My memories of high school cheerleading involve the occasional cartwheel or round-off, so this was an eye-opening story that explained a lot about competitive cheerleading. Max is a very likeable character, with an emotional backstory, believable conflict, and a personality that will make readers want to see her happy no matter what she chooses to do. ( )

Although this novel targets a younger audience, it can still be enjoyed by adults. The writing could use some editing, but the story was engaging. I really enjoyed learning more about this sport and loved that it wasn't about Max becoming girlier, but about her trying new things and making friends. ( )

In high school I remember seeing the cheerleaders walk down the hallway. It was almost like the sea had parted and here came the "in crowd" of the school. Their uniforms were perfect as well as their hair. Their mannerisms were somewhat stuck up and they oozed with power and popularity. I never wanted to be a cheerleader simply because I would never fit into that crowd. Max at the tender age of twelve is invited to join the cheering world. Can you imagine being asked to join a group that was looked up to by many and meant you were now part of the group that everyone envied? She must of had butterflies as she started working with the other girls? Would she be accepted?

Max is at an age where she is trying to fit in, figure out who she is and wanting friends to hang out with. Maybe bring on the cheering squad will help her to be more outgoing and less self conscious . I liked the different techniques described in the book and how disciplined you have to be to be able to do difficult twists, turns, tumbles and intricate moves while being in front of your peers. The book is a great read that touches on issues that all teens deal with. The author does a great job of showing that it's ok to make mistakes that help you grow and mature. It is an interesting book that helps teens learn confidence , and learn that being "cool" isn't really as important as being yourself and trusting your instincts .

I received a copy of this book from Librarything for an honest review. ( )

I really enjoyed this book.fast paced,easy read.i had a hard time imagining all the stunts and moves described.i liked the friendship aspect and would love to learn more about the competitions if there was a sequel. ( )

This book seems to be written for middle grade level; I am well past middle grade age. I enjoyed learning about competitive cheering. I guess most of my friends and I were the opposite of Max. We wanted to be cheerleaders, we just didn't have the skills or the gyms/programs to do so. I could relate to Max feeling that she didn't really belong and also to her not really opening up much to others, but finding that when she did, she really did have people who wanted to be her friends. I liked that Peter and Kyle remained her friend even though she was doing something that they didn't fully understand at first.

I was glad to see that Hailey wasn't jealous of the fact that cheerleading moves come fairly naturally to Max when she herself has to work hard to do many of the same moves. I was also gratified to see that Hailey was content with being a base (a support person) rather than being the one in the limelight. I was a bit surprised to not find more "mean girls" within the cheerleading squads. Even though the competitions involve a team performing a routine, within the gym, there must be some competition to get on the teams that perform higher level skills. It might have been nice to see Tonya confront the flyer group with whom Max had to do a dance routine during camp and discuss their behavior. We did later see Paige apologize, but it might have been a nice counterpoint to see that one of the other girls was not repentant about her behavior and either get demoted to a lower squad because of it or be asked to leave the gym. (I'm guessing that Tonya and her coaches weed out the "mean girl" attitudes, but it might have been nice to have that said by Lexi or Hailey to Max or to see it in action.

Leanne's view of Max is not fully dealt with in this book--I suspect that will come in a future volume. I'm not sure if Leanne is upset/jealous that Conner is hanging out with Max rather than with her or if Leanne resents the attention that Max is getting because she picks up tumbling and stunting skills very quickly.

And after such a big deal being made about Max only doing it so she could get a cat (or cats), I don't think we ever saw her get to go pick them out!

Overall though, I enjoyed the work ethic the book promoted and the values of teamwork, friendship etc.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.* (less) ( )