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Reviewed by:
  • Game On by Monica Seles
  • Karen Coats
Seles, Monica . Game On; by Monica Seles with James LaRosa. Bloomsbury, 2013. [272p]. (The Academy) Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-59990-976-9 $17.99 Paper ed. ISBN 978-1-59990-901-1 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 6-10.

When Maya finally lands a coveted scholarship at the elite sports training facility known simply as the Academy, she is suddenly plunged into a world where, in additional to state-of-the-art training grounds and equipment, designer fashion stores line the streets of the complex and A-list celebrities come to watch and mingle with the future stars of Olympic and professional sports. Fortunately, her roommate, Cleo, is also on scholarship, having come from China to become a professional golfer who earns enough to support her entire family. Cleo schools Maya on the ways of the Academy, where image is as important as talent. After a few bumps, which include running afoul of Nicole King, tennis superstar and Maya's personal idol, and almost getting kicked out, Maya finds her feet and then some, befriending the überwealthy Renee and dating Travis and then Jake, the Academy owner's two very different sons. Just when she thinks things can't get any better, though, she realizes how far she has drifted from who she wants to be, and she has an important decision to make about her immediate future. The plot is paced like a tennis match, with Maya as the ball moving from one boy and one set of friends to another as she settles into her glamorous new red-carpet lifestyle. While her character isn't deeply developed, the drama and setting are too delicious for that to really matter. Though this is at one level, at least, a sports book, the narrative doesn't dwell on anyone's [End Page 532] dedication to their sport, focusing instead on the intrigues of relationships and the party lifestyle. Based on Seles' own experience at elite sports academies she attended in her youth, this series opens a window on the calculated spreadsheet side of sport, driven as much by money, image, and branding as by talent and hard work.

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