Playin’ Hard

Gr 10 Up–Shakespearean classic The Taming of the Shrew finds its latest modern interpretation in the will-they-won’t-they dynamic between fiery, independent Cree and lothario Deandre. After a classroom discussion ignites into the two teens debating the meaning of love, they are rapidly pulled into each other’s inner circles. Cree distrusts Deandre, a member of their high school’s “Baller’s Club,” an exclusive group of athletes and serial daters (to put it lightly), but cannot seem to avoid his charms. Deandre is attracted to Cree’s intelligence and pride but has vowed to forever focus on basketball over women. At over 400 pages, their inevitable declarations of love feel hard-fought, especially when Cree is so consistently appealing, while Deandre is irksome for many chapters before his soft underbelly is revealed. Grandison, no stranger to YA romance, keeps the pace moving with the help of alternating POVs. The book may need to be put in the hands of a real fan of slowburns, but it should appeal to many readers of the genre. The protagonists are Black.