The Comeback Season
by Jennifer E. Smith

    THE COMEBACK SEASON by Jennifer E. Smith
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  3/4/08
    Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
    Reviewed by:  Lauren Ashley
    Rating:  4 Stars


    Ryan Walsh is a girl who loves the Chicago Cubs. It's not just about baseball to her, though. It's more about her
    dad, who passed away when she was ten years old, who sparked her love for the team. She's a freshmen in high
    school now, and the year didn't turn out quite how she wanted it to, with her drifting further apart from her grade
    school friends, Kate and Sydney.

    Everything changes for Ryan on Opening Day, when she goes to Wrigley Field to try and scalp a ticket. Though
    she ends up having to enjoy the game outside of the stadium, it's all worth it, for that day is when she really meets
    the new kid at school, Nick.

    From then on, they have a relationship that builds quickly based on things like baseball and knowing when to just
    be silent together. Things are finally starting to look up for Ryan, when it all starts to get out of her control again.
    The feelings of helplessness. The fear. In the end, Ryan will have a hard lesson to learn. How to move forward,
    without forgetting the past.

    THE COMEBACK SEASON was an amazing story about getting through the tough times in life to make it to the
    other side. The friendship between Ryan and Nick is warming and hilarious at the same time, reflecting the lives of
    friends all over the world. Jennifer E. Smith mixes life...love...death...strength...and baseball in a beautiful way that
    will keep you flipping the pages and ready to tread through the journey alongside Ryan. You'll laugh, you'll cry,
    you'll be happy, you'll be mad. But most of all, you'll love this book, whether a fan of sports or not, because more
    then that, it's simply a story of learning how to live and thrive during the good and bad times.