Best friends and rising seniors Eleanor (Leni) and Chanel (Nelly) are very serious about their high school cheer team. We meet Leni first, as she's working her way through grueling physical therapy after spending junior year on the disabled list due to a concussion she sustained in practice. Nelly, on the other hand, is at a cheer camp, with the 24 next most promising prospects. In addition to being a star athlete, Nelly has strong grades and stronger determination to build the future she wants.

Their senior year doesn't start off as expected. Leni connects with a football player (the football player at their Georgia school) she meets at PT and gets an unexpected prize. Things are rocky between the two, but they are brought together by a spontaneous show of support for a Colin Kaepernick stand in, an alum of their school. The cheer team kneels during the national anthem. The school and town respond as one might expect, and as expected, the consequences differ for white Leni and Black Nelly.

Despite all the "as expecteds," it seemed to me the story was going in a strange direction, so if you find yourself thinking Leni is the more sympathetic character and wondering why, it takes a minute to realize the ways she is immature and flawed due to her lack of racial justice awareness. A favorite moment is when the Wise Negro character sends Leni away to learn from her own people, in this case Leni's rabbi.

Nelly's character development is more nuanced, with her growth happening within and with more work and less approval.

Thanks, Edelweiss, for the free ARC.