Stealing Parker is an immensely readable companion book to Catching Jordan, both stories about female high school athletes looking for love in all the wrong places. Both books take place at the same school and have a few similar characters between them, but can be read independently. Before the start of the book, Parker's mother has left her father for a lesbian relationship, and the ensuing shame for Parker has left her estranged from her mother and shunned by her overly judgmental church. In her efforts to prove that she isn't "just like her mother" she makes out with many boys. She pursues a relationship with an older (twenty-three) baseball coach, in spite of the risk to his job and reputation. Her physical encounters are all fairly chaste, until one brief but somewhat racy sexual situation goes farther than she had intended, and she stands up for her right to be heard and valued in a relationship. She values her virginity and is not willing to compromise it for someone she doesn't love. Parker's strong religious faith is tested by the bad behavior of fellow parishioners. A gay character comes out to supportive friends. Baseball and softball fans will enjoy the sports description and subplots throughout. Rushing to judgement is a strong theme in this book, and Parker learns to not only be more open-minded herself, but to wisely disregard the opinions of those who have pre-judged her. There is a fulfilling reunion in the end, and Parker chooses the emotional relationship over the physical one. Language is present, but not overly frequent (b-tch, a-s, sl-t, f--k, h-ll, sh-t). Stealing Parker is a fun, fast read for older teens who will root for the good girl who has veered in a not-so-good direction to get back on track.
