The Beautiful Game

By Yamile Saied Méndez

A young soccer star must find her place on a new team after a public setback.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 210 ratings

336 pages

$16.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Valeria "Magic" Salomón, a soccer prodigy, faces a life-altering moment during a crucial match. Once the pride of her boys' team, she's now without a team and at odds with her grandfather. With her grandmother's wisdom and her best friend's support, Valeria joins a girls' team, the Amazons, who aren't thrilled to have her. As a new tournament approaches, Valeria has just a month to prove herself and redefine what it means to play like a girl. Can she overcome past mistakes and embrace her new path?

From the publisher

A powerful story about family, fútbol, and playing like a girl, perfect for fans of Front Desk, The Academy, and, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret from the award-winning author of Furia. At thirteen years old, Valeria “Magic” Salomón is already the best soccer player her town has ever seen. She has talent in spades and an abuelo whose tough-love coaching and lessons about “strength and honor” have made her the star of the Overlords, the top boys’ team in the state. But everything changes at the State Cup semi-final when Valeria gets her first period while Wearing. White. Shorts. After her team is unexpectedly eliminated, she goes from their secret weapon to their scapegoat. Soon, she doesn’t have a team at all anymore. She’s not sure she has a relationship with her grandfather either. Valeria’s a fighter, however. And with the help of her grandmother and support of her cheerleader BFF, she finds herself on a girls’ team for the first time. But the Amazons aren’t exactly excited to have her there. After all, Valeria’s spent years ignoring their existence. With the next tournament looming on the horizon, Valeria has a month to figure out her place on her new team and learn how to play like a girl. The award-winning author of Furia returns to the world of “the beautiful game” in this uplifting, heartfelt novel about family, self-confidence, and the power of second chances.

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