Benched and Burning

A Heartfelt Coming-of-Age Story of a Forbidden Crush and the Last Summer, and the Choice That Defined HerBy Lewis B. Aldermoor

Listen with Sir Michael Caine™ and 1,000+ voices

Try for $0.00 Get for $5

Length7h 54m

About this audiobook

"Don't let anyone take your spot." It was the last thing Maddy's brother said before he left for college and left her alone on the court they grew up on. For three years Maddy has been the starting point guard at Oak Hill. The girl who bled on the driveway. The girl who put in the hours. The girl who earned every single minute on that court. Her brother Tyler taught her everything he knew. The arc of the shot. The sound of the rim. The ping and the rattle that made this the only place in town that still sounded like home. Then, the night before he left, he warned her about Jordan Hayes. A transfer from Dallas. A point guard who took her last team to the regional semifinals. A girl Coach Harris already had in the gym for a private workout before the season even started. "Things change," Tyler said. "It's not like anyone's fighting me for it," Maddy told him. "I've been starting since sophomore year." She was wrong. Because when the season starts, Maddy finds herself on the bench. Watching the new girl run the offense she built. Watching the minutes she earned get handed to a stranger. Watching the one thing that ever made her feel like somebody go up in flames. And the worst part isn't losing the position. The worst part is that Jordan Hayes might not be the enemy at all. The worst part is that the harder Maddy fights to get her spot back, the more she suspects she has been fighting the wrong battle the whole time. Caught between the loss that is burning her up and a rivalry that refuses to stay simple, Maddy has to decide what she is actually playing for — her spot, her pride, her brother's last words, or something that matters more than all of them. There is a crush she can't admit to. A best friend telling her not to freak out. A playoff run that could end her high-school career on a win or a wound. The championship is on the line. So is the question of who Maddy becomes when the thing that defined her gets taken away. Sometimes you have to lose your place to find out who you are without it. Benched and Burning is a heartfelt, bittersweet YA sports drama about a stolen starting spot, a fierce rivalry, sibling love, a forbidden crush, and the choice that defines one last high-school season. Perfect for readers who love coming-of-age sports stories, fierce teen heroines, enemies-to-something-more, found family, and novels about heart, hustle, and growing up. A heartfelt standalone.

Coming of Age Identity Family Redemption Healing Found Family Journey