Tournaments, Cocoa and One Wrong Move

Real Life #3

by Nancy N. Rue

Perfect?
Everything seems to be going right for Cassidy Brewster—she's the star of her high school basketball team, has a near-perfect GPA, and college recruiters are showing up at her games. But during the state tournament she injures herself, and her season appears to be over. With pressures at home and at school, Cassidy turns desperate and makes choices that only increase the number of problems in her life. As Cassidy's carefully controlled world falls apart, a mysterious book begins to speak to her, and it might just contain the answers Cassidy has been trying to find.

Genres: Young Adult, Christian, Fiction, Contemporary, Sports, Christian Fiction, Teen

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 21, 2010

About the author

Nancy Rue is the author of over 100 books for adults and teens, including the Christy Award-winning The Reluctant Prophet, Unexpected Dismounts and Healing Waters (with Steve Arterburn), which was the 2009 Women of Faith Novel of the Year. She travels extensively—at times on the back of a Harley—speaking to and teaching groups of women of all ages. Nancy lives on a lake in Tennessee with her Harley-ridin’ husband, Jim, and their two yellow Labs (without whom writing would be difficult).

Reviews

[Celestial · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredible story! It is so emotional that it made me tear up a few times.
I have to admit that the starting was a little boring for me. In fact it took me quite some time to get past what I perceived to be the 'boring' part.
Once the story picked up pace it was so worth reading. Cassy's growth throughout the book was amazing to read!
One of the complaints I have with the book (besides not enjoying the first few chapters) was that it was never said that her 'love' interest was a Christian. As a Christian it is very important for me personally to date only Christian guys, so this made me wonder a bit.
Anyways, this is an incredible amazing book. So far all the Real Life series books I have read have been very moving.
I would recommend this book to older middle school girls and young highschool girls. However, I believe one will enjoy this story at any age above thirteen. I know I certainly did. :D

[Lydia Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy Rue's books are kinda weird. Like, every one of them makes me scratch my head. They generally have some good ideas and information, and the storytelling is good, but I don't always agree with all the conclusions and theology.
She does a good job of making the characters really real and developed and have easily seen arcs, so that's always a plus and probably one of the reasons I like her books. I don't generally connect with her characters or relate to them, but I still find them interesting.
The "RL" book in this series is pretty weird, but I do get the point of it, and it is a cool concept, although I don't agree with all of it.

[TheBookNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came at just the right time! The main character was so relatable and I could see myself going through the same situations she went through. Definitely worth the read!

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cassidy is a high school sports star, pushing herself (and being pushed by her father) to be the best. When a blown ACL puts her on the bench, she's not really sure what to do with herself. Her brother's med-student fiancee gives her some "supplements" to help with the healing process. The "supplements," of course, turn out to be steroids, and Cassidy is busted. Now, she needs to find out who she is besides sports star, and she must decide if she even wants to be an athlete anymore. Helping her along the way is a mysterious book that seems to give her the exact answers she needs when she needs them.

This was a clean read with nothing objectionable (sex, language, etc.)in it. However, taking out anything objectionable also takes away some of the realism and makes it impossible to totally believe all the characters--especially Cassidy's new "at-risk" classmates. Christian teens will find this mildly interesting; they may be more interested in it if they are athletes and can relate to Cassidy's drive to succeed on the court. Non-Christian teens may find the RL book to be confusing, not having the background to recognize the parables being referenced.

I won this in a goodreads giveaway.

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am going to be upfront here, I don't read a lot of Christian teen fiction, so I don't have a lot to compare this book to. Cassidy is a high school basketball star, who injures herself and faces some tough choices when it comes to her recovery and her future. A mysterious book helps her make the right choices and get back on the right path. The writing is not particularly strong, and the author did a lot more telling than showing in her descriptions. In the first several pages, the author describes at least two characters based solely on their race, (the "wiry black girl", and another who spoke so well her accent was "hardly noticeable"). When nothing else was mentioned about the characters, it bothered me and made me wonder why the author would even bother with it, other than to appear diverse. But, the main character is overall believable, and I think Christian teens will understand the Book's message and its parallels to the Bible, and will appreciate the struggles Cassidy faces. ~s

[Nora · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was christian fic because it wasn't labelled as such in the description >.> i guess that's my bad, i thought it would just be a teen chick-lit. sadness~~

I won this from first reads.

[Gary Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

10th book read in 2014.

Number 70 out of 354 on my all time book list.

Follow the link below to see my video review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y88xAO...

[Lauren Thell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first few chapters made me think this was going to be another story about a girl who makes one bad decision, then spends the rest of the book trying to cover it up and run from the consequences. That wasn't the case, thank goodness. Cassidy gets her consequences early, setting the stage for growth in the rest of the story. I was pleasantly surprised.

[Ashlee (ashleereads692) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much religion. Also can we talk about how the main character was basically drugged and no one did anything about it?

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good novel, I like the way it worked the Bible in but it could have definitely had a clearer Gospel message.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book a good read for the teen set. I won this book in a goodreads contest and couldn't wait to read it and review it.

Here are some of the things I liked about the book:

The main character, Cassidey, was believable. I liked that she was facing such adversity, but I felt like some of her relationships and anger at her friends was a little forced. I suppose that her experiences were true to life though, in that sometimes we all react badly to certain situations. In this case, she reacted badly to her friend and believed wrongly that her friend Kara had told the principal about her steroid use.

I also liked that she grew during the story and that she didn't immediately go back to her group of friends after being allowed back on the basketball team.

I also really liked that Gretchen changed - I thought she was the worst person in the book until she testified at the hearing and even though Cass forgave her, it was still nice that this protagonist character had some growth.

Here's what I didn't like about the book:

First, I thought the religious references were forced. I got this book not knowing at all that it was going to have a religious basis and I was initially surprised at the RL and the New Testament stories that were re - written in modern language. I don't know if the RL is a real book (the back of this book says that the stories are based on those in The Message), but I thought they were confusing and were relationally a stretch to Cass's conflicts. It seemed like the author wanted the RL messages to be the main theme of the story, but in my view, she failed in this goal. I could have skimmed over every single passage with the RL stories and still would have gotten the same basic storyline down.

I also thought that her relationship with her physical trainer was a spiritual stretch. I think the author should have just left out the portions where Ben gave Cass faith advice or they should have played them up a bit. There were only two parts of the book where he talked about faith with Cass and these also seemed like a stretch.

It was as though the author wrote a good story, and then the publisher demanded that she insert the RL messages, which added nothing except giving Cass a reason to grow.

Finally, I wish Cass's relationship with her brother had changed. To me, the brother's character was completely unbelievable. There is no way that a brother would condone his fiance giving steroids to his younger sister even if the sister had ASKED for the steroids. I mean, come on. He's a 25ish year old graduate student and he should have been far more mature than he was portrayed in the book.

I give this book a solid three stars for its inventiveness. I liked the story line and I liked the main character a lot. I would recommend this to a middle school audience.

[Gina (My Precious Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The full review is posted on my blog and can be found here:

http://thecallawayfam.blogspot.com/20...

*** Disclosuer - I won this book in a GoodReads.com Giveaway ****

".. understand your own journey... do the work.... it's not all about you..."

Summary: When sixteen year old high school basketball star Cassidy Brewster blows her ACL a few short weeks before the High School State Basketball Finals she'll do anything to get better. Given a "supplement" by her brother's finance, a medical student, she does start seeing big changes, not only in her knee, its evident in her personality too. When Cassidy suddenly goes off into a rage on a fellow team mate from the sidelines at practice, an anonymous tip has the Principal drug testing the entire team. Cassidy's whole life is sent into a tailspin with the news her drug test came back positive for anabolic steroid use. In utter desperation, she attempts to explain to everyone she had no idea the "supplement" was a steriod, but not a single soul is believing her. She's banned from basketball, stripped of her friends and ends up in "Loser Hall" with a class full of Juvenile Delinquents. As she hits rock bottom, a mysterious book appears and helps her find the courage to fight back.

My Ramblings: The story is told through the voice of Cassidy Brewster. A sixteen year old basketball star who undergoes a complete metamorphosis after suffering a potential career ending injury. The author makes it easy to feel sorry for this young girl's plight, narrating the story with attention to detail, depicting teenagers to the tee. Friendless and feeling completely alone, Cassidy moves numbly about her life after the "incident". Slowly, though, the feelings start to resurface as she opens up her heart to people she may have never given a second look before her injury. Through this young girl's agonizing tale, the reader sees sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom before one can start picking up the pieces and turn life back in the right direction. Tournaments, Cocoa & One Wrong Move is the second book in the Young Adult, Christian Fiction [Real Life] series. The idea behind these books are after a reader has completed the story, he/she should pass it on for someone else to read and enjoy. The publisher even has a Facebook site where readers can share where a book was left or how a book was found. Luckily, this particular Christian Fiction novel, makes a novel attempt at keeping the "God Talk" to a minimum, using adult characters such as Ben, Cassidy's physical therapist, to speak candidly about religion on a level a teenager could relate to or telling bible stories in a non-religious fashion. A baby step in the right direction, if the author truly aims to connect with the teen crowd.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tournaments, Cocoa & One Wrong Move" is young adult general fiction with a romance. This is the third book in the Real Life series, but you can read the books in any order. The story was fast-paced, and the suspense grew as things got worse and worse in Cassidy's relationships at school and with her own family. Suspense also came from wondering if she'd get well enough to play again and, if so, if they'd override the rules to let her play again. I could hardly put the book down.

The world-building was also excellent, with the details about the setting, girls high school basketball, and physical therapy bringing the story alive in my imagination. The characters were realistic as were the pressures Cassidy faced. I even cried in sympathy with what she was going through. However, I thought the ending was a bit unrealistically tidy.

I was also concerned by the "bad boy" as Cassidy's romantic match. I'm all for getting to know people that are different from you rather than scorning them based on preconceptions. However, Cassidy's father was portrayed as unreasonable when he expressed concern about her friendship with the "trouble" kids. Granted, his stated reasons were bad ones (appearances), but I'd have a talk with my child if they started hanging out with "the bad crowd." Though it works out for Cassidy in the novel, peer pressure usually works the other way around in real life.

Christians and non-Christians were portrayed realistically with both the good and the bad. Cassidy finds a book, "RL," that's like a Bible and gives her guidance about her situation. The personalized & paraphrased stories seemed to be more loosely based on the Bible verses than previously, and I sometimes felt like the wording or conclusion was changed a bit to make it fit the author's point. Also, this time I usually didn't see how the stories even related to Cassidy's situation. Granted, everything was tied together into an a-ha moment near the end, but I prefer how the RL book was handled in the previous two books.

There was a very minor amount of bad language in the "he cussed" or "Don't say it!" style. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this novel as well-written, clean reading.

I received this book as an ARC review copy from the publisher.

[Sarah Ryburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

In accordance with FTC guidelines, I'll begin with the disclosure that I won a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads program.

Review: Well, this little book doesn't seem to be getting many stars on GR (an average rating of 2.8 stars, I think). I liked it. A simple story, with a definite element of wish-fulfillment in the sense that Cassidy, the heroine, messes up her life through a naïve, bad choice then reclaims it through a series of character-building, good choices. It's also rather like a fairy tale or The Wizard of Oz meets The Odyssey as Cassidy meets up with a motley but endearing cast of characters that assist her through various challenges and temptations on her journey "home."

Home, in this case, isn't the kingdom of Ithaca or the faithful "long–suffering Penelope" but Cassidy's former life of fame as a varsity basketball phenom. Problem is there's no yellow brick road to pave the way; fortunately, there is a fairy godmother/good witch of sorts: a leather-bound book, known only as "RL," that speaks to Cassidy and helps get her back on track. If not to her "old life" to a "real life." Get it? Real life: "RL."

So. There's some cheese; nevertheless, the book holds a solid message. Several actually. 1) We're responsible for our own choices, however naive, however innocent and 2)ultimately we are not in control here. That's the "real life" message of the book, and Cassidy finds remarkable freedom in learning to say "please" (as in "please help me because I'm not in control") and "thank you" (as in real gratitude for all things, not just for winning or otherwise getting her way).

Those are two pretty straight-forward messages. Another I particularly liked comes from a romantic subplot: of course this book has one, it is YA after all!!! One of the motley crew says to Cassidy, "I can be more than one thing." Amen, brother. Cassidy refines the concept later in offering forgiveness to another character. She remarks that one mistake doesn't define who you are. Amen, sister.

[Antonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tournaments, cocoa and one wrong move was kind of slow and really predictable at the beginning. I felt that need to just put down the book but I didn't I kept on reading. I mean I knew right away that Cassidy was on 'steroids' because of Gretchen. I also knew from the moment in the office when Rafe started calling Cassidy a loser I knew they would end up together as a couple. Even though a book is kind of boring if it is predictable this book pulled itself together near the end. I enjoyed the ending (partially because it was over). I also was a little dissapointed in the RL book. It was random. I understand that Nancy Rue wanted this book to guide Cassidy to the right path but I just thought it was weird and unnesesary. I enjoyed though the way the author developed her characters espeecially with Cassidy's dad Trent Brewster. I mean even though my dad isn't as bad as Trent he still pushes me alot in sports and academics but mostly sports. I also loved that in the beginnig of the book Cassidy didn't have a strong connection with her mom but after she tore her ACL and started making her on decisions and going to physical theraoy they developed a close relationship. Overall I rated the book a three it could've been a four if it was a little more "exciting".

[Sofia Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Typical Cassidy- "See , I think that's a weird question. I think the question should be 'Why doesn't EVERYBODY want to win? Why would you want to put yourself out there without wanting to be the best?"

Basketball. It’s her passion. It’s her love. It’s the only time she doesn't feel scared of anything. And it all goes down with one fall…
Cassidy Brewster, whose love and skill for basketball seem immeasurable, feels lost when a fall on the court leaves her knee swelling to three times its size. Will she ever be able to play again? And when a med student offers her supplements in secret should she take them?

Cassidy certainly is “real” in this third book of the Real Life series. Her perfectionism and longing to be the best are something many girls can relate to. But as she is rid of the thing she loves most Cassidy learns lessons she couldn't have learned always being the star.

I certainly recommend this book to all girls who think they have to be "perfect" (I'm there too). God loves us all just the way we are. :)

[Gregandemy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Won on Goodread's first reads giveaways!

I'd rate this somewhere between a 2 and 3. It was not bad and I liked it better then I thought I would,but it was just shy of making it to 3 stars for me. I thing just 'one Wrong Move' would have been a catchier title. I liked that it was a clean, motivating story for young adults. I would have no problem passing it on to some of the teenage girls in our church. It had a nice story, characters that were likable and experienced growth. The "magic" bible was more creative then quoting scriptures while still sharing the same messages. Not bad, just not something I care to read more of.

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow starting, this book began warming and set a steady pace. Cassidy feels like a real teen and one can empathize with making a mistake and trusting the wrong person. While I could empathize with Cassidy's mistakes, I found the "RL" book a little hinkie. After all, this series is called, "Real Life" and you don't find the answers in a book...unless you are referring to the Bible. In that case, say so. Don't make it mysterious and call it "RL".

While I liked this book, the first two in the series were better.

[L · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won a First Reads copy of this book, which is the only reason I'm trying to slog through it right now. I entered thinking this would be a sports novel, only to find out it spends very little time actually talking about sports and is instead a book aimed at Christian teenagers. I am definitely not the intended audience, but I suspect I wouldn't love this book even if I were. The writing and characterization are not great, and the plot (such as it is) has not grabbed me.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I was excited to read it b/c I love young adult books. This story centers on an all American girl (Cassidy) who starts to struggle in ways she hasn't before. A mysterious book helps lead her in the right direction. For me, the book was too akin to the Bible and book, overall, was more Christian-based than I enjoy. Fans of Christian literature should definitely give it a go.

[Jennifer Gatherum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads! This was a good Christian book. It tells the story of Cassidy Brewster - a high school basketball star who is injured and makes some poor choices during her recovery. One day she discovers the RL book, which is very similar to the Bible. The RL book helps her get her life in order and helps her realize what she values most. The book has a good message.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book overall with the struggle of Cassidy finding out who she really wanted to be. My one problem was with the way the book was having a conversation with her. it was strange and unnatural. It also distracted from the writing. If the book had just been helpful with stories and not weird "mind reading" powers I would have been more satisfied. But the message of the story was clear and it is a good read for young teens.
This book was won through Goodreads First Reads

[Jen Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads First Reads.

When I entered to win this book, I didn't realize it was a Christian Fiction book. I usually don't like Christian fiction only because I find it super cheesy. But I read this book anyway, and I was pleasantly surprised! At first, I felt like the passages from RL were cheesy, but then I grew to like them. And the story was so good! I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would!

[Mark Lichtenfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love religious fiction and Nancy does a nice job negotiating between secular teen life and growing religious conviction. Cassidy's journey from high school basketball star to garden variety student with a big heart is a testament to what a dose of religious teaching can do for a high school teen suddenly thirsting for direction. The book is a nice read and the good thing about religious teen fiction is the lack of gratuitous smut that often permeates mass-market YA fiction.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the third book in the Real Life Series, Tournaments, Cocoa & One Wrong Move takes us through the life of Cassidy and the decisions she has to make about basketball and her future after an ACL injury. I was not a fan of this book, and was waiting for it to pick up pace. I might recommend it to reluctant readers, or those teens looking for cleaner, Christian fiction.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won this in a First Reads Giveaway and can't wait to read it!!!
Enjoyed the book although it wasn't what I expected. I read a lot of Christian fiction and this was about like most books geared toward young teen girls. Would like to read more by this author to compare.
Will definitely add this one to my school library for students to read.

[Brenda Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tournaments, Cocoa & One Wrong Move by Nancy Rue is the third in the real life series.
A teen book series, Cassidy Brewster a sixteen year old high school basketball star.
This book takes you through her journey and struggles after she injures herself a couple weeks before the high school finals.

[Aaron Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

While there's a religious driving-force in this novel, it isn't its entirety. This is not to say I did not love the religious focus in it, because I did, very much. But in addition to that, its a really sincere book, and this is why I fell in love with it. Very well written, and I absolutely adore the characters. Great, great read. Will re-read for years, no doubt. Very memorable.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this as a giveaway here on good reads. The beginning 50 pages was uninteresting, but it did get better. I like how the main charter's perspective changes. I overall enjoyed this book, but it wasn't anything special. It is focused more for teens.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this RL book, we have a student-athlete whose life revolves around basketball and meeting her fathers' expectations in it. That is until she gets injured and then caught using and her life spends out of control. Or does it?