Meyerhoff based this modern-day novel on the Book of Esther, and though the parallels are apparent, this is a powerful story in its own right. Essie is excited to be starting her sophomore year now that she's a cheerleader and her football-player crush, Austin, knows her name. To preserve her newfound popularity, she doesn't tell anyone that the football team's "weird" kicker, Micah, is her cousin. Unlike Essie, an orphan raised without a sense of religion by her grandparents, Micah is an observant Jew. He wears a kippah and walks home from Friday night games so as to not drive on Shabbat. Essie reluctantly keeps quiet when other players ridicule him-until the harassment gets extreme and one boy, Harrison (the novel's wicked Haman), commits a shocking act of anti-Semitism. Meyerhoff captures the melodrama of adolescence (Essie on Austin: "It would be easier to stop breathing than to stop liking him") with ease, and readers will readily recognize Essie's desire to fit in. They'll understand the courage it takes for her to tell the truth, knowing she risks ruining her social position and a relationship with a guy she really likes. Growing up isn't easy for Essie, but she does learn more about her roots and becomes closer to her extended family. Perhaps best of all she discovers that "I was starting to understand, in a small way, who I was." A worthy reward, indeed. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Things are looking up and down for high-school sophomore Essie. Making varsity cheerleading has gotten her closer to her crush, footballer Austin. But the relocation of relatives back to her small Michigan town is awkward. Essie, who lost her parents at age three, is being raised by grandparents whose Jewish identity is nil. Now her religious aunt and uncle and cousin are making Judaism an issue, especially Micah, who's also on the football team, where his religious head covering is a source of amusement. Essie won't admit they're related, even as she ponders familial questions that plague her: What caused the rift between her grandparents and Uncle Steve and Aunt Shelli? Why didn't her aunt and uncle raise her? What is the secret that seems to surround her early years? Loosely basing her novel on the Book of Esther, Meyerhoff tries to mesh Essie's relationship angst with her religious struggles, but the result is often uneven. Still, her writing style is easy and appealing, and kids who come for the romance will get some issues to ponder as well.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist

Orphaned at three and raised by her loving, overprotective grandparents, Essie Green has always longed for a stronger connection to her cousin Micah's family, but when they move back to Pershing, Mich., from New York after a lengthy estrangement, it's not what she'd imagined. The car accident that killed Essie's parents is still a flashpoint among her relatives, and Essie suspects that there's more to the story of her parents' death than she knows. Meanwhile, Micah is such a disruptive presencea proudly observant Jew, his kippah makes him stand out in both the hallways and on the football fieldthat Essie, a newly minted cheerleader, can't bear to tell her popular friends or her boyfriend, dazzlingly handsome quarterback Austin King, that Micah is her cousin. When run-of-the-mill teasing turns to anti-Semitic hazing, Essie realizes she must choose between her family and her relationship with Austin. As befits the heroine of a book loosely and skillfully based on the Book of Esther, Essie is believably nave but exhibits a core of strength and menschlichkeit that would make any Jewish grandmother proud. (Fiction. YA)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Loosely based on the Book of Esther, Meyerhoff's (Third Grade Baby) poignant coming-of-age story chronicles the challenges that 15-year-old Essie, a newly minted cheerleader, faces as she seeks to understand her personal and religious identity in the context of a suburban Michigan public school community. Orphaned as a toddler and raised by her grandparents in a secular household, where topics related to her parents' deaths remain off-limits and each step she takes toward independence inspires her grandmother's fear, Essie learns to avoid questions and keep secrets. When her cousin Micah and his parents return to town after a decade's unexplained absence, their reappearance unsettles Essie's home and school life. While intrigued by her introduction to Shabbat and other Jewish holidays, Essie's uncertainty about how her football-player boyfriend might respond to knowing that the new observant Jews in town are her relatives leads to more complicated deceptions. Eventually, a wrenching dilemma proves to be a test of character. Compelling characters, dramatic tension, and thoughtful exploration of how teenagers create their own identity amid familial and cultural influences should give this story wide appeal. Ages 12-up. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 7-10-Essie Green, 15, is a diligent student and a "good girl" who tries not to worry the grandparents who are raising her. Because she has a crush on star footballer Austin, she joins the varsity cheerleading squad, and by the first game of the season she has attracted his attention and gotten her first kiss. Meanwhile, her cousin, Micah, has moved back to town with his parents and has made the football team. Micah embarrasses Essie by being devoutly Jewish, and she hides the fact that they are related. He opens himself up to taunts by always wearing his kippah, praying before he kicks, and walking home from games because he's not allowed to drive on the Sabbath; a teammate calls him "Beanie Boy" and "Rabbi." When a member of the team is injured, Micah steps into his place. After he makes a crucial kick that goes awry, the injured player vandalizes Michah's house in the presence of Essie and her friends. At first, Essie keeps the truth of the night secret, along with her plans to sleep with Austin after the homecoming dance. She's also dealing with a family feud, the origin of which is another secret. Although the novel brings up serious issues, they are treated superficially and are introduced and solved quickly and improbably. This is a fast read, but it won't fly off the shelves.-Suanne Roush, Osceola High School, Seminole, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.