Persnickety Snark: Review - What Supergirl Did Next / Thalia Kalkipsakis

Summary - 'I was very clear about my future from here - first, nail my floor routine; next, qualify for the state squad, and finally, compete at the Australian Championships. It was all so sharp - my path lit with a spotlight that put everything else in dreary shadows.'
Jade is a girl who knows what she wants. She knows how to get it too. But when a knee injury interrupts her plans, she feels lost and unsure. It's a bad time to get her annoyed. When a sexist remark gets her blood boiling, Jade thinks she's found something to fight for. If she sets up a race to prove that girls aren't soft, then maybe she'll also prove to herself that she can still find The Zone. But will her single-minded approach to proving her point win her the race, and the boy? Or will she learn that maybe - just maybe - winning isn't everything?

Review - What Supergirl Did Next is one of the newest titles in Allen and Unwin's Girlfriend series. After an unfortunate landing at a gymnastics meet, Jade is forced to reassess what she holds important.

Jade is a single minded athletic machine created by a strong willed mother who is always pressing her daughter for more. With the fear of possible further injury, Jade starts involving herself in school life for the first time. However, her need to be competitive risks the new friendships she has made. There are some interesting themes in Kalkipsakis' novel - self-esteem, parental pressure, gender equality and starting fresh. That being said, some of the dialogue is a little forced, trying to hard to sound like teen speak both in the interpersonal and internal dialogue. It improved as the novel continued.

Readers will enjoy Jade staking a claim of her own, both in her family and at school. The boys versus girls swimming race is fun, the outcomes very relatable. The pacing is a little inconsistent, which can be expected with the multitude of areas of Jade's life that compete with one another. The romance is light with an emphasis on Jade, her family and her decisions which is a nice direction.