As a seasoned soccer Mum who is guilty of sometimes getting a bit too intense, Sidelines was compulsory reading for me.
The story starts with a violent brawl that has left somebody – we don’t know who yet – severely injured at a junior soccer game. The novel then rewinds nine months earlier to the start of the season to show how it came to this.
Sidelines highlights the dangers of ambitious parents living their sporting dreams vicariously through their kids. Combine this with permissive coaches and over-indulged teens and you’re left with a toxic mix of angst, bullying, sexism and bad behaviour.
Sidelines is obviously the work of someone who has lived and breathed life as a soccer mum, but also seen its ugly side. Told from multiple perspectives, Viggers clearly has a lot of empathy for each of the ‘players’ in the story. However, as someone who loves the game, and who has had overwhelmingly positive experiences with my kid’s soccer teams, it also made me squirm. Sidelines takes something recognisable and plays with extreme ‘what if?’ scenarios to create an intense drama with serious consequences. The result is a gripping story that feels all too real.
What surprised and delighted me about this book was the way the story lands with the kids themselves. Somehow, they find their own way through, despite the misguided intentions, emotional baggage and immaturity of their parents. This book is as much about the relationships within and between families as it is about the game.
Sidelines is a cautionary tale for every sporting parent, but one where the story and the teen characters ultimately shine through.
-Katrina Roe, RRL
