Practice Girl

Estelle Laure

May 2022 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

"A powerful, poignant story about a girl rewriting her story on her own terms. Jo Beckett's journey of sexual and emotional agency is at once tender, painful, hilarious, and courageous."
—Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

An emotional and empowering novel about reputation and double standards, perfect for fans of Katie Cotugno and Sarah Dessen.

Jo Beckett is looking for love. She's fallen for a few boys, but for some reason, they've never fallen for her. One night, at a party she didn't even want to go to, she finds out the truth. Those boys, who are on the wrestling team she manages, consider her just a “practice girl”—the popular term for girl who’s good enough to hook up with but not to date.

With this crushing revelation, Jo feels so many things--heartsick, ashamed, betrayed, and angry. But she refuses to let that label define her. In piecing her life back together, Jo is forced to unpack more uncomfortable truths about all her relationships--from her best friend to the boy she likes--that help her understand her real worth.

From the author of the acclaimed This Raging Light, Practice Girl is a heart-wrenching, relatable, and ultimately triumphant story about a girl who rejects her label and decides for herself who she is to the world.

Ratings and reviews

4.25 Stars! The story is strong from the start and the heroine has an authentic voice when it comes to the insecurities and vulnerabilities of a high school girl who’s lost her dad and feels a pull toward male friendships. I had so much empathy for this girl and it brought me straight back to those overwhelming feelings from high school. When the heroine discovers that she’s referred to as the "Practice Girl" by some boys on the wrestling team, I hurt for her but also felt bolstered by her intelligent and indignant reaction. At only 20%, I’d already decided this would be one of the better YA novels of the year. The main characters were well-developed with authentic dialogue and relationships. Also, the story's message was clear. Overall, this was a genuine and empowering story for young adults about a young woman who has realized her worth and what it means to have agency and self-respect.

Emotional YA This is my first book by this author and the writing style is packed with emotion and digs deep into the point of view character's thoughts and feelings. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked or even respected Jo Becket. The book starts off with her making questionable decisions about her sex life based on the boy's reaction afterwards. But after reading further, I realized this was intentional; I got to be in Jo's thoughts and walk in her shoes, slowly coming to an understanding that Jo couldn't see other peoples' intentions towards her. She often misinterpreted her own feelings which led her to low self-esteem. Jo's other huge flaw that played a factor in her poor decision making was she never tried to consider or even ask about what other people were personally going through and struggling with at home. Jo's growth arc often had backwards moments and her struggles to gain self respect felt real. Overall, this novel felt very slow paced, though it was a quick read for me.

About the author

Estelle Laure is the author of ten published and/or forthcoming picture books and young adult novels, including acclaimed novel This Raging Light and Disney's City of Villains trilogy. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA in Theatre Arts from New Mexico State University. She lives in Taos, New Mexico (the best place on earth), with her family, and her work has been translated into more than fifteen languages around the world.