Stealing Bases - Keri Mikulski

Reformed mean girl Kylie Collins desperately wants to put the craziness of basketball season behind her. (And with it, her cheater ex, Zachary Murphy.) Maybe she'll finally be able to silence her snarky streak and concentrate on her lifelong dream - being recruited for Division One softball.

But when Kylie arrives at her first softball practice of the season, she comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare: Amber McDonald, the best pitcher in the state.

Now, Kylie's forced to warm the bench as Amber wows crowds again and again. With all the drama happening out on the softball diamond, Kylie finds herself drawn back to bad habits-sabotaging people and hanging out with a certain Zachary Murphy. . .

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Title: Stealing Bases (a prettyTOUGH novel)

Author: Keri Mikulski

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: July 7, 2011

Format: Softcover

Source: Received from author/publicist courtesy of Teen Book Scene. Many thanks goes to Keri Mikulski and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book to review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. 

Blog Tour: Teen Book Scene. You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner located below the review. 

Look for it: Amazon, Book Depository

My rating: 4.5/5

This year's softball season is going to be Kylie's year, until a curveball is thrown her way and she  is warming the bench as her pitching rival, Amber, mesmerizes the crowd game after game as starting pitcher. Kylie wants her spot back, and now that she's sitting on the bench, she has a lot of time on her hands. Her ex-boyfriend, Zachary, has been hanging around and wanting to spend time with her, though Kylie is torn as she questions his intentions. 
If softball met the O.C., Stealing Bases would be considered their love child. With competitive school spirit, prom, softball, and rivalries between the boys and the girls, Stealing Bases doesn't let up. Primarily the focus is on Kylie's pitching status or lack thereof. She wants her spot back and is frustrated because it seems like she is losing everything; first her mom to her parent's divorce, the house, Zachary, and now her starting position. It seems like everything is going wrong for Kylie and she is trying to put the pieces of her life back together. When an opportunity arises, will Kylie revert to her old ways, or will she rise above? 
I really liked the competitive feel when Kylie was playing ball. With the teams egging each other on, it felt like you were sitting there playing with the team, chewing gum and sunflower seeds. As a softball player in my teen years, I loved reminiscing with Kylie and her team as they played their way to the Desert Invitational. The added bonus of boys, prom, and high school make this a well-rounded, fun and flirty read.
All in all, a fresh, sporty and fun read. Kylie will entice readers to commiserate with her as they see what she is going through and how hard it is for her to deal with everything that is going on. This is definitely one of those reads that brings back the nostalgia of playing softball, and I wish this book was around when I was a teen. It would be a great addition to any library. Sports fans are sure to enjoy reading about Kylie's adventures in Stealing Bases.