Derby Girl Book

*sigh*

I hope that Shauna Cross is a better screenwriter than an author. The book reads from the perspective of a sixteen year old girl, but the writing style is as developed as that of a nine year old girl. Somehow this book managed to make feminist rebel girl culture look lame and immature. "How could my best friend shoplift without me? That was OUR thing!"

The characters: square-peg blue-haired rebel girl, stern overbearing mother who wants daughter to be a "lady", apathetic dad, picture perfect little sister, oddball ethnic best friend, rival popular girl at school, cool teacher, submissive part-time job supervisor, bass-playing indie love interest, derby team captain ally, rival derby mean girl. Insert all previous characters into a predictable formulaic coming-of-age snoozefest.

Can you be both a sardonic hipster and an airheaded valley girl? Apparently. Whatevs! Don't forget to add that main character Bliss is also smarter than everyone in a position of power and immediately also the best jammer in the league. Yeah, sure.

I read it for the derby element, which was merely a footnote in this hastily written mess. Yuck. I think on this rare occasion, the movie ("Whip It") may trump the book.