Spectacular Things

Dorey-Stein’s engrossing latest (after Rock the Boat) follows the struggles and triumphs of two sisters from a family of soccer stars. It opens during the 2028 Olympics, with Cricket Lowe, 25, on the U.S. team. Her older sister, Mia, needs a kidney transplant following complications from giving birth, prompting Cricket to consider giving up her athletic career to become her donor. The story then rewinds to chronicle the many sacrifices the sisters and their mother, Liz, make on the long, hard road to securing Cricket’s success. Liz, herself a soccer phenom who was destined for UCLA, gives up that path upon getting pregnant with Mia, who in turn abandons her Yale scholarship to serve as Cricket’s legal guardian when Liz dies in a car accident. The author excels at revealing how both Cricket and Mia are affected by losing their mother, and in exploring the limit of family obligations. The novel also offers visceral depictions of grueling soccer practices and the single-minded dedication needed to become a top athlete, as evidenced in Cricket’s mostly friendly rivalry with superstar Sloane Jackson, whose talent and meteoric rise push Cricket to improve her own game. By the time the plot returns to Cricket’s decision, secrets about the siblings’ father have been revealed, which make for intriguing parallels with Mia’s story. This one fires on all cylinders. Agent: Becky Sweren, Aevitas Creative Management. (Aug.)