This Gorgeous Game by Donna Frietas

Olivia Peters is thrilled when she learns she won first prize in an Emerging Writers High School Fiction contest. This means she gets a spot in Father Mark Brendan's writing seminar at Holy Mary University. She is so excited to be chosen and have the attention of an admired writer that she is quick to dismiss the sense that it may all be a little too abnormal. She has Father Mark lavishing praise on her writing, she's caught the eye of college boy Jamie Grant, and life couldn't be better. But then things do start to feel rather weird and out-of-place, and Olivia's perfect life spins quickly out of control.

This Gorgeous Game is a disturbing look at an inappropriate relationship. Though Father Mark's attention never becomes sinister, the reader will feel just as panicked and trapped as Olivia does. Freitas writes extremely beautiful prose on a very difficult subject, getting deep inside Olivia's thoughts and feelings. I think there are pieces to Olivia's life that all readers out there will be able to identify with. Plus, I loved the two best friends in Ash and Jada - Olivia is so lucky to have friends that love her so much! There are not many YA books written on this topic, and this book could stand as a cautionary tale for girls who might find themselves in a similar position as Olivia. A quick book that I read in one sitting. And though I breathed a sigh of relief when the last page was turned, it will haunt me in the years to come.

Overall Rating: 4 Stars