938: Honoring John Feinstein Part 5
I mentioned how important John Feinstein was to me as a sports lover, so I am republishing my 2019 reviews of his Sports Beat Series that influenced me so much growing up.
The Rivalry was next up, and I felt many similarities between this reread and the previous one. Therefore, no need to add extra opinions this time around
In this episode, I started to feel the end drawing near...
Friends, friends, friends.
Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress. It may seem funny, but as I’ve returned to John Feinstein’s sports mystery novels featuring Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson, each book has tackled different issues both in terms of adolescence and larger sports themes.
My narration journey continues in 2025, so before we get to the review,
I’d appreciate if you check out my works on A03
With The Rivalry, I thought that Feinstein did a very unexpected thing with the book itself. I liked that he separated Stevie and Susan Carol for most of the story. I also enjoyed the jumping backward and forwards in time between the lead-up to the game and the present moment. Unusually, there wasn’t as much character development between Stevie and Susan Carol, but I did like the tension that Susan Carol had to deal with regarding her criticisms of the officials. While it seemed that Stevie got most of the brunt in previous books, I liked that Susan Carol was placed under the proverbial gun.
Ultimately, I thought that even though The Rivalry was completely outside of my sports wheelhouse, I did like the vivid storytelling that focused on more than just sports. I liked that it was accurate for its time in terms of President Obama, Vice President Biden, and other figures. The Rivalry between Army and Navy was a compelling story, and the drama was interesting to read, even if it was only a reread.
As I finished reading this book, I began to feel as if the story of Stevie and Susan Carol was running out of steam. Maybe it was the way that these books surrounded a new mystery each time, but it just felt a little repetitive at times.
That’s all for today. See you next time everyone.
Peace, Love, Pages.
Note: As Always, Affiliate Links are here for your convenience at no cost to you. All reading was at my own expense.