Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler Review

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Flux (March 8, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0738722871
ISBN-13: 978-0738722870

                  5 Butterflies

Product Description:

Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college-and everyone's admiration in her hometown. But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.

As a graduation present, Chelsea's dad springs for a three-week summer "boot camp" program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she's immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who's haunted by his own traumatic past. As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home. Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain-or finally heal their heartbreak?

My Thoughts:

Holly Schindler has never failed to rock my socks!  Her debut novel, A Blue So Dark, continues to top my favorite book list, and this, her second book is going to go right up there with it.  Playing Hurt is completely different from her issue-charged, emotionally challenging, A Blue So Dark, but it was just as good and just as lyrically beautiful.

I loved this story of Chelsea, an athlete who is injured and can no longer play basketball, which is her passion, and Clint, an ex-hockey player, who is injured just as badly, except he is emotionally damaged.  Chelsea and Clint's whirlwind romance took me on a crazy ride and I devoured every page, every moment that they spent together and was left completely breathless and satisfied, yet dying to read more!!!

Chelsea was a fantastic female lead.  She was damaged and vulnerable, but she was also incredibly strong and so smart, snarky, and funny (which is one of my favorite combinations).  Clint was so completely swoon worthy.  He keep my heart fluttering and I fell completely in love with him right along with Chelsea.

Overall, Playing Hurt is a great story of healing, moving on, and learning to live your life each day to the fullest and never holding back.  The writing is absolutely beautiful, I was once again left feeling like I should be writing down my favorite quotes but realizing I would be writing almost the whole book down!  I recommend this book to anyone who loves love.  Anyone who loves a story that will leave you with a smile on your face and a skip in your step needs to pick Playing Hurt up RIGHT NOW!

You can read a great interview with the HAWT Clint over at one of my favorite blogs Reading Teen! It's great, so go read it ;)

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