Review: Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Title: Front and Center (Dairy Queen, #3) 

Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdock 

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I just want to say, before I start this review, that if you plan to read this series, or just one book from this series, on a read-along...DON'T. I kid you not, but the Dairy Queen Series is THE WORST book you could pick for a read-along because you just cannot. Stop. Reading. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! I know because I've tried...for THREE BOOKS! It's HOPELESS! *throws hands up and stalks away*

Anyway, that being said, this is also one of those series you just HAVE to read because it is simple amazing. I love it. D.J. Schwenk is a heroine who is compelling, unique, and her voice is so relate-able, despite the fact that she lives on a farm, wakes up early morning to milk cows, and is the only girl to play football on her team. Front and Center, I can assure fans of the series, does not disappoint in terms of a conclusion at all. In fact, I found the romance to be resolved perfectly and it was heartwarming to see the full circle the Schwenk family had made since the beginning of our time with them.

BUT, I will say that out of the three books in this series, The Off Season, Book 2, is the strongest. It was heartfelt, deep, and truly brought together the bonds of the Schwenk family and D.J.'s maturity. In many ways, I still feel as if the ending of The Off Season is perfect in a bittersweet way - because, you know, I like those endings. While I still did enjoy Front and Center immensely, I do think that it failed to impress me as much as its predecessor.

For one, I have to admit to being disappointed by a certain lack of family in this story. Murdock's trilogy has been so well-loved, by me at least, because of its strong focus on the Schwenk family, their growth, development, and realistic tendencies. While I hasten to reassure readers that all this is still very much prevalent in this last novel - including some utterly heartwarming mother-daughter bonding scenes - I still came away unimpressed. With The Off Season, Murdock had established a strong relationship between D.J. and her two older brothers. Win and Bill are still strong presences in this novel who had a huge impact on D.J.'s life decisions, especially the former, but I didn't feel this bond as strongly as I wished. It's not that it wasn't there, but simply that it wasn't as deep as I remembered.

Next, I really do have a fight to pick with the unrealistic portrayal of college in this story. As an American student undergoing the process of finding colleges and applying to them, D.J.'s journey is simply too convenient, unrealistic, and a little grating for teens to read about. In Front and Center, D.J. is vying for a basketball scholarship and, after getting an article published about her in People magazine, she has floods of letters from colleges, requesting her to contact them, and even has Division-I college coaches actively seeking her out in her school itself. (Note: D.J. is a junior while this is happening and she hasn't even written her SATs yet when she begins to receive scholarship offers! Yeah, this doesn't happen in America. I wish.)

While all this is a vastly unrealistic experience to go through, I do have to commend Murdock for making D.J.'s reactions to these events as realistic as possible. You see, D.J. is still confused and distressed because although she has a variety of options before her (and never even had to research colleges with the programs she wanted), she still faces a drastic inner battle. Despite being an incredible basketball player, D.J. is unsure of joining the competitive Division-I league of players. Although Murdock writes about sporty kids who are athletically talented, I find that I can relate to their issues, which I love. Plus, D.J. really gets out of her comfort zone in this novel, learning to talk to other people and make friends [who are, you know, not just Amber or Brian or Beaner or other guys who play sports but actual GIRLS who maybe like to do math in their spare time (although what kind of person LIKES to do math??)].

Front and Center is a great novel and a fantastic conclusion to a delightful trilogy, but I did wish for more family bonding in this one, not to mention a more realistic portrayal of colleges and going about the college process. It seemed a little convenient, in my eyes. Plus, it's also so nice for D.J. that because colleges don't care about her SATs or grades she can just skip school to visit colleges while the rest of us have to schedule college visits when we don't have AP Bio Lab or AP Physics Tests or, you know, a composition for AP French. (Sorry, I am seriously SO BITTER that my life isn't as easy as D.J.'s is! >.< )

Bottom Line? Read the series. Murdock's writing is impeccable, her characterization spot-on, and her books sure to put a smile on your face. I find that this is one series that simply does not disappoint and its originality makes it stand out from the usual contemporary read. If you skip out on this series, believe me when I say you are missing out - majorly.