Playing Hurt - Holly Schindler

March 8, 2011
   Star basketball player Chelsea 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? (Chapters, CA)

     Playing Hurt is a book I received from a giveaway (as I’m sure you are all well aware of by now). I was excited to read it, mostly to see how the dynamic between Chelsea and Gabe vs. Clint would work out. I was thinking, how could you have the perfect boyfriend, and still be interested in someone else. I know it happens, but I was looking forward to reading about it, in such a specific example.

     I really liked how each chapter skipped back and forth between Chelsea and Clint. A few times I got frustrated; the chapters ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and it was not something easily resolved through the point of view of the other person. I really got into the book, though, I found it very cute and touching, and it pulled me easily the whole way along from beginning to end.

     I do recommend this book to other readers. It was cute and light, and I was able to relate to the characters, and found myself daydreaming about them often. It actually made me pick my next book along the same lines, because even when I was done the book, I really wanted more like it!

     Like I said, I was curious to see how the author would do with the torn-between-two-lovers scenario. Gabe, Chelsea’s boyfriend, was painted to be perfect. Beyond perfect, even. He was handsome and supportive and understanding and loving and all the things a perfect boyfriend should be. I definitely understand being in a good relationship and falling for someone else despite all your best efforts, but usually the former partner has at least a couple flaws. Gabe had zero. So I was intrigued at how Chelsea was going to fall for Clint. Turns out that it wasn’t about Gabe vs. Clint. I liked it.

     I really enjoyed the story, and hated having to put it down. It was cute and light, and their relationship gave me butterflies. I loved picturing myself in Chelsea’s position, falling for Clint. The cute flirting, and the fun times they had, hidden away in the middle of the woods. It was secret, and reminded me of Tuck Everlasting or something along those lines. I love romances like that.

     The one thing that annoyed me about the book was Chelsea’s brother Brandon. He’s supposed to be her younger brother, and having a brother who was once that age, I know how they generally act. Brandon seemed way too mature to be realistic to me. He was always on Chelsea’s case about Gabe at home, and how what she was doing with Clint was wrong. He never did anything immature like tattle on her, or spy, but he seemed to be her very mature conscience. He always seemed to know what she was thinking, or doing, and it was too omnipresent. This didn’t jive for me with the rest of his actions in the story. He spent all his time obsessing over his bass, and playing in the band with Clint’s friends. All he seemed to care about was music, and the band which he inspired, and usually younger brothers like that don’t also have a side devoted to the questionable morals of his sister. Especially since his band was made up of Clint’s friends, that would make me think he would lean towards being on Clint’s side, and it’s not like he and Gabe were friends at all at home. It was a little too off for me.

     I felt similar frustration as did Chelsea when Gabe kept wanting to talk to her while she was away on vacation. Even despite Clint, Chelsea was away for a reason. She was supposed to take so time to herself, do some physical rehab, enjoy the quiet and the wilderness. She’s out in the woods; it’s not time for an LAN gaming session or three way video chat, it’s just not the point of the retreat. Let her do her thing, you do yours, and you’ll see her when she gets home. She’s only gone for three weeks, not a year and half, you’ll live, buddy. It just really annoyed me.

     When Chelsea got back from Pike’s, and saw Gabe, I felt her uncomfortability in the pit of my own stomach. I wanted him to leave, and not take her out to the hotel. I wanted Chelsea’s Dad to finally do something decent and send Gabe away, at least so Chelsea could have a night to herself, to prepare for the inevitable breakup. I felt during their whole date-sex night, that it was all being rushed through, and she didn’t have a second to collect her thoughts to be able to talk to Gabe. Granted, Chelsea did have a thing with someone else while she was away, but I really felt that Gabe overreacted. If he really cared about Chelsea like he says he does, I don’t think he would have been so cruel, throwing in her face the fact that he’s held off sex for her and everything. That was terrible.

     The thing that really bothered me was that after everything, Chelsea and Clint went through during the summer, the healing and falling in love, they didn’t even stay in touch during the year. Chelsea won a free vacation for her family next year, and presumably she would go and they would see each other and be together then too, but from another angle, it almost seemed like she considered that invitation as a goodbye, and almost like a thank you from Clint, ‘for everything we shared this summer, and for helping me to get past it all and move on’. And then it was over.