The Perfect Blindside

by Leslea Wahl

He's an egotistical snowboarder with a silver medal.

She's a judgmental honors student with a flair for photography.

Slashed tires.... False accusations.... A coded message.... When all they can see is each other's flaws, how can Jake and Sophie work together to figure out what's really been happening at the abandoned silver mine?

Follow Sophie and Jake into secret tunnels as they unravel the mystery and challenge each other to become who God wants them to be.

2016 First Place Catholic Press Association Book Award
2016 Silver Medal Illumination Christian Book Award
2018 Gold Medal Reader's Favorite Book Award

Genres: Christian Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, Catholic, Mystery, Christian, Contemporary

265 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Leslea lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and three children. Their own life of adventure includes traveling, skiing, and scuba diving. Leslea strives to write fiction that will inspire readers to use their own talents and gifts to glorify God.
The Perfect Blindside has received a 2016 First Place Catholic Press Association Book Award and a 2016 Illumination Book Awards silver medal.
An Unexpected Role has was awarded a 2017 Moonbeam Children's book Gold Medal.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“He's an egotistical snowboarder with a silver medal.
She's a judgmental honors student with a flair for photography.
Slashed tires.... False accusations.... A coded message.... When all they can see is each other's flaws, how can Jack and Sophie work together to figure out what's really been happening at the abandoned silver mine?
Follow Sophie and Jack into secret tunnels as they unravel the mystery and challenge each other to become who God wants them to be.”


Series: As of now, no.


Spiritual Content- Many Prayers; Scriptures are mentioned; Talks about God, gifts, & His plans; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Mentions of prayers; Mentions of Mass, youth Mass & a priest; A mention of VBS & Sunday School;
*Note: A mention of a shrine; Mentions of spirits & ghosts.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bull’, a ‘darn’, a ‘duh’, a ‘geesh’, a ‘heck’, a ‘oh my gosh’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘son-of-a—‘, a ‘shut up’, a ‘what the…?’, two ‘dang’s, two ‘gosh’s, four ‘freakin’’s, four ‘where/what the heck’, five ‘dumb’s, five forms of ‘screw’, six ‘geez’s, nine ‘idiot’s, and twenty-four ‘stupid’s; Mentions of curses said but not written; Sarcasm; Eye rolling; Jake can be snippy & sbaps at his parents a few times; A mention of beer cans & cigarettes; A mention of an addiction; Mentions of drugs, marijuana, cocaine & drug trafficking; Mentions of parties, rehab, alcohol, highs & being stoned; Mentions of dead wildlife (fish, birds & squirrels, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of pain, blood, punching & guns pointed (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of killing.


Sexual Content- an almost kiss and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Hand holding & Touching (barely-above-not-detailed); Nearness & Smelling; Noticing & Staring; Noticing a guy’s six pack; Blushes; Girls flirt & fawn over Jake; Jake is overwhelmed when girls surround him; A but of jealousy; a ‘baby’, a ‘smokin’ hot’, two forms out ‘hot’ and three ‘chick’s; A mention of a cheating husband; A mention of testosterone; A mention of a girl slipping Jake her phone number; Mentions of flirting; Mentions of guys being surrounded by girls; Mentions of a player; Mentions of being around the opposite gender; Mentions of cute boys & crushes; Mentions of boyfriends, girlfriends & going out; Mentions of a dance & dates; Mentions of kisses & kissing;
*Note: A mention of a cheerleader showing off her legs and other girls’ figures & skin tight clothes.

-Sophie Metcalf, age 16
-Jake Taylor, age 16
1st person P.O.V. switches between them
265 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
Ooooh! This reminded me of a teen movie! I have no clue why, but it was so cute! I ship Sophie & Jake, y’all! They are so cute together!
A much different writing style with both main characters alternating in first person—something we don’t see often is a guy’s 1st person POV in Christian YA fiction, it was a nice change. :)
While I wasn’t a fan of all the minor cussing, I really enjoyed “The Perfect Blindside”, it was a cute YA book with a bit of suspense, a thread of romance and quite a few prayers. I would love to see these characters again in another book. :)


Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.

[Susan Peek · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's very few books I'll sacrifice an entire night's sleep to finish reading, but The Perfect Blindside is one of them. From the very first paragraph, I was hooked. I mean, seriously, how can you put down a story that starts with: "I have a theory. Every person I've ever met in the past year fits into one of three categories.They're either Walkers, Talkers, or Stalkers." That chapter, by the way, is told from the viewpoint of sixteen-year-old Jake Taylor, who has just won the Olympic Silver Medal in snowboarding. Needless to say, it's gone to his head. He's arrogantly basking in his newfound fame and life has become little more than signing autographs and being gawked at with awe and admiration by everyone he meets.

Well, almost everyone, that is.

Enter Sophie Metcalf, a girl at Jake's new high school. (The chapters alternate between Jake's and Sophie's viewpoints throughout.) While Sophie, along with every other girl in the world, developed a hopeless crush on the handsome snowboarding champion during the Olympic games,having the Silver Medalist suddenly move to her tiny Colorado town and attend her school is not at all what she thought it would be. In fact, she sees the real Jake Taylor as a selfish, stuck-up jerk. She judges him harshly and avoids him at all costs. Yet deep inside, she still struggles with an incredible attraction for him.

Meanwhile, Jake can't figure out why she seems to hate him. After all, every other girl in the town is all over him like a rash. Cheerleaders vie for his attention; even gorgeous young movie stars that he meets at publicity events hang on his every word and move. He is even voted Athlete of the Year. So why does Sophie Metcalf treat him like he's a creep? He can't figure it out, and although he won't admit it to himself, he's falling head over heels for her.

To make things worse, some unknown enemy is gunning for him, trying to ruin his snowboarding career by framing him for drug dealing. Before long, not only Jake's Olympic stardom, but his very life, is in grave danger. And . . . you guessed it . . . sweet Sophie Metcalf is the only one who can help him out. But I won't say more for fear of spoiling this fantastic book.

Leslea Wahl delves into the minds, emotions, and hearts of modern teens in a way few authors can even hope to do. She uses all the perfect slang, expressions, and feelings that today's teenagers will instantly relate to. By the end of the book I was totally in love with her characters! So many passages were so well written that I read them several times just for the pure delight. More than once I laughed out loud (which merited me funny looks when I was reading it in the doctor's waiting room...), and once or twice I was nearly in tears.

I truly can't say how much I loved this story. I hope the author writes more soon. She is definitely a writer to keep an eye on.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Blindside is a great book for teens! It has a contemporary appeal, likable characters, and a little suspense and romance too. It's well-written, and includes simple but important faith messages that teens -and adults - often need to be reminded of.

In the course of Jake dealing with his newfound fame and Sophie searching for a big story to break, they discover friendship, attraction, and something suspicious going on around the town's abandoned mine. Through it all, Sophie learns to trust God and not be so quick to judge others. Jake learns to rely on God and get his priorities in order while keeping his ego in check.

Bottom line: a fun read that I'm eager to hand to my teen.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I have ever read in my life, seriously. I recommend it highly if you enjoy Catholic YA fiction. This book is so amazing. I have gone back many times and reread my favorite parts over and over again. I cannot wait for the sequel. If you have already read this book you should seriously check out the other books by Leslea Wahl if you have not already. I just absolutely loved every character in this book! Well except for Deputy Grady and Mallory. Jake and Sophie and the BEST.

[Corinna Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sped through this and felt sad to have finished, wishing it was longer. A really fun mystery-adventure-romance for teens. Fortunately the sequel is coming out in, I think, January so not long to wait.

I really liked the characters and how clearly Wahl portrays their flaws whilst keeping them relatable, and how authentically she presents their character growth as they come to realise their flaws and start to work on defeating them.

All the snowboarding terminology and awesome descriptions made me want to try the sport but that would probably be a bad idea!

An exciting and credible climax that allows both the male and female lead to be courageous and shine.

I loved the way the author captured the way the parents were all like "Why didn't you tell us?" at the end and the teens are (metaphorically) rolling their eyes and going 'Uh, because you wouldn't have BELIEVED us!" So true. Good illustration of being too quick to trust the adult and ignore the teen.

Quite honestly, I wouldn't normally shell out this much money for an ebook on principle, but having read the author's other books I had to finally crack open the piggy-bank! I'm not sorry I did so, though I avoid these over-priced Pauline ebooks like the plague usually. Not one to miss, despite the over-pricing.

[I am acquainted with the author through author groups. Opinions my own.]

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Perfect Blindside is a young adult novel featuring a touch of romance, a lot of adventure, and no shortage of angst.

Jake's an Olympic gold medalist who's moved to Nowhereville. He's none too happy about it, and can't help but be interested in Sophie, who seems to be the only girl in school who's not overcome with his brand of awesome. The two of them clash and find themselves unlikely allies, but not without hurt feelings, he-said-she-thought drama, and at least one secret tunnel.

The book's written with an alternating point-of-view style, which allows Jake and Sophie to share their stories. It also gives you the feeling of knowing more...and less...than you might want to.

Sometimes, reading teen fiction gives me an insight into the young people in my life. The things I worry about and think about are more than a little different now than they were when I was a teen.

It's good to have a reminder of that, and also to see that even "good" kids can be jerks. These characters are real, with their faults and their strengths, not so different from the teens and preteens in my life.

The plot holds up, and even if you figure it out, you'll enjoy the trip to the end.

The themes cover fame and stereotyping as well as drugs and corruption. There is, perhaps, room to have a discussion about misuse of authority, and not just from the obvious authorities in our lives.

Overall, a book I enjoyed and recommend.

[Anna-Maria Crum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read by debut author, Leslea Wahl. Olympic snowboarder and teen-sensation Jake Taylor moves to Silver Springs, Colorado. The small town has the homey, low-key atmosphere his parents want and it's location in the Rocky Mountains is convenient for Jake's training. But the media circus that follows him upsets honor student, Sophie Metcalfe. She wants nothing to do with him. But circumstances throw them together and despite her misgivings, Sophie finds herself falling for him. But the mystery shrouding the area and Jake's fame may tear them apart before they have a chance to trust their feelings.

I enjoyed the relationship between Jake and Sophie. The downside of fame is handled well in the book and brought a lot of depth to both of their characters. Wahl's vivd description made me feel the thrill of running the halfpipe on a snowboard, something I will never do in real life. She brought the world to life and I will happily visit Silver Springs again if Jake and Sophie have more adventures.

[Lois Hjelmstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for The Perfect Blindside by Leslea Wahl

Through a deft use of dialogue and authentic teen-speak, the author has written an interesting, contemporary twist on boy-meets-girl, adventure ensues, boy-gets-girl. The story is a page-turner, easily followed, and delivers several strong moral messages. The characters are well-developed and we are pulling for them, both in unraveling the mystery and in their love story. The title theme carries throughout and is happily resolved.

- Lois Hjelmstad, author of Fine Black Lines: Reflections on Facing Cancer, Fear and Loneliness, The Last Violet: Mourning My Mother, Moving Beyond Regret, and This Path We Share: Reflecting on 60 Years of Marriage.

[T.M. Gaouette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by this author, and it was a fun one. Leslea Wahl introduces us to Jake, a cool, rich, famous snowboarder, and Sophie, a down-to-earth, God-loving girl next door. The story takes us into the lives of both characters, and follows them as they bump into each other and come to know each others hearts and not just their exterior facades; although there are a few bumps and misunderstandings along the way. This story is about how we can easily allow fame to consume us. But it's also about how God's love is greater and stronger than what the world has to offer.

As a Catholic homeschool mother, I love reading fiction that is wholesome and leads the reader to the Lord. And this is the perfect book for that.

The characters are realistic and the plot exciting, and I learned a lot about snowboarding. There's also a touch of mystery that everyone will enjoy. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Andrea Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found "The Perfect Blindside" to be a capitvating read. The main characters are well-developed and likeable. The dialogue is stimulating and believable. The novel is packed with action, and I found it difficult to put down. I loved that an element of faith was intertwined into the fabric of the story. All together, " The Perfect Blindside" is a wonderful read for tweens and teens.

[autumn🍁☕️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d say 2.9 stars, really only because I wasn’t a big fan of her writing, personally…it didn’t end on a cliffhanger so I don’t feel the need to read the second one…😊

[Ashleigh Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just could not put down this book. I ended up reading it in one night. It was truly engaging. I really liked how the narrative flipped back and forth between the two main characters.

This is a classic "boy meets girl but one of them hates the other before they can like each other" book, which is one of my favorite storylines. This one also contains a nice plot twist. The characters seem real and down to earth, even though one is a celebrity. It did not seem too contrived or false.

There is a nice subtly about religion in the book. I especially like Sophie's hesitation when she tries to discuss her faith with Jake. That felt real to me, since it can be difficult to discuss faith with strangers.

Unfortunately, the ending felt a little rushed to me. It would have been nice to have a little more time with the characters before the ending remarks about what they are up to now. Does Jake ever land his McTwist 1260? Does Sophie write an award winning exposé that gets her into the college of her choice? However, this was a great read and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Whal's work.

Pauline Books provided me with a free copy of The Perfect Blindside in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Engelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Blindside is a well-written and enjoyable story of teen romance and intrigue. The story line and plot are solid, the characters well-developed, and the lessons tangible without being "preachy." The reader steps inside the lives of two very different people - Jake, an Olympic snowboarder, and Sophie, a small-town girl who dreams of being a journalist. Jake has lost his way a bit in the midst of his fame. Sophie remains firmly grounded in her faith, a prayerful young woman who strives to do God's will, but is quick to judge others and judges Jake, in particular, very harshly. Both Jake and Sophie learn from their mistakes throughout the book, growing as individuals even as romance - and mystery - blossom. An excellent debut novel from Leslea Wahl.

[Theresa Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

With mystery, well-developed characters, and light romance, The Perfect Blindside is a great teen read. Leslea Wahl’s writing style makes this a fast-paced story that is hard to put down, especially as the mystery and adventure unfolds. I enjoyed experiencing snowboarding with main character Jake. The sensory details are great! But I had never considered the effects of fame on a young person and the trials that go along with that. I also appreciated the natural way Sophie, the other main character, prayed and struggled with choices.

I especially loved the moral messages of using your gifts for the glory of God and of not jumping to conclusions about others. I am so glad I won this book in a contest! I can’t wait for Leslea Wahl’s next book.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an engaging story for both teen boys and girls. As an adult, I also enjoyed reading it. It's a good mix of action, adventure, family drama, and innocent romance. As long as a reader goes into it knowing that it's not simply a story about the snowboarding sport, this book has a lot to offer him or her. The writing is very good. The Perfect Blindside contains mild faith elements and some mild violence.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Antony Kolenc · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book for teenagers. It's got romance, teen drama, celebrities, and plenty of action and mystery, too. Leslea Wahl has managed to combine a wholesome story with a boy-crazy girl, an egotistical boy, and a no-good drug ring corrupting the local community. Can they solve the mystery and decide whether they're right for each other? The last third of the book is especially tough to put down! I'm glad I finally had a chance to read this one.

[Cindy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great debut book. Author did a nice job of switching points of view and developing characters. This is a good book to recommend to teens who want a clean read with some romance, mystery & adventure. Leslea seemed to have teen slang & snowboarding lingo down. Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for an unbiased review.

[Laura Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read Leslea Wahl’s The Perfect Blindside, and I am honored to be able to add my five-star review to the growing list of glowing reviews for this talented writer’s work of YA fiction.

Leslea Wahl is a Catholic author who, as her Goodreads bio says, “strives to write fiction that will inspire readers to use their own talents and gifts to glorify God.” Any author who writes with that goal in mind, I thought, is an author I want to vigorously support! Leslea also works tirelessly to promote the works of her fellow authors, regularly featuring their novels on her website. I have been the recipient of her generosity and wanted to read and review one of her books to return the favor. So I ordered a copy of The Perfect Blindside because it sounded like a true winner: it was the recipient of a first place Catholic Press Association Book Award in 2016 (along with several other awards).

When my paperback copy of this book arrived in the mail, my husband thought it must be a mistake, because after a cursory glance at the cover he thought it was a non-fiction book about snowboarding and couldn’t imagine I’d bought it for myself…but how wrong he was! Yes, The Perfect Blindside does feature snowboarding; or more accurately, it features a handsome teenaged boy named Jake who happens to be a well-known snowboarder. At 16, he has risen to the top in the sport, having earned a silver Olympic medal. Jake is struggling with the pressures of sudden fame, understandably, and he is a bit full of himself. When he moves to a new town to start his junior year of high school, just about every girl he meets is vying for his attention. Every girl but one, that is: a serious, studious, and quite naturally pretty young lady named Sophie, a “brainiac” who thinks the egotistical new “golden boy” in town is kind of a jerk. As time goes on, however, Sophie begins to see that there is more to Jake than what’s on the surface, and she begins to fall for him, too.

I usually enjoy modern Catholic YA fiction because it is generally clean and filled with great messages, so I read the first chapter expecting it to be good. I just wasn’t prepared for how quickly I would become absorbed by this story and just how much I would enjoy it. It grabbed my attention with the very first paragraph, which is told from Jake’s point of view: “I have a theory. Every person I’ve ever met in the past year fits into one of three categories. They’re either Walkers, Talkers, or Stalkers.” Tell me that doesn’t make you want to continue reading on to find out what this character, an engaging boy with a definite chip on his shoulder, means when he uses those terms!

The Perfect Blindside is written in the first person and the chapters alternate, with one being told from Jake’s point of view and the next from Sophie’s, and then back again to Jake’s. This expertly deployed technique allows the reader to get into the minds of both characters, who are well-formed and realistic—and who, despite their very human flaws, have you rooting for them throughout the story. Leslea has a gift for dialogue, and the teens who populate her novel sound like real kids. I think any young reader would find them very relatable—but this book is not too juvenile to be enjoyed by an adult reader as well.

There is something for everyone here: teenaged angst; the complexity of family life; a sweet, chaste (will they or won't they?) love story; and for those who need a little more action than a typical romantic drama has to offer, there’s also a mystery involving a drug ring, a secret tunnel, and an abandoned mine…and Jake and Sophie become embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Will they be able to find the evidence that will expose the criminals, and will they be able to do it without getting caught by them first? This book is a page-turner! The suspense (in so many areas—Jake and Sophie’s relationship, Jake’s snowboarding successes and failures, the nefarious goings-on at the mine) will keep you on the edge of your seat. Leslea Wahl has chosen mystery stories for her writing ministry, and this is a genre for which she has a gift.

But best of all, The Perfect Blindside is so very well written that it is a pleasure to read. It’s most definitely faith-filled, but not in a preachy way. Sophie habitually “talks” to God, as one would to a good friend. “Okay, God, sorry I didn’t turn to you right away,” she might say. “Help me trust that you are here with me.” Or another time, simply, “Thank you, Jesus!” Hanging around such a girl, who expresses her faith so naturally and beautifully, can’t help but bring about changes in a boy who’d practically forgotten about God altogether before he met her. I can only imagine how this wonderful story will likewise affect the young people who read it. If ever there was a time when they needed a good, clean alternative to the kind of raunchy “entertainment” that the secular world is throwing at them daily, I think this is it.

Leslea Wahl is also the author of Where You Lead and An Unexpected Role. And coming in 2019: a sequel to The Perfect Blindside! I recommend that you read this one first. I give it an enthusiastic two-thumbs-up, and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

[Lillian B (Kaladin Stormblessed version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars ✨
Wow. This took an unexpected turn.
It was different from what I expected, but still good. The actual mystery starts in the last 40% or so, so it was very rushed.
(Look at me with my perfect grammar!! Saying so TWICE in a sentence.) Don't worry, I write my books better than my book reviews.
I could not put this book down!! I finished it in one day, and stayed up late reading. Not much past twelve, but if y'all know me that's not very impressive. I did end up listening to the last 10% with the text to speech robot thing, and this time, unlike with my last book I did that with, I remembered everything.
I was laughing like a crazy person when I was reading this, and guests were over. Just a warning, don't read this with company over or they'll think you're losing your mind you'll laugh so hard.
Jake and Sophie are so cute together!! I don't like how Sophie immediately dislikes Jake because he's famous and accidentally gave her a ticket a WHOLE FREAKIN YEAR AGO. I mean, she really doesn't have a good reason to hate him so much.
But the enemies to lovers was fun!!
Just a side note, this book has my very favorite writing style, first person present tense. AND it had alternating povs!! That just helped score some extra points.
The romance was well paced, but had a tiny tiny, bit too much of physical attraction. I'd say the relationship is more personality based, but still...
You'd think she can stop being "in awe" about his "mesmerising blue eyes" after a few chapters.
But apparently she can't.
That's the reason that I docked half a star, so it did annoy me.
The faith was too light, too. I think the scene when Jake prays for the first time should be more pivotal, be a bigger deal. But nope. He doesn't even tell Sophie.
Overall, this book was SOO good!!

Age recommendation: 13+
(It could be okay for slightly younger girls too, but I'd hesitate to hand a romance to a tween. Even if it is light and clean.)

CW/TW: One kiss at the end, two sentence description, two almost kisses, embraces, warmth, butterflies, some hand holding, some physical attraction, noticing Jakes blue eyes, muscles, tall stature, her friend calls Jake cute, girls giggle over him, a mention of "Jake not minding if girls do him their number," one other no detail kiss, (not between Jake and Sophie), mentions of a school dance, dates, Jakes friends tease him and call him "lover boy," Sophie thinks that Jake is "beautiful", Jake makes up a story about trying to win Sophie over on a bet and she leaves, (it's for her ows safety), Jake is called handsome, some cheerleaders at school wear " skin tight clothes" and show off their legs, (this is views in a negative manor)
Mentions of "rising drug problems," mentions of partying, (Jake won't go because he needs to keep his reputation clean), many mentions of fictional celebrities, Jakes tires are slashed, mirrowana is planted in his car by someone who wants to bring him down, (spoiler) getting kidnapped, a fight, (semi detailed), rabbits and squirrels die from a polluted river, A mention of getting high and drinking, (Jake won't but it's hinted that some girls in la are), a mention of stalkers, A mention of the "high school experience," A mention of a ghost story, Sophie notes to termed that she should kill her little brother later, (she's just joking, but Sam did bug her), A dumb, some minor cussing, (nothing worse than stupid), A mention of a gang
I think that's the jist of the content. I may have missed one or two minor things, but that's all of the big things.
Thanks for reading my review!! Don't forget yo like it if this helped you!!

[Janet Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Perfect Blindside" by Leslea Wahl

I absolutely loved reading this book.

When Jake Taylor turns up in Silver Springs, Colorado, he's expecting mind-numbing boredom. How could this small town even compare to the excitement he's been living ever since he won the silver medal at the Winter Olympics? Snowboarding has become his very existence, and he doesn't have time to go to school like an ordinary high schooler.

Sophie Metcalf does her best to ignore their popular new celebrity. Ever since Jake tailgated her and made her run a stop sign, resulting in a traffic ticket, she's been mad at him. But it seems like Jake's goal in life is to aggravate her. She makes it clear on the very first day of school that she can't stand him, but her glares only seem to encourage him to antagonize her.

Looking for a little excitement, Jake decides to try finding the mine his dad read about in the paper. That one decision sets events in motion, both good and bad. Coming along for the ride is the least likely person -- Sophie.

I was struck by how in-tune Leslea Wahl is with high school life. No wonder Jake was skeptical about the kids trying to be his friends! It's not easy finding someone who is truly authentic. Maybe that's why Sophie interested him. She was quite open about her feelings for him.

I enjoyed the humorous moments, especially in Jake and Sophie's thoughts. It made me like them even more.

There is also great suspense, with the right touch of mystery and danger. You can't help but connect with the characters. So when their lives were in danger, I wanted to protect them from harm. All I could do was hold my breath and hope everything would turn out okay.

I wish I could get amnesia for a few days just so I can read this book again without knowing what's going to happen! As I'm sure you can tell, I highly recommend this entertaining novel.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is WOW! Leslea Wahl really understands teens. Jake, at the beginning, exudes an attitude that comes across to some as egotistical. He is afterall an Olympic silver medalist in snowboarding. But friends convince him to care about others and his heart slowly softens.
Sophie is smart but has an ax to grind. She blames Jake for her increase in insurance rates - she was speeding to try and catch a glimpse of him when she got a ticket and then was tailgating her and she blew through a stop sign getting her a second ticket. She has such a cold attitude toward Jake that he labels her the Ice Princess. When they give each other a chance they discover the other one is really okay after all.
At the urging of her priest, Sophie gently talks with Jake about her faith and by the end they are both relying more heavily on the Lord as they face difficult situations.
The characters are well developed. The mystery plot is well-written and unpredictable. I look forward to reading more about these two in Extreme Blindside.
I will be adding The Perfect Blindside to my k-12 Christian school library. I think it will appeal to middle schoolers and older.
I received a complimentary copy of The Perfect Blindside. This is my honest review.

[Freddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel that inspiring and a Christian book that is mixed good in a mystery story in Leslea Wahl’s book “The Perfect Blindside.” The readers are brought to two teenagers Sophie and Jake. Jake is an Olympic snowboarder and he's also a silver medalist that moved into a town in Colorado that is very small.
Sophia does very well in school and is an honors student that loves to be a photographer. These two young teenagers see the negative side of one another. They see themselves better than everyone else and show it in the book. When their town is being threatened, Jake’s fame on the edge and about to be damaged, Sophie and Jake have to see through each other and work as a team to figure out what is in the secret caves.
The narrative voice captures readers because it was strong. Switching between the two characters was good because it forces the reader to get into the story more and want to hear more of the story. In the book, the author included things like family, love, faith, friendship, and teamwork. Jake and Sophie are two great characters with amazing characteristics that young readers want to read about.

[Elouise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am disappointed. Very disappointed. I managed to get through the whole thing, but barely. The characters were two-dimensional. They felt like cardboard. Jake and Sophie were constantly "storming off" and getting annoyed with their parents. They didn't seem to have real relationships with each other, or with anyone else. I don't know them at all; after a good book I always feel like I know the main characters almost as well as I know myself, but Sophie and Jake -- and everyone else -- feel like complete strangers. The plot was unbelievable; no, I won't spoil it, but I am disgusted. The Christian factor was a mix of being overdone and underdone. It doesn't feel like Sophie has a real relationship with God at all, but the book stresses her relationship with Him. God doesn't affect any of her decisions, but it sounds like church is an important factor in both her life and in the life of Jake's mother. I wish I hadn't read "The Perfect Blindside." It gives bad ideas of Christian fiction, especially for teenagers. This time, judge a book by its cover, and leave it alone.

[Grace Donahue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come check out more of my reviews of clean wholesome books at:
https://gdonahue23.wixsite.com/books/...

When I first started to read The Perfect Blindside, I thought it would be some cheesy small-town girl and famous guy type book, but I was wrong. This novel was kind of cheesy, but unexpected plot twists made me want to keep reading. I liked how when Jake and Sophie thought that their worlds were falling apart, they just took a step back and prayed to God, and he answered in His way and time. Both characters have their faults, but they know what they are, and they ask God for help and forgiveness. The perfect blindside is an excellent book, and I hope you guys all love it too!

Things to mention: Some minor violence including a kidnapping, some punching, and kicking. A character is accused of using drugs when he isn't and some of the local resorts are having drug issues. Two girls in Hollywood try to make Jake go to a party that he is not allowed to go to but Jake doesn't go.

[M. Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Blindside is a contemporary, page-turning story of friendship and stardom, mystery and suspense. The characters are wonderfully relatable and positive, and the plot had me reading for many chapters past bedtime. I appreciated the Christian values, the vivid descriptions that made me feel like I was in the story, and the characters' commitments to make right choices. Difficult topics that the author handled very well include drug trafficking and coping with dishonest reporters. The whole plot was very enjoyable with a satisfying ending, and the romance aspect was very clean and age-appropriate. I loved both Jake's and Sophie's points-of-view, and the snowboarding and hiking scenes were great. I highly recommend this YA Christian mystery for readers 12 and older.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hook may not be an entirely accurate description of this book. "He's an egotistical snowboarder with a silver medal. She's a judgmental honors student with a flair for photography." and "When all they can see is each other's flaws, how can Jake and Sophie work together...." Jake was definitely somewhat egotistical, but not as much as I expected from the book description, and Sophie did judge Jake (because he tailgated her really badly and smiled at her as he drove past while she was getting a ticket,) but she didn't really judge most of the other characters. In fact, as a general rule she seemed like she tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. As for them only being able to see the worst in each other...that didn't last very long for either of them, especially Jake. Anyway, inaccurate description aside, this was a really good book.

Jake won a silver medal in the Olympics, and now has to settle back down to regular life. After all the excitement of snowboarding and the Olympics, he has difficulty adjusting to public school, and to the attention he gets. Because most everyone he meets asks him for an autograph, he just expects people to want his attention. He does have a bit of an attitude, which would be annoying if it wasn't clear pretty quickly that he's going to learn how to be better. At least he could tell that Mallory's behavior was fake and wasn't seduced by the fact that she was a pretty girl who would do just about anything to get him to date her. He falls for Sophie really quickly. She's beautiful, smart, honest, and doesn't treat him like a god. He has to learn to be more than his fame in order to gain her friendship. He may not be trying to learn in school, but he is trying really hard to learn in life. He takes what Rachel says seriously, about using his fame to do good, and he is more than willing to learn from her story about her dead friend. He takes Sophie seriously, when she tells him that his behavior makes him seem like a conceited jerk, and doesn't even get mad (in his place I think I would have gotten defensive and angry, then realized that she was right later, and tried to apologize, and tried to do better.) I don't really like the whole 'oh, my friend is in danger because of me. I'll hurt her so she will stay away from me and be safe' attitude that Jake adopts, but it's something that I've seen in other characters in other books (most notably Jaron in The Runaway King,) so it must not be a completely inaccurate way to think.

Sophie is smart and honest. Her honesty sets her apart from the other girls trying to get Jakes attention, and it's something that I think will be very important for both her and Jake in the future. If you are friends with someone famous, you really do need to have the kind of honesty that will allow you to tell them when they are being a jerk. Sophie is actually sort of vulnerable. She has trouble believing that Jake would like her, and so doesn't have much trouble believing him when he pretends he never cared about her. Is she judgmental? Well, yes a little bit. She didn't like Jake at first, but he had tailgated her really badly. It was more judgmental of her to expect him to be a jerk to Mitchell just because he was famous. She doesn't like Mallory. Mallory was probably mean to her in the past, and it just wasn't detailed in the book, but even a stereotypical mean girl has something going on in her life to make her act like a stereotypical mean girl. I actually think it would be nice if Leslea Wahl wrote a book about Mallory to show why she acted the way she did. There were three ways that I think Sophie's character could have been improved. The first would be for her not to have had the idea to try to write an article destroying Jake's reputation. She didn't like him and he asked her to do his homework, but the fact that she considered such an article lowers her character somewhat, and the train of thought wasn't particularly important to the story line. It's only purpose was to get her to spend time with Jake, which could have been accomplished some other way. The next thing is her treatment of her best friend Kate. There was this weird balance in Sophie. She was half way the kind of character I read about in normal fiction, who is gossiping with her best friend forever, and the kind of characters I've read about more in Catholic fiction, who are sort of homeschooler-ish, content to spend time by themselves. Sophie struck a weird balance of these two in her interaction with her friend, when, one moment they would be talking about boys, and the next Sophie would be wondering if she should tell Kate about spending time with Jake in the tunnels. It ended up being fine, but as she continued to keep things from Kate I could see how Sophie and Kate's relationship could end the way I have seen in other books where the main character acts that way. The last thing was Sophie's 'I hate you but I still have a crush on you because you're cute' attitude towards Jake. Even though she didn't want to have a crush on him, her behavior around him made it clear that she did, when I feel like she was not so shallow that she should behaved that way.

I really liked the relationship between Sophie and Jake.Especially because they became friends before looking for romance. I hope they get married some day.

I really liked the characters and the story with this book, and I always think it's kind of cool when I'm reading a book that takes place in my state.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally purchased for my adult son, who likes snowboarding, I realized it wouldn’t be interesting to him; however it was a very good read for a teenage girl.

It has teen romance, but moral and pure, with drama involved. There is also a mystery which the two main characters set out to solve.

It is one of those books where every other chapter is written from one of the two main character’s point of view, so the reader can put herself inside the thoughts of the character.

Overall the book was well-written, and held my attention. I would recommend it for a high school girl.

[Amanda Lauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I would imagine teens of either gender would enjoy it as well. It's a well-written story involving a teen boy Olympic snowboarding champ who moves to a small Colorado town and falls for one of his classmates. The girl isn't thrilled about him because of the arrogant airs he puts on but in the end the two of them work together to solve a crime and in the process create a strong bond. It was a fun, wintertime read!

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

How wonderful it is to find good, clean teen romance for jr. high and high schoolers! And this one is REALLY GOOD...I had a hard time putting it down myself. This story has it all: mystery, suspense, action, twists....I wish there had been books like this back when I was a "YA" reader. I'm really looking forward to reading more by Leslea Wahl.

[Sandralena Hanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good YA mystery romance. The characters were believable, and you care about them. You get Jake and Sophie's POV back and forth. It makes the story more dimensional. Leslea totally gets the teen scene. The story is a Christian one, done beautifully, not preachy.