Hooked by Liz Fichera

Goodreads Blurb

HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Why is a girl taking my best friends spot on the boy's varsity golf team?
SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys' team? Everyone will hate me - especially Ryan Berenger.
HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred's got to go - especially now that I can't get her out of my head. So not happening.
SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he's not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.
But there's no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile...

Meh. That's really all I can say. The beginning had me pretty pissed off, and, if you followed me on twitter when I read this (in December...according to Goodreads, Dec 17), you would see my tweets about my irritation at how cliche this was, how racist and sexist it seemed (I know, I know, that's the point, but still. Irritation? Plus, I have friends in the US who have friends on the "rez". Doesn't sound very accurate...maybe?) and how perfect Ryan seemed. It was just...meh. Not to say it wasn't good! I'd read an insanely good book right before starting this, so I think it just raised my standards!

Bad things first, like usual:
Ryan seemed like a perfect guy, and, as someone pointed out on Twitter, looks like a human Ken doll according to the cover. So he was just a bit messed up in the beginning, but there were only really 2 or 3 incidents where he didn't seem perfect, or, as perfect as a literary character gets. I mean, he was rich, his family was a bit broken, he was dating possibly the most popular girl in school, he was the best on the team (until Fred came), etc. and as much as I hate to admit it, he was pretty much the epitome of perfection. And...it really bothered me. I love real characters and if you haven't caught that by now...well, then.

Also, how does golf make you popular? At least, in my area, only football and basketball raise your social status here. Is it different somewhere else? Anyone? Curiosity calls!

I wanted to smack a lot of these characters' heads, no joke. Fred was so optimistic and judging sometimes, that I wanted to shake her. Seth (Ryan's best friend) was so racist and sexist, I wanted to run him over with a car, and Ryan was so hurtful sometimes, he's the only one I actually wanted to smack. Not to sound rude. I mean, besides these it was a pretty decent book, of course!

So what was good?

The romance. It was cliche (the outcast with the popular?) but I do enjoy fluffs! Also? those hate/love relationships make me giddy and squee, and even though it's cheesy, I always love when a guy rescues a girl. Even though sometimes, if it's done wrong, I hate the girl looking like a DID (Damsel in Distress). But in this case, Fred was good enough! In the end, I did love her.

It was unique in the way of backgrounds and I didn't have a problem with it--what I did have a problem with was how prejudiced the characters were! But I loved how they were so different, but so alike, and it made sense to me that'd they'd fall in love. Even if I was a bit indifferent at first.
And I did like how Fred felt--lost and alone, but determined to do what she loved. THAT'S the kind of character I'm talking 'bout!

Hooked was a book I was excited about, but definitely fell flat of m y expectations. It was okay--just not one I really liked or loved. It went uphill in the second half, but by then, my interest was barely there and the only thing keeping me reading was the review I'd be writing. Thankfully, I did finish, and I did enjoy the ending which wrapped up the book perfectly!

Pages: 368
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Standalone
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Release Date: Jan 31, 2013
Rating: 2.5 stars (exactly)