Throw Like a Girl

By: Sarah Henning

Narrated by: Devon Hales

Friday Night Lights meets Morgan Matson's The Unexpected Everything in this contemporary debut where swoonworthy romance meets underdog sports story.

When softball star Liv Rodinsky throws one ill-advised punch during the most important game of the year, she loses her scholarship to her fancy private school, her boyfriend, and her teammates all in one fell swoop. With no other options, Liv is forced to transfer to the nearest public school, Northland, where she'll have to convince its coach she deserves a spot on the softball team, all while facing both her ex and the teammates of the girl she punched.... Every. Single. Day.

Enter Grey, the injured star quarterback with amazing hair and a foolproof plan: If Liv joins the football team as his temporary replacement, he'll make sure she gets a spot on the softball team in the spring. But it will take more than just a flawless spiral for Liv to find acceptance in Northland's halls, and behind that charismatic smile, Grey may not be so perfect after all.

With well-drawn characters and a charming quarterback love interest who's got brains as well as brawn, Throw Like a Girl will have listeners swooning.

©2020 Sarah Henning (P)2020 Little, Brown Young Readers

Critic reviews

"Liv's major obstacle is learning to forgive and trust again: the family who doesn't respect her decisions; the teammates who keep secrets; the boyfriend with an agenda; and above all, her own flawed, complicated, driven, triumphant self. This charming sports story reflects classic tropes of the genre while still feeling fresh and relevant. A winner." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Determination and grit mixed perfectly with sass and humor on every turn of the page. With mistakes come lessons, and this story tells it in a way that everyone can relate to." (Abbi Glines, number one New York Times best-selling author)

"[Sarah] Henning offers up a scrappy contemporary debut in the vein of Morgan Matson. Sports fans and romance lovers unite - there's plenty to satisfy both teams here." (Booklist)

cute very cute.

It was a good book to just pass the time. males voice was a little off took time to get used to but it was fine

Fun story

Fun, engaging story. Sad that someone insinuating that your sister might be gay is the worst possible insult that can only be answered with your fist. Too bad the author isn't a fan of the greatest QB of all time, Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. And he's easy on the eyes.

Absolutely LOVED it!!

The narrator is PHENOMENAL, and the content is so perfectly high school. I laughed, bit my nails, and cheered with every score. 10/10 favorite!

Loved it!!

Such an amazing book loved it! Great for teens! Would recommend!! I listened to it all day!

Wonderful

I loved it and Devon Hales was great. I LOVE that Sarah Henning was frank with the reality of concussions, accidents and the consequences of one's actions. The charactera were amazing and of course I loved that O-Rod was a girl on a boys football team. Definitely worth listening to.

Satisfying, Genuine Story

I am not the typical audience for this book-my children are grown, I was never an athlete and don’t really watch sports. But a friend recommended it to me and the title was intriguing. Very quickly Henning’s descriptive writing and wonderful story telling drew me in and I found myself back in high school feeling what it was like to navigate those delicate, complicated female, male, sibling, parental and teacher relationships. Henning is a master at painting a scene and making it come alive. Her characters are rich, their relationships are complex, nuanced and authentic. I found myself rooting not just for Liv and Gray but for all of the characters including the parents and coaches. I thought I was just going hear a predictable story about teenage athletes in love but instead I got a very satisfying and genuine glimpse into what it means to be a friend, a daughter, and a competitor. I listened to the book in two days because I could not put it down. Devon Hales’ narration is spot on-she captured Liv’s voice perfectly and her performance kept me listening and added to the satisfaction of hearing this well told story.

Cute but also has depth

As you can tell by the summary it’s a cute YA novel about sports and first love, but there is also a depth to the main character and the situation her family is in. I really enjoyed seeing more than a fluffy book. Worth the listen!

Football in poetry.

This is some of the most gorgeous prose I've ever read. I'm not a big football fan. Not in the least. But I absolutely LOVED this book. It tackles a bunch of huge issues straight on, and you can't help but fall in love with the main character, and end up rooting for her. Perhaps one of the strongest character voices I've heard in a long time. The narrator does an excellent job as well.

STORY IS CUTE AND FLUFFY

The story is cute .. teenage fluffy easy listen/read which I needed in that moment after reading some deep complex books. Overall I enjoyed it for what it is.

The narrator was just ok in the beginning but as the story progressed she was a lot more fluid and really improved. Her voice felt like a teenage girl telling the story. I would give something else she narrates a shot. Trust me there are better but there are a LOT worse narrators out there. She did well.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

I couldn't atop reading. I absolutely love, love, loved it! Reading gave me butterfly, whenever Liv got butterflies from Gray I did too because the author is just so damn good! My imagination was able to picture Gray and Liv and just all the drama. (*Spoiler*) When Liv got slammed by the "Rhinoceros" and hurt her knee it was like I felt it! I love, love, loved it! I totally suggest it to anyone and literally everyone. I really think everyone should read this, I am going to but a few copies for my friends and give them to them. I literally never loved a book so much!

I am fifteen btw, so it is a perfect thing for YA.