"She had finally worked out why she was so fascinated with Susie. Good friends were hard to find and Marlee couldn’t wait to see her new friend again."

So, after talking at a party, Marlee spend the whole day thinking of topics she could talk to Susie about on phone. While Susie gets her number from the phone book, asks her to meet up again and not bring the boyfriend and to call her anytime. I love 'good friends', this is always my favourite part in romances.
Marlee's crush on Susie was realistic and really cute! only problem that they got together way too fast and honestly I didn't care much after that. It was a well written YA, i just prefer relationships that develop slowly.sapphic ya-na9 s Starsandsun18258 1 follower

Why did I missed this series? Wow! Classic YA which I miss reading. :))
If you love baseball or even if you don’t I would still recommend this one.
I really love the chemistry of Susie and Marlee it’s a bit fast but I still bought it because it’s YA. Impulsive kiddos.
The next book will be Lisa’s POV, but I think
I’ll go straight to book 3 :))

10 s Alena846 27

Combined review for Tools of Ignorance, Out of Left Field and Going, Going, Gone.

All these books take place in a group of friends/softball rivals. YA romances dealing with first love, coming out, etc.

The blurbs suggest way more drama/conflict than actually takes place, which isn't a bad thing, just that blurb and content don't match.

Nice, mindless reads (I read them all back to back and have to admit they all blurr in my mind). Strong, queer, characters with different sets of problems so that the whole gamut is covered. Unfortunately it reads and feels the characters never left the drawing board stage and don't really come to life. The writing isn't very good, this may also be a reason that characters don't feel more real. They have clear roles and purposes to fulfill. I realize I'm not the target audience, but I think teenagers as well would appreciate better writing.

I'm repeating myself, but now that I know what YA writing can be (Malinda Lo), I can't help but compare things with her world, and other things keep falling short.

But I still couldn't put them down. Go figure.children-ya fiction queer4 s YA Reads Book Reviews673 271

And so starts the beginning of the biggest change in Marlee’s life. When Marlee realises that the feelings she’s experiencing for Susie are nothing what it feels to be with Bobby – her boyfriend – she begins to question why they’re even together. All he wants to do is make out and go parking, and that’s the last thing Marlee wants to do with Bobby. When Bobby leaves her for someone else, Marlee is shocked but also a little relieved.

Enter Susie. At a party one night, Susie tells Marlee that she thinks she beautiful. As soon as the words fall on Marlee’s ears, she feels completely unable to hold her feelings in any longer. The girls end up making out and so starts the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Unsure of how their friends will react, the two girls decide to keep their newfound love a secret. And it’s a good thing they do, because Susie’s best friend (and Marlee’s rival pitcher), Christy Loveland, wants Susie all to herself. Not in the same way that Marlee and Susie want each other, but her jealously becomes a major problem for the new couple all the same. Will the new couple survive the pressure so early on in their relationship?

What I loved about this book the most was Marlee’s immediate, unquestioned acceptance of her newfound sexuality. She didn’t go into denial, and she didn’t embark on a downward spiral of self-hate and loathing. When their friends found out that Susie and Marlee were dating, there were no homophobic reactions and certainly no friendships lost over the issue. This is the first book I’ve found for gay teens that doesn’t include the protagonist’s ‘coming out’ being met with a barrage of objections and hate. Although the two girls did express concern about how their loves ones would react, it wasn’t a huge issue and it was clear that they certainly weren’t going to let that stop them being together. It was so refreshing (and joyous!) to read a novel for gay teens that shows the protagonist in positive circumstances, rather than the tragic ones that so often get published.

Out of Left Field is a short, punchy feel-good read that gets straight to the point (no pun intended).2 s Wendy766 9

Sweet YA story about a teenager realizing and coming to terms with her sexuality. Marlee is the star player for her softball team, has a boyfriend, and a typical teen. She found herself drawn and attracted to Susie, who plays left-field for their fiercest rivals - so begins her journey of self-discovery. It tackles the issues that come up, in a gentle way, acknowledging that there will be people who will be prejudiced against LGBTs. The book also shows the confusion and the challenges faced by a teen when she realizes that she might be gay. Add in sports (softball) and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. 2 s Heidi700 30

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