Blog Tour & Moodboard : We Are the Wildcats

Author: Siobhan Vivian

Genre: YA Contemporary

Release Date: 03.31.20

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Source: Publisher

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis: “A toxic coach finds himself outplayed by the high school girls on his team in this deeply suspenseful novel, which unspools over twenty-four hours through six diverse perspectives.

Tomorrow, the Wildcat varsity field hockey squad will play the first game of their new season. But at tonight’s team sleepover, the girls are all about forging the bonds of trust, loyalty, and friendship necessary to win.

Everything hinges on the midnight initiation ceremony—a beloved tradition and the only facet of being a Wildcat that the girls control. Until now.

Coach—a handsome former college player revered and feared in equal measure—changes the plan and spins his team on a new adventure. One where they take a rival team’s mascot for a joyride, crash a party in their pajamas, break into the high school for the perfect picture.

But as the girls slip out of their comfort zone, so do some long-held secrets. And just how far they’re willing to go for their team takes them all—especially Coach—by surprise.”

REVIEW:

This book has made me fall in love with the idea of sports again. And yes, I did say the idea of them. I can’t say after reading this that I’m going to go outside and start running laps until I’m exhausted, but this story (and more specifically team of girls) has truly made me miss being part of a team. Their dynamics and journey through the 24 hours featured in this novel had so much heart I can barely describe it. Their interactions and spirit were beautifully written and captured what it means to be part of a team.

So, as I said, We Are the Wildcats takes place during 24 hours as the girls of a varsity field hockey team band together for their first “Psych-up” of the season. However, things don’t go as planned when their midnight initiation ceremony changes into a night of shenanigans and bonding as they put back together the pieces of their team following the loss of last season’s championship game.

I absolutely loved every moment of this book, and a huge part of that is due to how masterfully the story was crafted. This book follows six different perspectives, which I know sounds a little scary at first. However, Siobhan Vivian nails the storytelling and weaves these different view points together perfectly. The combination of girls and their unique experiences with the team builds the story wonderfully. It’s easy to follow and even easier to get hooked into. I struggled putting this book down because every chapter, every memory, and every narrator left me hungry for more.

Now, more on the Wildcats themselves. Another huge advantage of having the six narrators was that the family vibes in this book were UNREAl. The team felt authentically loving; their relationships and dynamics came through the pages. I was impressed with how realistic the different bonds and supportive team energy felt. My heart was truly soft with how much love and affection they all had for each other. It was beyond sweet!

And in the aftermath of reading this book I am now desperate to read some more stories talking about sports. Sporty YA books have always been something I’ve wanted to get more into, but now I feel like I have to. We Are the Wildcats felt so vividly real that I’m left craving another story with such a complex and realistic team feeling. So, if you need me for the next week I’ll be rereading this and grabbing every sports book I can find.

But, seriously, I would love to see this author write another story focusing on sports! The team and spirit within these pages has left me needing more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read with a lot of heart that made me all fuzzy inside. The unique combination of six povs, dynamics, and team spirit really made this book something special. It was a very atmospheric story that I couldn’t help but get immersed into. I had no choice, this story pulled my straight in and didn’t let go. If you’re looking for your next read I would recommend you give We Are the Wildcats a try. With it’s great storytelling, heartwarming relationships, and compelling narrators there is something within these pages for everybody to enjoy!

MOODBOARD

I had so much fun putting together this little moodboard to capture We Are the Wildcats! It was a photo challenge in the best way. NOTE: all photos included are taken from websites providing free stock images such as Pexels and BeFunky

NOTE: Thank you so much to the publisher, Simon and Schuster, for including me on the  blog tour for We Are the Wildcats. Opinions are all my own.