice to have people in the lives of the MCs that didn't judge, but accepted them.

Overall, this was a great book to read, long enough to allow you to sink into the story, and paced in a way that the read feels swift.
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AT 40 Chart Fan
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great because of the ending
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
No spoilers but was not happy with the final chapter. It was too short and didn't end like I expected. Makes me wonder if there will be a sequel. You needed to play out the big game.
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S. D. Deines
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
The book was hard to put down and a very good read. I enjoyed it from the front to the back.
Recommend.
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AARON D LAUVER
5.0 out of 5 stars All the feels
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
Loved this feel good love story set in the heart of Texas football culture.
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E. N. Rivas
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2023
A wonderful story about two boys trying to figure who the are for each other. The past gets in the way, but love always wins!
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Paige G.
4.0 out of 5 stars Book review
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2021
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Sidelined

Author: Kara Bietz

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: Gay MC raised by grandma, Gay MC raised by single mom, M/m romance

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, sports, sports romance, football, m/m romance

Genre: YA Contemporary Sports Romance

Publication Date: September 21, 2021

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 306

Recommended Age: 13+ (Religion, Romance, Teen pregnancy)

Explanation of CWs: Religion is central to the plot, but there's no homophobia or religion used to further homophobia. No one really cares they're gay. Romance is sweet and subtle. Just kisses and hugs. Teen pregnancy is used as a plot device to further the main characters romance and friendship.

Synopsis: Julian Jackson has a short to-do list for his senior year at Crenshaw County High School in Meridian, Texas: football, football, and more football. He knows he's only got one chance to earn a college scholarship and make it out of his small town, and keeping his head down, his grades up, and his cleats on the field is that one chance. And then Elijah Vance walks back into his life, throwing all of his carefully-laid plans into a tailspin.
 
Elijah and Julian used to be best friends, maybe even on their way to something more than just friends. But three years ago, Elijah broke into the school to steal money from the coach's office, and Julian was the one who turned him in. After that, Elijah and his family disappeared without a trace. And now he's back, sitting at Julian's grandmother's kitchen table.
 
But time and distance haven't erased all of their feelings, and Elijah knows that he finally has a chance to prove to Julian that he's not the same person he was three years ago. But with secrets still growing between them and an uncertain future barreling towards them, it may be harder to lean on each other than they thought.

Review: For the most part I liked this book a lot. I loved the sports romance and how well connected the boys were. I liked the enemies to lovers aspect and how well developed all of the characters were. The world building was also well done.

However, there's just some things in the book that didn't land well for me. Teen pregnancy was used as a plot device to further the romance between the two boys and once that was done it was never really talked about again. The book had two tropes: miscommunication and enemies to lovers. Both were solved mid way through the book. The cover scene on the book isn't even in the novel and, with the exception of one mention in the book, it nor the title connect with the story at all. The last chapter is a jump forward and it's disjointing and not detailed that it's a jump forward. And I just kinda felt like the issues Elijah had were resolved with Julian, but not with the town overall.

Verdict: Overall, good m/m romance but not enough plot behind the story.
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Rajiv
4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful young adult, contemporary romance
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2021
What happens when your best friend from long back comes back to your life and shakes it up? The author wrote a beautiful YA contemporary romance in Sidelined.

What I loved about the story were the two main characters. The author depicted Elijah and Julian perfectly as they reunited with each other. Many moments just warmed my heart, like how they reminisce over the good times of the past and how they talk about the people they miss. The author also portrays their feeling and relationship nicely. Julian is the star everyone loves, while Elijah is the troubled boy with the colored past who comes back to town. Elijah tries to ignore what people tell about his father and how his friendship with Julian strengthens him.

Moreover, the author portrayed their emotions realistically. Both Julian and Elijah carry their baggage of how people perceive them and how they need to behave differently. Elijah was my favorite more than Julian, as I thought he was more emotionally inclined than Julian, considering his backstory. The two of them share their ups and downs and try to work towards meeting each other midway. Moreover, even the side characters like Camille, Nate, and Birdie add nicely to the plot. I loved Julian’s relationship with Birdie and thought they were adorable.

The author also spices up the story with specific events, like the Taylor flag/prank incident and the event from twenty years ago. Moreover, the author brings the football field to life, as she describes the games and the backstage drama in an exciting manner.

Overall, I thought “Sidelined” was a beautiful young adult, contemporary romance with likable characters, and I enjoyed reading it a lot.
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Rajiv
4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful young adult, contemporary romance
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2021
What happens when your best friend from long back comes back to your life and shakes it up? The author wrote a beautiful YA contemporary romance in Sidelined.

What I loved about the story were the two main characters. The author depicted Elijah and Julian perfectly as they reunited with each other. Many moments just warmed my heart, like how they reminisce over the good times of the past and how they talk about the people they miss. The author also portrays their feeling and relationship nicely. Julian is the star everyone loves, while Elijah is the troubled boy with the colored past who comes back to town. Elijah tries to ignore what people tell about his father and how his friendship with Julian strengthens him.

Moreover, the author portrayed their emotions realistically. Both Julian and Elijah carry their baggage of how people perceive them and how they need to behave differently. Elijah was my favorite more than Julian, as I thought he was more emotionally inclined than Julian, considering his backstory. The two of them share their ups and downs and try to work towards meeting each other midway. Moreover, even the side characters like Camille, Nate, and Birdie add nicely to the plot. I loved Julian’s relationship with Birdie and thought they were adorable.

The author also spices up the story with specific events, like the Taylor flag/prank incident and the event from twenty years ago. Moreover, the author brings the football field to life, as she describes the games and the backstage drama in an exciting manner.

Overall, I thought “Sidelined” was a beautiful young adult, contemporary romance with likable characters, and I enjoyed reading it a lot.
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Sharon Pegram
5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable characters
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2021
Both narrators in this YA football romance grab your heart and never let go (in a good way). The story of them untangling the past to find their way back to each other keeps the pages turning, and the small town Texas setting comes alive like another character.
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