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The Comeback Season
The last place Ryan Walsh should be this afternoon is on a train heading to Wrigley Field. She should be in class, enduring yet another miserable day of her first year of high school. But for once, Ryan isn't thinking about what she should be doing. She's not worried about her lack of friends, or her suffering math grade, or how it's been five whole years since the last time she was really and truly happy. Because she's finally returning to the place that her father loved, where the two of them spent so many afternoons cheering on their team. And on this -- the fifth anniversary of his death -- it feels like there's nowhere else in the world she should be.
Ryan is once again filled with hope as she makes her way to the game. Good luck is often hard to come by at a place like Wrigley Field, but it's on this day that she meets Nick, the new kid from her school, who seems to love the Cubs nearly as much as she does. But Nick carries with him a secret that makes Ryan wonder if anyone can ever really escape their past, or believe in the promise of those reassuring words: "Wait till next year." Is it too much for Ryan to hope that this year, this season, might be her comeback season?
Ryan is once again filled with hope as she makes her way to the game. Good luck is often hard to come by at a place like Wrigley Field, but it's on this day that she meets Nick, the new kid from her school, who seems to love the Cubs nearly as much as she does. But Nick carries with him a secret that makes Ryan wonder if anyone can ever really escape their past, or believe in the promise of those reassuring words: "Wait till next year." Is it too much for Ryan to hope that this year, this season, might be her comeback season?
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2008
47 people are currently reading
3685 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer E. Smith
24 books7,702 followersJennifer E. Smith is the author of nine books for young adults, including The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, both of which were recently adapted for film. She earned her master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her writing has been translated into 33 languages. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
March 7, 2017
'Hi,' he says.
'Hi,' she says back, and then to her great surprise, she begins to cry.
'You know,' Nick says as he hands her a tissue from the bedside table,' for all this talk about how you don't cry, you sure are sprouting a lot of water.'
This could be a conversation between me and one of my friends: What is is with me and my dripping eyes lately? I always used to read reviews of books I loved but survived with all my lashes still encased in an immaculate layer of mascara and wonder what made my fellow readers' tears spill when I didn't even feel the tell-tale burning. "The Comeback Season" is the third book this year already that had me sniffing almost non-stop and my husband, who tried to practice a really difficult piece on the guitar, to cluck his tongue with slightly annoyed pity.
Jennifer E. Smith has this very distinct voice. I've admired it already in You Are Here. It peels away your protective layers and rubs an already sore spot.
I wanted so badly to say to Ryan, the fifteen-years-old heroine, that things would get back on track eventually, but I knew she wouldn't listen to me. In contrast to her mom, who remarried, and her sister Emily, who was only three in the year of the accident, Ryan ist still not able to go forward with her life. Her view is directed back. She longs for a chance to turn back the dial to the pre-loss era of her family and resents her mom for changing dad-induced family traditions and trying to be happy with tea-drinking insurance guy and golfer Kevin. Somehow Ryan broke apart from her two best friends, who shielded and comforted her during her dark times, but made up their minds to work hard at scoring in-crowd spots at High School lately. When newcomer Nick, a fan of the underdog baseball team, the Cubs, too, actively seeks out Ryan's company inspite of his own popularity, Ryan holds back - already too used to be alone, to munch over this season's possibilities for the Cubs and her dad's would be predictions and bargains: Dad had the habit to promise outrageous things (like becoming a part-time vegetarian or walking to work) to fate should the Cubs win a game. As Ryan dares to give in to Nick's perstistent attempts at friendship - and romance - but detects a terrible secret, she spontaneously offers her own Cubs-related bargain to the baseball-gods - inspite of Nick insisting he does not believe in luck and dad's voice saying that losing points is the fun of a game, because "You never know when there might be a comeback". I wracked my brain after finishing to read and after erasing the last traces of my tears if the amount of offered hope and the degree of positive changes in the heroine's view on life had made the cut of what I demand from an outstanding book. I had to admit they didn’t really, but I am still puzzlingly satisfied and need to press the five-stars button. What on earth happened to my loathing of overly sad stories? Can you tell me?
I recommend to read this book.
TBR Pile Reduction Challenge 2011 Book #5 (challenger: Tina)
'Hi,' she says back, and then to her great surprise, she begins to cry.
'You know,' Nick says as he hands her a tissue from the bedside table,' for all this talk about how you don't cry, you sure are sprouting a lot of water.'
This could be a conversation between me and one of my friends: What is is with me and my dripping eyes lately? I always used to read reviews of books I loved but survived with all my lashes still encased in an immaculate layer of mascara and wonder what made my fellow readers' tears spill when I didn't even feel the tell-tale burning. "The Comeback Season" is the third book this year already that had me sniffing almost non-stop and my husband, who tried to practice a really difficult piece on the guitar, to cluck his tongue with slightly annoyed pity.
Jennifer E. Smith has this very distinct voice. I've admired it already in You Are Here. It peels away your protective layers and rubs an already sore spot.
I wanted so badly to say to Ryan, the fifteen-years-old heroine, that things would get back on track eventually, but I knew she wouldn't listen to me. In contrast to her mom, who remarried, and her sister Emily, who was only three in the year of the accident, Ryan ist still not able to go forward with her life. Her view is directed back. She longs for a chance to turn back the dial to the pre-loss era of her family and resents her mom for changing dad-induced family traditions and trying to be happy with tea-drinking insurance guy and golfer Kevin. Somehow Ryan broke apart from her two best friends, who shielded and comforted her during her dark times, but made up their minds to work hard at scoring in-crowd spots at High School lately. When newcomer Nick, a fan of the underdog baseball team, the Cubs, too, actively seeks out Ryan's company inspite of his own popularity, Ryan holds back - already too used to be alone, to munch over this season's possibilities for the Cubs and her dad's would be predictions and bargains: Dad had the habit to promise outrageous things (like becoming a part-time vegetarian or walking to work) to fate should the Cubs win a game. As Ryan dares to give in to Nick's perstistent attempts at friendship - and romance - but detects a terrible secret, she spontaneously offers her own Cubs-related bargain to the baseball-gods - inspite of Nick insisting he does not believe in luck and dad's voice saying that losing points is the fun of a game, because "You never know when there might be a comeback". I wracked my brain after finishing to read and after erasing the last traces of my tears if the amount of offered hope and the degree of positive changes in the heroine's view on life had made the cut of what I demand from an outstanding book. I had to admit they didn’t really, but I am still puzzlingly satisfied and need to press the five-stars button. What on earth happened to my loathing of overly sad stories? Can you tell me?
I recommend to read this book.
TBR Pile Reduction Challenge 2011 Book #5 (challenger: Tina)
September 29, 2011
Well. This is book two by Jennifer E. Smith for me, and I wasn't disappointed. She has this way of writing that just makes you feel, sucks you into the story, tumbles your insides around with her words, makes you laugh and cry and sight contentedly when you're finished reading.
The Comeback Season just about ripped my heart out, I don't think I've been so moved by a book in a long while! You know that feeling of incredible loss? Heartbreak? That gut churning, throat tightening sensation? I experienced that several times throughout this book. I teared up. I wanted to hug Ryan and tell her that I was there for her.
And when the time finally comes to say good-bye, she'll swallow hard against the tightness of her throat and the weight of her heart. She'll think I'll miss you and she'll think don't go and she'll think please. But what she'll finally say is simply thank you, and it will mean all of these things - everything promised and remembered, everything wordless and spoken and understood - and so much more.
After losing her father five years ago, Ryan's life has been a jumble of old memories, new memories, happiness, sadness. Old family, new family. Old friends who are no longer friends. After meeting Nick, the new guy in her grade, Ryan comes to find they both share a love for their town's baseball team, the Cubs. Their friendship develops and grows into something perfect, primarily due to each having gone through traumatic events in their lives and the fact that they really understand each other.
Ryan's relationship with her father was gorgeous. The little snapshots of memories made me want to cry. The quotes, the discussions... I could just picture this innocent little girl who loved her dad, and having him suddenly ripped away. My heart ached for her. He was wise, kind, caring, loving - for a guy who was only featured in the novel through these memories, he certainly won me over. Just when Ryan was losing faith, he always knew the right words to make her feel better, to restore her hope, and I loved that.
This was probably one of my favourite passages in the whole book. I had to share it with you, for fear that those of you who never read this book, will never see it:-
She remembers that the cubs had been losing badly in the eighth inning. The whole stadium was pulsing with heat, restless beneath a blistering sun, and she'd been tired and sweaty and faint. But when she'd tugged on Dad's hand to ask whether they could go, he looked at her sideways. "It's not over," he said, lifting her so that she was standing on the seat beside him. Ryan had leaned an elbow on his shoulder and sighed mightily. "But we're losing by so much." "That's the fun of it," Dad said. "You never know when there might be a comeback.". Later, after a series of batters had failed to do anything to remedy the declining situation, Ryan had tapped him on the shoulder. "We're still losing," she pointed out. "True," Dad said, smiling. "But there's an art to losing. It's just as important to know how to do that as anything else.""How come?" "Because that's how you learn," he'd said, cupping her chin in his hand. He studied her with pale gray eyes. "It's how we learn to keep going. It's how we survive." On the field below, the Cubs hit a double, and Ryan began to cheer in earnest, hopping up and down on the seat and clapping for her team. Dad put an arm around her waist, and she could tell he was proud of her. It took a certain kind of person to love the Cubs, he always said, and Ryan was happy to be one of them.
I loved Nick, he was adorable, funny, witty. My heart ached for him as much as it did Ryan. I must say though, that ending... a little annoying. I wanted to know if he was okay, and I guess that's where an Author can leave you hanging.
If you love heartfelt, emotional books, this one is definitely worth a read. Keep some tissues handy.
--------------------
(a couple of other quotes I loved).
- All she remembers is that of everyone there that night - over thirty thousand roaring fans, it was her dad that was cheering the loudest. And if this was not actually so, then it was, at least, the way it seemed. It's the way she will always remember it.
- But Ryan knows better. It wasn't the extra innings or the weather or the long short to left field to end the game. It wasn't even the final score. It was, she knows, the possibility of a comeback. That last reservoir of hope, when what may or may not be out of reach suddenly seems so very reachable.
- Since he died, Ryan has learned to read silences like a map, to study them for the spaces in between, predicting and forecasting the gaps. Because it's within these moments of quiet that she can almost hear him, a sound like a whisper, like the last murmurings before sleep. She knows he's always with her, bit never more so than in those dips between words. It's a feeling like falling, though not in a scary way. It's like hoping for hope itself.
The Comeback Season just about ripped my heart out, I don't think I've been so moved by a book in a long while! You know that feeling of incredible loss? Heartbreak? That gut churning, throat tightening sensation? I experienced that several times throughout this book. I teared up. I wanted to hug Ryan and tell her that I was there for her.
And when the time finally comes to say good-bye, she'll swallow hard against the tightness of her throat and the weight of her heart. She'll think I'll miss you and she'll think don't go and she'll think please. But what she'll finally say is simply thank you, and it will mean all of these things - everything promised and remembered, everything wordless and spoken and understood - and so much more.
After losing her father five years ago, Ryan's life has been a jumble of old memories, new memories, happiness, sadness. Old family, new family. Old friends who are no longer friends. After meeting Nick, the new guy in her grade, Ryan comes to find they both share a love for their town's baseball team, the Cubs. Their friendship develops and grows into something perfect, primarily due to each having gone through traumatic events in their lives and the fact that they really understand each other.
Ryan's relationship with her father was gorgeous. The little snapshots of memories made me want to cry. The quotes, the discussions... I could just picture this innocent little girl who loved her dad, and having him suddenly ripped away. My heart ached for her. He was wise, kind, caring, loving - for a guy who was only featured in the novel through these memories, he certainly won me over. Just when Ryan was losing faith, he always knew the right words to make her feel better, to restore her hope, and I loved that.
This was probably one of my favourite passages in the whole book. I had to share it with you, for fear that those of you who never read this book, will never see it:-
She remembers that the cubs had been losing badly in the eighth inning. The whole stadium was pulsing with heat, restless beneath a blistering sun, and she'd been tired and sweaty and faint. But when she'd tugged on Dad's hand to ask whether they could go, he looked at her sideways. "It's not over," he said, lifting her so that she was standing on the seat beside him. Ryan had leaned an elbow on his shoulder and sighed mightily. "But we're losing by so much." "That's the fun of it," Dad said. "You never know when there might be a comeback.". Later, after a series of batters had failed to do anything to remedy the declining situation, Ryan had tapped him on the shoulder. "We're still losing," she pointed out. "True," Dad said, smiling. "But there's an art to losing. It's just as important to know how to do that as anything else.""How come?" "Because that's how you learn," he'd said, cupping her chin in his hand. He studied her with pale gray eyes. "It's how we learn to keep going. It's how we survive." On the field below, the Cubs hit a double, and Ryan began to cheer in earnest, hopping up and down on the seat and clapping for her team. Dad put an arm around her waist, and she could tell he was proud of her. It took a certain kind of person to love the Cubs, he always said, and Ryan was happy to be one of them.
I loved Nick, he was adorable, funny, witty. My heart ached for him as much as it did Ryan. I must say though, that ending... a little annoying. I wanted to know if he was okay, and I guess that's where an Author can leave you hanging.
If you love heartfelt, emotional books, this one is definitely worth a read. Keep some tissues handy.
--------------------
(a couple of other quotes I loved).
- All she remembers is that of everyone there that night - over thirty thousand roaring fans, it was her dad that was cheering the loudest. And if this was not actually so, then it was, at least, the way it seemed. It's the way she will always remember it.
- But Ryan knows better. It wasn't the extra innings or the weather or the long short to left field to end the game. It wasn't even the final score. It was, she knows, the possibility of a comeback. That last reservoir of hope, when what may or may not be out of reach suddenly seems so very reachable.
- Since he died, Ryan has learned to read silences like a map, to study them for the spaces in between, predicting and forecasting the gaps. Because it's within these moments of quiet that she can almost hear him, a sound like a whisper, like the last murmurings before sleep. She knows he's always with her, bit never more so than in those dips between words. It's a feeling like falling, though not in a scary way. It's like hoping for hope itself.
January 23, 2016
P.S I can't find any other sports gif.
“She understands now what she, in all her worry, had forgotten. That even as she hesitates and wavers, even as she thinks too much and moves too cautiously, she doesn't always have to get it right. It's okay to look back, even as you move forward.”
February 7, 2021
A beautiful, touching story, with many elements that are rare in Y.A. books these days. A stepfather that gets along with and is respected by his stepdaughter; a sweet friendship that develops as naturally as breathing between two teens, with no indication that they want to hop in bed with each other. Also, the author must be a die-hard Cubs fan or knows someone that is, because the details about the games and descriptions of Wrigley Field are outstanding! I’m not very interested in the game of baseball, but this book had me wanting to hit Chicago and see a game!
Red Flags:
There is the presence of unsupervised, underage drinking.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 23)-“She wishes it were possible to somehow take back those lost hours between the river and the nurse’s office, the forgotten minutes between the accident and the telling of it, when no one was missing him yet. Because that gap is what still hurts the most, a loneliness that presses down hard against her chest every night when she switches off the light.”
Red Flags:
There is the presence of unsupervised, underage drinking.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 23)-“She wishes it were possible to somehow take back those lost hours between the river and the nurse’s office, the forgotten minutes between the accident and the telling of it, when no one was missing him yet. Because that gap is what still hurts the most, a loneliness that presses down hard against her chest every night when she switches off the light.”
May 5, 2020
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I won't lie, I cried quite a bit as I read this book. I am still crying right now, because Ryan suffered quite a bit of loss for someone so young, but she also gained a lot from those moments she had.
This book was pretty heartbreaking, and I totally didn't expect it. JES usually causes me to feel, but this one had me sobbing. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book. It was one of those beauty in the pain situations, and it was a pleasure to get to watch her grow and heal.
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I won't lie, I cried quite a bit as I read this book. I am still crying right now, because Ryan suffered quite a bit of loss for someone so young, but she also gained a lot from those moments she had.
This book was pretty heartbreaking, and I totally didn't expect it. JES usually causes me to feel, but this one had me sobbing. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book. It was one of those beauty in the pain situations, and it was a pleasure to get to watch her grow and heal.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
September 25, 2016
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
It's not my favourite but was still a good read. There was so many things baseball it was so technical and I couldn't get like half of the book. It was like a different language of baseballs which threw me out. FYI, sports not my thing.
Despite all that, it managed to make the butterflies in my stomach to flip and dance to some cute scenes that is obviously not going to happen in real life. I like the family elements in it. I love how they don't show too much affection towards each other. It's like, it suddenly just happen. Without being all over dramatic and without even saying, "Do you wanna be my girlfriend?" or "Do you wanna go out a date with me?" Like I said, it suddenly just...happened. And I love how Jennifer E. Smith do it that way. It's much more realistic. The words inside are so inspirational, I always got my tabs on the ready bcs in just one chapter there were already so many things I wanna tab and remember.
Proper review on my blog later, hopefully.
p/s: This is my first book by Jennifer E. Smith. Tbh, I don't really expect much from her. But wow, this was good.
It's not my favourite but was still a good read. There was so many things baseball it was so technical and I couldn't get like half of the book. It was like a different language of baseballs which threw me out. FYI, sports not my thing.
Despite all that, it managed to make the butterflies in my stomach to flip and dance to some cute scenes that is obviously not going to happen in real life. I like the family elements in it. I love how they don't show too much affection towards each other. It's like, it suddenly just happen. Without being all over dramatic and without even saying, "Do you wanna be my girlfriend?" or "Do you wanna go out a date with me?" Like I said, it suddenly just...happened. And I love how Jennifer E. Smith do it that way. It's much more realistic. The words inside are so inspirational, I always got my tabs on the ready bcs in just one chapter there were already so many things I wanna tab and remember.
Proper review on my blog later, hopefully.
p/s: This is my first book by Jennifer E. Smith. Tbh, I don't really expect much from her. But wow, this was good.
August 1, 2009
This was a little disappointing. I had been eager to pick it up after reading a blurb somewhere about this YA novel about Cubs fans. For some reason on which even I am not entirely clear, I know a lot of Cubs fans, so I thought this would be a fun read and then I could pass it along to someone else who would appreciate it. Now, I'm not sure it's worth sharing, it's too maudlin.
The basic set-up is that high school freshman Ryan's love of the Cubs was instilled by her dad, who died when she was 10. Throughout the book, we get glimpses of her happy memories of growing up with her dad and the Cubs. She meets a cute boy who also likes the Cubs. And after this, the book gets SADDER. Even more sad things happen to poor Ryan. It's miserable. It's like reading Love Story when you're 14: you're crying so hard you're choking on your own snot, but in the back of your mind you feel dirty because you know it's cloying and ridiculous. Maybe love is not winning a World Series in 100+ years?
Also, it's written in the present tense which I tend to find abrasive in anything novel-length.
There were a few ideas put forward in the sports-related portions that read nicely and felt true. In particular, I liked the characters' pondering of the differences between believing, hoping, and caring if your team is going to win in the future. There was more than one mention of how it's not as fun to like a team that wins a lot ... and I cannot imagine that is true. Yankees fan have too much fun, in my opinion. It would be seemly if they had less fun.
Grade: C+
Recommended: Oy. Even though some of the baseball parts are pretty decent, anyone who is even remotely a sports fan has encountered those concepts in other, better places. Truth be told, if I had read this when I was 12, I probably would have enjoyed sobbing my way through several re-reads.
2008/31
The basic set-up is that high school freshman Ryan's love of the Cubs was instilled by her dad, who died when she was 10. Throughout the book, we get glimpses of her happy memories of growing up with her dad and the Cubs. She meets a cute boy who also likes the Cubs. And after this, the book gets SADDER. Even more sad things happen to poor Ryan. It's miserable. It's like reading Love Story when you're 14: you're crying so hard you're choking on your own snot, but in the back of your mind you feel dirty because you know it's cloying and ridiculous. Maybe love is not winning a World Series in 100+ years?
Also, it's written in the present tense which I tend to find abrasive in anything novel-length.
There were a few ideas put forward in the sports-related portions that read nicely and felt true. In particular, I liked the characters' pondering of the differences between believing, hoping, and caring if your team is going to win in the future. There was more than one mention of how it's not as fun to like a team that wins a lot ... and I cannot imagine that is true. Yankees fan have too much fun, in my opinion. It would be seemly if they had less fun.
Grade: C+
Recommended: Oy. Even though some of the baseball parts are pretty decent, anyone who is even remotely a sports fan has encountered those concepts in other, better places. Truth be told, if I had read this when I was 12, I probably would have enjoyed sobbing my way through several re-reads.
2008/31
March 12, 2017
**This is a Window Seat Blog review: http://readinginthewindowseat.blogspo... **
I love books like these, with bittersweet plot lines and a reality that isn't sugarcoated. However, this is definitely not what I was expecting when I picked up this book. Honestly, that's why I could only give it four instead of five stars. I was expecting a fun, romantic read with, yes, a bit of lesson, but nothing so extreme and frankly sad as all this. I think had I been in the mood to read a book like this with these types of plot I would have absolutely loved this, but because I went in expecting fun romance and get this instead...Basically, I think the blurb could have been much better, and clearer. For people expecting a ton of romance, it's there but not as much as one would expect from a teen book. Mostly it focuses on her relationship with her father, and family, with moments of Nick peppered in. There was even a point where they kissed and it felt so brief and unimportant I had to stop and actually think back on whether or not it was their first kiss because I couldn't remember. That aside, knowing now what the book really is and is about, I thoroughly enjoyed it. But it did take a good halfway through to get myself in the right mindset for it. If you're looking for a fun, super teen romance read, this isn't it. But it is a great book and it does a great job of touching base on what it's like to lose someone and the lingering effects that can have.
I love books like these, with bittersweet plot lines and a reality that isn't sugarcoated. However, this is definitely not what I was expecting when I picked up this book. Honestly, that's why I could only give it four instead of five stars. I was expecting a fun, romantic read with, yes, a bit of lesson, but nothing so extreme and frankly sad as all this. I think had I been in the mood to read a book like this with these types of plot I would have absolutely loved this, but because I went in expecting fun romance and get this instead...Basically, I think the blurb could have been much better, and clearer. For people expecting a ton of romance, it's there but not as much as one would expect from a teen book. Mostly it focuses on her relationship with her father, and family, with moments of Nick peppered in. There was even a point where they kissed and it felt so brief and unimportant I had to stop and actually think back on whether or not it was their first kiss because I couldn't remember. That aside, knowing now what the book really is and is about, I thoroughly enjoyed it. But it did take a good halfway through to get myself in the right mindset for it. If you're looking for a fun, super teen romance read, this isn't it. But it is a great book and it does a great job of touching base on what it's like to lose someone and the lingering effects that can have.
December 13, 2010
Too much with the baseball. I found myself skimming those parts but wishing for more about her relationships with her family, boyfriend, and friends.
August 3, 2018
Actual Rating : 3.5 / 5
Read
July 23, 2023I didn't dislike it, but it was very obviously a debut. It's also a little aged what with the Cubs having won a World Series recently at this point in time but... you know. I probably would have just loved it 10 years ago (which is a compliment!)
February 28, 2017
First, I have to thank my lovely friend Jess for telling me about this book. Once I looked it up and saw it was about the Cubs I knew I had to have it.
Second, this book made me really want to get in the car and just drive to Chicago again. I went there in high school and saw a few cubs games at Wrigley and it was awesome. I loved reading about everything Ryan and Nick loved about the Cubs and Wrigley. I loved that Ryan keeps score because I've never met another person who likes to do that. My dad taught me how to do it too.
Third, I almost wish this book was written later since the Cubs just won the World Series (that still sound so weird btw) but the book is all about hope and there's no one more hopeful during baseball season than a cubs fan.
I instantly felt connected to Ryan and I just loved everything about this book.
Second, this book made me really want to get in the car and just drive to Chicago again. I went there in high school and saw a few cubs games at Wrigley and it was awesome. I loved reading about everything Ryan and Nick loved about the Cubs and Wrigley. I loved that Ryan keeps score because I've never met another person who likes to do that. My dad taught me how to do it too.
Third, I almost wish this book was written later since the Cubs just won the World Series (that still sound so weird btw) but the book is all about hope and there's no one more hopeful during baseball season than a cubs fan.
I instantly felt connected to Ryan and I just loved everything about this book.
October 26, 2008
Ryan is accustomed to loss. Her father passed away five years ago, she doesn’t relate to her best friends anymore, and she is a Cubs fan. The anniversary of her father’s death happens to land on opening day, so Ryan skips school to go to the game. This is where she meets Nick. Another Cubs fan and also a new kid from her school. Thus, starting their friendship.
Nick’s friendship and the Cubs good fortune transform Ryan into the person she was before she let herself be dulled with grief. Nick reluctantly tells Ryan why his family really moved to Chicago. Ultimately, through facing Nick’s illness, Ryan realizes what her father had tried to teach her about life and baseball. It’s now about winning or losing, but having the courage to continue to the play the game no matter what is thrown at you.
I don’t know why I didn’t read this book sooner! If I had realized how much I was going to like it I would have. I of course was initially drawn to the book because of the Cubs, but what really drew me in was the story itself. Smith is an extraordinary writer and I expect great things from her in the future. Her writing is simple yet powerful. This book is beautifully written, the language is so genuine you can’t help but be held captive to it. I found myself admiring Ryan’s character and empathizing with her throughout the entire story. I loved the history about the Chicago Cubs, although I knew most of it. Other readers might find that part tiresome or boring, but I really think that is adds to the story as a whole. I highly recommend The Comeback Season, it is a heartwarming story that will not be soon forgotten.
Nick’s friendship and the Cubs good fortune transform Ryan into the person she was before she let herself be dulled with grief. Nick reluctantly tells Ryan why his family really moved to Chicago. Ultimately, through facing Nick’s illness, Ryan realizes what her father had tried to teach her about life and baseball. It’s now about winning or losing, but having the courage to continue to the play the game no matter what is thrown at you.
I don’t know why I didn’t read this book sooner! If I had realized how much I was going to like it I would have. I of course was initially drawn to the book because of the Cubs, but what really drew me in was the story itself. Smith is an extraordinary writer and I expect great things from her in the future. Her writing is simple yet powerful. This book is beautifully written, the language is so genuine you can’t help but be held captive to it. I found myself admiring Ryan’s character and empathizing with her throughout the entire story. I loved the history about the Chicago Cubs, although I knew most of it. Other readers might find that part tiresome or boring, but I really think that is adds to the story as a whole. I highly recommend The Comeback Season, it is a heartwarming story that will not be soon forgotten.
December 31, 2008
So I was expecting this book to be well-written (which it most definitely was) and to be off-putting since it involved baseball (which it was not) but I wasn't expecting it to be -this- sad. I'm still not quite sure what the heck happened at the end, but if it's what I think happened, then I am a sad, sad little girl and I need a moment to cry in silence. Jennifer Smith has written a really beautiful story. The ending was a little rushed, compared to the calm pacing of the rest of the novel, but overall, I really enjoyed this book. Great relationships exist within its pages and there's the perfect mix of romance (for those hopelessly romantic girls like me out there) and sports (for any guys who would shy away from this novel). Great book. I'm already itching to read You Are Here, the author's next book.
May 14, 2015
Oh, Jennifer. You never fail to leave me breathless. I was holding every breath as I turn the pages just because I'm not sure how this all will end. And it didn't tell much about Nick but I will just go and assume that Nick's fine.. Hahahaha. But seriously, this book is so different with Statistical, This Is What Happy Looks Like and the Geography. It's so different that I'm so nervous with every pages as I turn and read what happens next but in the end, I still lived every page of it. I still loved every character in this book. Yes, even Lucy, Sydney and Kate. All those baseball talks and the Cubs, I didn't know anything about it but this book manage to still make me turn the pages. And it was so awesome. They didn't mention what the baby's name would be. But I bet Ryan would be a great sister! I want moreof Nick and Ryan though but still, it was a good ending. Nick was so sweet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2015
Given my total lack of anything resembling interest in baseball, I was surprisingly moved by the story.
March 20, 2015
it might be more like 2.5 stars. I don't know, I was not much into the sports talk and I didn't connect with her pain over losing her father, the romance was sweet but not my kind... I loved to pieces 2 other books from this author and I've been waiting to read this book for so, so long. It's just that it wasn't my kind of book.
I'm sure I'll have better luck with my next one.
I'm sure I'll have better luck with my next one.
July 23, 2016
Oh wow, this book was so good! I may not be much of a baseball girl (as I didn't grow up in a country where it was a popular sport), but I loved this story. Jen's writing style is so different from others, and I really like that a lot!
January 19, 2016
I was thrown off by how technical Jennifer E. Smith got about baseball.
December 30, 2018
I bought this book ages ago and it's been languishing on my shelves ever since. But finally, it started to sound interesting again.
Being a Midwesterner myself (though not a Cubs fan), I am very familiar with Cubbies culture, being a fan of a team with a yearly losing record, and life in the Midwest. It was nice to see so many things in it that I could relate to.
For probably 4/5 of the story, I was totally with it. It started a little slow getting to know Ryan and Nick (the third person narrator didn't always help that), but once we were following them for a decent amount of time, I liked them. Ryan is still mourning the death of her father, who was her hero and died five years ago. Nick is new to school, slightly popular, but finds a kindred soul in Ryan as they partner up to do a math project about the Cubs. But both of them are keeping secrets, things that are easier to pretend aren't true when they're with each other.
The story was interesting, a little on the slow side, but it kept me reading. The only part of the whole thing that lost me was the ending. It was so ambiguous that I wasn't actually sure what happened and that really bothered me. Ambiguity can be a good thing, but there was too much of it here.
A number of topics are covered in this and I thought they were well done. There was something sweet about this book while being tied down by some very heavy topics.
Being a Midwesterner myself (though not a Cubs fan), I am very familiar with Cubbies culture, being a fan of a team with a yearly losing record, and life in the Midwest. It was nice to see so many things in it that I could relate to.
For probably 4/5 of the story, I was totally with it. It started a little slow getting to know Ryan and Nick (the third person narrator didn't always help that), but once we were following them for a decent amount of time, I liked them. Ryan is still mourning the death of her father, who was her hero and died five years ago. Nick is new to school, slightly popular, but finds a kindred soul in Ryan as they partner up to do a math project about the Cubs. But both of them are keeping secrets, things that are easier to pretend aren't true when they're with each other.
The story was interesting, a little on the slow side, but it kept me reading. The only part of the whole thing that lost me was the ending. It was so ambiguous that I wasn't actually sure what happened and that really bothered me. Ambiguity can be a good thing, but there was too much of it here.
A number of topics are covered in this and I thought they were well done. There was something sweet about this book while being tied down by some very heavy topics.
January 31, 2019
I think I've probably started every review of a book by Jennifer E Smith with "I really love Jennifer E Smith!" hahaha. She just writes such wonderful characters and relationships!! I've officially now read all of her novels and I've given each either 4 or 5 stars. Safe to say she's one of my favorite authors. I loved The Comeback Season, which appears to be Smith's first novel. I thought it was a wonderful story that addressed so many real world issues -tragedy and loss, young (but mature) love, family dynamics and struggles, teenage/high school friendship drama. And a passion for the Chicago Cubs :) The only reason I gave the book 4 stars was that I found the ending to be lacking. I needed a little more specifics and closure. It was just ambiguous enough to leave me feeling like it wasn't quite complete. Maybe it was because the Cubs still hadn't made it to the World Series by the time Smith finished writing the book and it couldn't be wrapped up with a big win. In any case, the book was wonderful and I loved reading it.
April 26, 2022
Beautifully written. I am a big fan of Jennifer E. Smith. Have been ever since I read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Her style is simple but so profound. When reading book about teenagers, I always charge ahead with my expectations low and excuse ready. Though I hate their petty drama, I can always relate. Not the deal with Smith's novels. Her character tread the line between mature and adolescent expertly. She reminds me of Sarah Dessen, Huntley Fitzpatrick and Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Their characters are not relatable, which doesn't stop them from beign lovable..
January 8, 2020
WOW. This story was absolutely heartbreaking. I found the plot a little strange and I didn't exactly like the way it unfolded. However, I loved the characters and they all had their distinct personalities. Ryan and Nick were really good together too. I would prefer some closure as I don't like not knowing whether Nick dies or not
:( reading about supersitious topics like luck isn't my cup of tea, but I did enjoy it alot in this book. If you're wondering, it is more focused on the actual sports than the romance between Ryan and Nick.
My favorite quote: (more like paragraph lol)
"How can you cheer for them so hard without believing they'll ever actually win?"
"You just can," he says "It's like anything else. Not everything is so black and white. It's okay to have doubts, even as you hope. You don't have to choose. You can be both things at one."
:( reading about supersitious topics like luck isn't my cup of tea, but I did enjoy it alot in this book. If you're wondering, it is more focused on the actual sports than the romance between Ryan and Nick.
My favorite quote: (more like paragraph lol)
"How can you cheer for them so hard without believing they'll ever actually win?"
"You just can," he says "It's like anything else. Not everything is so black and white. It's okay to have doubts, even as you hope. You don't have to choose. You can be both things at one."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2021
Please don't let this be your first Jennifer E. Smith book! I've loved all her others and am so glad I read them before this one. Why? Because this book manages to be depressing and boring at the same time. It was a chore to read. It softly supported the stereotype of "girls that are into sports aren't feminine," which is so cliche. And the narrative was written in a weird third-person present tense. But honestly the worst part was how dull it was. I love sports and was super into baseball at the same age as the narrator, so I felt I could be the target reader. But you just can't recreate the atmosphere of loving sports by writing about it in excruciating detail. I think the real target reader for this book is a diehard Cubs fan that wants a good cry. Skip it and read Smith"s others instead.
June 22, 2017
Ryan meets Nick at a baseball game on the fifth anniversary of her father's death. On the same day her mum and Kevin her step dad announced they are pregnant much to the joy of her little sister. Meanwhile, Nick and Ryan work together on a maths project whilst they hang out so much they don't go to the school dance together but Ryan does get a shock when Nick reveals he has and has had osteosarcoma tumors which is why he keeps having his arm break.
After getting over the shock, a silly mind bet and blaming herself for unforeseeable issues that rock the couple, Ryan and Nick sure have an eventful life together.
A really baseball heavy book but with a good The Fault In Our Stars only not as sad or dramatic edge that made me find the characters stories working really well.
After getting over the shock, a silly mind bet and blaming herself for unforeseeable issues that rock the couple, Ryan and Nick sure have an eventful life together.
A really baseball heavy book but with a good The Fault In Our Stars only not as sad or dramatic edge that made me find the characters stories working really well.
July 5, 2020
Where has this book been my whole life? I stumbled upon the sport romance genre a couple of years ago but the few books I read were all romance and little sports. But this book took a deep dive into the psych of the hopeless baseball fan. The fan who never gives up hope, the fan who is always waiting for next year, the fan who can take the ridicule of supporting a losing team. Why? Because losing teaches us so much about life.
"..But there is an art to losing. It's just as important to know how to do as anything else."
"How Come?"
"Because that's how you learn," he said, cupping her chin in his hand. He studied her with pale gray eyes. "its how we learn to keep going. It's how we survive."
"..But there is an art to losing. It's just as important to know how to do as anything else."
"How Come?"
"Because that's how you learn," he said, cupping her chin in his hand. He studied her with pale gray eyes. "its how we learn to keep going. It's how we survive."
February 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! I loved reading about the history of the Chicago Cubs throughout this story and their fans. I was very intrigued by the characters of Ryan Walsh and Nick Crowley. I couldn't put this story down. It was interesting to me how much Ryan learned about baseball through her father, who was a sportswriter. I enjoyed her story and about how she met up with Nick going to see the Cubs play one afternoon, skipping school. Parts of it made me cry but a lot of it gave me hope.
I remember when my daughter read it when she was 14 or so and she told me that this was a good book. So we kept it around and I decided to read it. I'm glad I did. Excellent story by Jennifer E. Smith. I do like sports books with romance in it and this was good an innocent. :)
I remember when my daughter read it when she was 14 or so and she told me that this was a good book. So we kept it around and I decided to read it. I'm glad I did. Excellent story by Jennifer E. Smith. I do like sports books with romance in it and this was good an innocent. :)
July 13, 2017
I didn't know what to expect from this book. The story wasn't bad but it wasn't that amazing either. I really loved The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. That was the first book I had ever read by Jennifer E. Smith and is definitely on of my favorite books in general. The Comeback Season wasn't quite up to the same standards as The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. While I loved the baseball aspect and the relationship between the two main characters, I still found this book to be lacking in that wow factor. I found myself finishing this book just to finish it. While some parts were sad and captured my attention, the rest of the book just didn't do it for me.
July 7, 2021
Ryan has lost her dad, her friends and even part of herself, but she has never lost faith in the Cubs. Every year she hopes and dreams of winning it all, a longtime fan thanks to her dad, some of the best times in her life involved the Cubs. As her freshman year winds to a disappointing end she finds herself at Wrigley field befriending the new kid who is as much a fan as she is. As things change and Ryan worries about losing her way, her new relationship with Nick makes things both easier and harder. This book is for anyone who loves a team, whether they are winning or losing, and supports the people in their life the same way!
December 5, 2012
Ryan Walsh is fifteen and in her freshman year of high school. She’s cutting class to go to Opening Day at Wrigley Field, the start of yet another baseball season for the long-maligned team the Chicago Cubs. Baseball is a huge part of Ryan’s life, her father was a massive Cubs fan and had season tickets, taking her to many games, spending hours explaining the sad and disappointing history of them and what it is to be a Cubs fan. He died five years ago when Ryan was 10 and now baseball is the one tenuous connection she has left to the father she adored so much.
It seems that everyone else has moved on: her mother has remarried, to a golf-playing tea-drinker named Kevin and they are expecting their first child together. Ryan’s little sister Emily was only three when their father died and she has little to no memory of him, Kevin is the only father she has ever known. Ryan feels like the memory of her father is slipping away, the only thing that keeps it clear for her are the Cubs, Wrigley Field and watching the players play ball.
On the day she skips, she runs into Nick, a kid from her math class who hasn’t been at the school long. Like her, he’s a passionate Cubs fan and they share information and joy as well as the sadness and sorrow that comes with following the Cubs. Nick and Ryan form a tentative friendship, despite the fact that Nick is popular already, despite having only been at the school some weeks and Ryan is an outcast, left behind by her friends from middle school who have been embraced by the popular girl. They share a love of something special and this draws them closer together as they share the secrets and fears of being a Cubs fan and of themselves.
The Comeback Season is one of two Jennifer E. Smith books I bought after reading and loving her most recent release, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. That book is easily one of my favourite YA reads of 2012 and I was keen to read more from the author who had given me such a fun experience with that book. This novel introduces us to Ryan, a freshman in high school struggling with the transition. Her two best friends have basically stopped speaking to her and spending time with her, preferring to instead spend their time with the school’s popular girl and she spends most lunches alone, near her locker. She still hasn’t dealt with the loss of her father five years ago, nor has she adjusted to the fact that her mother has been able to move on and marry another man, a man that Ryan resents simply for being there even though he has never done anything offensive to her or anyone else in her family. Although not outright hostile to Kevin, Ryan clearly isn’t welcoming and given she was a lot younger when her dad passed, this was more behaviour I’d expect from a teenager who had lost him recently. She also doesn’t react well to the news that her mother is expecting a baby although I believe that the day on which they announced it to her (the anniversary of her father’s death) was actually rather insensitive and it wouldn’t have hurt to wait a little longer to tell her. I’m actually not sure why either her mother OR Kevin would’ve thought that a good day to tell Ryan about a result of their new-found love would be the day that probably reminds her most of her father, that seemed either extremely ignorant and cruel or just stupid.
I’m not American so I don’t really ‘get’ baseball I’m afraid. It is played here, but it’s not very popular and I’m also sure that my high school days of playing softball for P.E twice a week for what felt like my entire lifetime but was really only year 8 also colours my perspective. I had three people in my class who played softball for the school and they were all crazy competitive and knew the rules and screamed at everyone when they weren’t hitting the ball right, or running between bases when they should or throwing the ball to the correct base. Um, we were 13, who the heck cares? I’m scarred for life by that experience. Anyway, there is a lot of baseball in this story, there’s a lot of history about the Cubs. It made my eyes glaze over a bit at times, especially when people were talking about the World Series in 1917 or whatever. I think I would’ve liked a lot less talking baseball from 100 years ago, even though it was relevant because of Ryan’s relationship with her dad, we didn’t need so much of it. I’d have liked more time exploring her feelings and friendship with Nick or more time spent with the members of her family. This is a short book, and given the situation with Nick that comes to light, more time would’ve been appreciated.
My other beef with this book is the ending. It’s left deliberately ambiguous with one sentence possibly meaning one thing, or it could be just perceived another way depending on how you read it. I re-read the last page several times and eventually came to a conclusion but I’m still not overly sure that I got it right. And that really annoys me because I hate open endings and sometimes it makes me feel like I read the whole book for nothing because after getting to know these characters, I don’t even know what happened to them.
I was disappointed by this book and I have to wonder if I just got lucky with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight or if Smith’s books are improving each time. I will read her next release to see how that fits in with the others I’ve read so far. If you don’t love baseball, or aren’t prepared to love baseball, then maybe skip this one.
It seems that everyone else has moved on: her mother has remarried, to a golf-playing tea-drinker named Kevin and they are expecting their first child together. Ryan’s little sister Emily was only three when their father died and she has little to no memory of him, Kevin is the only father she has ever known. Ryan feels like the memory of her father is slipping away, the only thing that keeps it clear for her are the Cubs, Wrigley Field and watching the players play ball.
On the day she skips, she runs into Nick, a kid from her math class who hasn’t been at the school long. Like her, he’s a passionate Cubs fan and they share information and joy as well as the sadness and sorrow that comes with following the Cubs. Nick and Ryan form a tentative friendship, despite the fact that Nick is popular already, despite having only been at the school some weeks and Ryan is an outcast, left behind by her friends from middle school who have been embraced by the popular girl. They share a love of something special and this draws them closer together as they share the secrets and fears of being a Cubs fan and of themselves.
The Comeback Season is one of two Jennifer E. Smith books I bought after reading and loving her most recent release, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. That book is easily one of my favourite YA reads of 2012 and I was keen to read more from the author who had given me such a fun experience with that book. This novel introduces us to Ryan, a freshman in high school struggling with the transition. Her two best friends have basically stopped speaking to her and spending time with her, preferring to instead spend their time with the school’s popular girl and she spends most lunches alone, near her locker. She still hasn’t dealt with the loss of her father five years ago, nor has she adjusted to the fact that her mother has been able to move on and marry another man, a man that Ryan resents simply for being there even though he has never done anything offensive to her or anyone else in her family. Although not outright hostile to Kevin, Ryan clearly isn’t welcoming and given she was a lot younger when her dad passed, this was more behaviour I’d expect from a teenager who had lost him recently. She also doesn’t react well to the news that her mother is expecting a baby although I believe that the day on which they announced it to her (the anniversary of her father’s death) was actually rather insensitive and it wouldn’t have hurt to wait a little longer to tell her. I’m actually not sure why either her mother OR Kevin would’ve thought that a good day to tell Ryan about a result of their new-found love would be the day that probably reminds her most of her father, that seemed either extremely ignorant and cruel or just stupid.
I’m not American so I don’t really ‘get’ baseball I’m afraid. It is played here, but it’s not very popular and I’m also sure that my high school days of playing softball for P.E twice a week for what felt like my entire lifetime but was really only year 8 also colours my perspective. I had three people in my class who played softball for the school and they were all crazy competitive and knew the rules and screamed at everyone when they weren’t hitting the ball right, or running between bases when they should or throwing the ball to the correct base. Um, we were 13, who the heck cares? I’m scarred for life by that experience. Anyway, there is a lot of baseball in this story, there’s a lot of history about the Cubs. It made my eyes glaze over a bit at times, especially when people were talking about the World Series in 1917 or whatever. I think I would’ve liked a lot less talking baseball from 100 years ago, even though it was relevant because of Ryan’s relationship with her dad, we didn’t need so much of it. I’d have liked more time exploring her feelings and friendship with Nick or more time spent with the members of her family. This is a short book, and given the situation with Nick that comes to light, more time would’ve been appreciated.
My other beef with this book is the ending. It’s left deliberately ambiguous with one sentence possibly meaning one thing, or it could be just perceived another way depending on how you read it. I re-read the last page several times and eventually came to a conclusion but I’m still not overly sure that I got it right. And that really annoys me because I hate open endings and sometimes it makes me feel like I read the whole book for nothing because after getting to know these characters, I don’t even know what happened to them.
I was disappointed by this book and I have to wonder if I just got lucky with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight or if Smith’s books are improving each time. I will read her next release to see how that fits in with the others I’ve read so far. If you don’t love baseball, or aren’t prepared to love baseball, then maybe skip this one.
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