Great young adult read - I cheered for Ryan the whole book! ( )

The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith is about a girl named Ryan Walsh and how she gets through life after her father dies. When she was 10 years old, her father was killed in a rafting accident in Colorado, but in the beginning of the story Ryan is now in high school. Right after the accident, she had her two best friends Sydney and Kate by her side. However, as they grew up, the three slowly drifted apart. Then on April 8, which is Opening Day for the Chicago Cubs and also the anniversary of her father’s death, Ryan skips class to go see the game. This helps her feel closer to her father, since they always went to Cubs games together. While there, she runs into a classmate, Nick, and they discover that they have a lot in common. This starts their close relationship that continues on through the story. However, later in the story Ryan will find out a secret about Nick. She then brings back old traditions and makes a bargain with the Cubs—“It’s okay if the Cubs lose, as long as he’s okay…”—and her life is flipped upside down once again.
I think this book is very good and I would recommend it. While it does have romance in it, it is a lot more than that. It covers both troublesome and strong relationships between friends and family and how a family deals with hardships. Also, the book involves a lot of baseball, but it would also be a good read for someone who isn’t interested in or doesn’t understand the sport since that isn’t the focus of the story. This books covers a lot of different subjects, and I think it is suitable for any reader. Overall, I thought it was a very excellent book with a lot of suspense. ( )

Reviewed by Lauren Ashley for TeensReadToo.com

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. ( )

Ryan is accustomed to loss. Her father passed away five years ago, she doesn’t relate to her best friends anymore, and she is a Cubs fan. The anniversary of her father’s death happens to land on opening day, so Ryan skips school to go to the game. This is where she meets Nick. Another Cubs fan and also a new kid from her school. Thus, starting their friendship.Nick’s friendship and the Cubs good fortune transform Ryan into the person she was before she let herself be dulled with grief. Nick reluctantly tells Ryan why his family really moved to Chicago. Ultimately, through facing Nick’s illness, Ryan realizes what her father had tried to teach her about life and baseball. It’s now about winning or losing, but having the courage to continue to the play the game no matter what is thrown at you.I don’t know why I didn’t read this book sooner! If I had realized how much I was going to like it I would have. I of course was initially drawn to the book because of the Cubs, but what really drew me in was the story itself. Smith is an extraordinary writer and I expect great things from her in the future. Her writing is simple yet powerful. This book is beautifully written, the language is so genuine you can’t help but be held captive to it. I found myself admiring Ryan’s character and empathizing with her throughout the entire story. I loved the history about the Chicago Cubs, although I knew most of it. Other readers might find that part tiresome or boring, but I really think that is adds to the story as a whole. I highly recommend The Comeback Season, it is a heartwarming story that will not be soon forgotten. ( )

Ryan's dad died five years ago and she's been a little lost since then. Now she's a freshman in high school and her best friends have ditched her, trying for a spot in the popular clique instead. When her mom and stepdad announce that they're going to have a baby, Ryan feels like everything's changing... and not in a good way. She ditches school to go to Wrigley Field on the Cubs' opening day and that's where she meets Nick, a boy who will help her find herself again. But Nick's got a secret that will change everything once again.

This is a touching story about a girl dealing with grief and putting her life back together. This would be a great read for baseball fans. Ryan and her dad were huge Cubs fans and Ms. Smith includes lots of details about going to the games and about the Cubs. The Cubs are what bring Ryan and Nick together and they're the biggest thing they have in common. Sweet and sad, this is a story that will stick with me. ( )