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Dera Edwards knows her life is over when she's shipped off to live with her estranged father in the middle of White Suburbia.
To make matters worse, Dera learns that her new school doesn't have a girls' track team, shattering her dreams of getting a track scholarship and, one day, competing in the Olympics.
Not one to give up easily, Dera joins the boys' team instead. But while she has the school administration's blessing, her new teammates and classmates are less than welcoming. Between that and her frustratingly distant father, Dera is positive her junior year is ruined.
Just as she starts to accept her status as an outsider, Dera's approached by her classmate Rosalyn, who wants to feature Dera's story in her blog. Eager to change the narrative and spend more time with Rosalyn's gorgeous cousin Gael—also known as one of the few teammates who will talk to her—Dera agrees.
But when she goes viral and gains attention across the state, Dera's new notoriety opens the door for trolls both online and at school. Paired with her deteriorating relationship with her father, she soon finds everything to be too much. Will Dera be able to keep outrunning her problems, or will her dream be the very thing that derails her?
"The story features well-developed characters readers will cheer for and cry over. The action and emotion are balanced, as are the internal and external conflicts. Debut author Egbe's writing is exceptional, capturing the nuances of adolescence, identity, and resilience. Moving and inspirational." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"In this admirable debut, Egbe examines, via Dera's discerning perspective, gender in sports, racial stereotypes, bullying, and family discord. Mature theming, methodical sports narration, and evergreen friendship and romantic drama provide ample entry points into this organically woven work." —Publishers Weekly
"Debut author Egbe presents a wonderfully written story about following one's dreams and finding a way despite the hurdles." —School Library Journal
"A happy ending is entirely deserved, and Egbe freshens familiar tropes with a wicked smart, firecracker of a narrator. Dera and co. are a team readers will happily spend time with." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
This information about Run Like a Girl was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Amaka Egbe has been writing ever since she could hold a pen. Exploring cultural differences and mental health are major tenants in her work, stemming from her American and Nigerian upbringing. Amaka studied Marketing and Psychology at the University of Houston and earned a master's degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Run Like a Girl is her debut novel.
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