"Kristy Barrett has always attracted attention on the soccer field: . She was special. This phrase has been repeated her whole life. Now, as a seventh grader, Kristy is starting on the varsity girls' soccer team, dominating players who are several years older than she. But after she's kicked in the head while diving for the ball, she suffers a traumatic concussion. Suddenly, Kristy is a different person--and no one seems to understand her or what she needs or even how to talk to her now that she's not that special soccer player. Preller's careful pacing matches the fuzziness and slow healing of Kristy's brain, introducing readers to the realitie s of the pain, loss, and feelings of isolation that dedicated athletes experience when they can no longer play.Strong themes of healing (both physical and emotional), family, and friendship abound.

An introspective and realistic coming-of-age story about rediscovering oneself." -- Kirkus Reviews "Rife with strong metaphors and powerfully realistic characters." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB).