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September 25, 2013

If Only... (12)

If only Stick It were a book.

Haven't seen or heard of the movie? Here's a taste:


Haley Graham is a former gymnast-turned-juvenile delinquent who, after one too many run-ins with the law, is forced to enroll at an elite gymnastics academy, the VGA in Houston, Texas which is run by the legendary Olympic gymnast Burt Vickerman. But the rebellious Haley is not welcomed into the academy by the other teenage gymnasts who despise her for walking out on her Junior Olympic team years earlier during a competition which cost them the gold medal. But Haley is not a docile person either and makes every effort to provoke conflicts with the other girls. Vickerman takes it upon himself to coach Haley in his own way to make her regain her self respect for the VGA's coming spot on the Gymnastic Nationals.

Though this movie has been out for years, I only got a chance to watch it over this past summer. However, I instantly fell in love with the complexities of the characters and the twist in storyline. It's not difficult to see why Stick It could easily be novelized.

As a juvenile delinquent, Haley's voice is definitely unique. The dimension in her personality would definitely translate well onto paper, and the same goes for her coach, Burt Vickerman. As with many YA protagonists, Haley comes from a bit of a broken household, but she is still extremely driven. We could always use another strong heroine.

Sports in YA--and gymnastics in particularly--are pretty few and far between. Add a female main character, and the number drops even lower. I'm not sure how well the gymnastic moves and events would be conveyed on the page, but considering most suspense authors can freak me out with nothing more than the written word, I imagine it wouldn't be impossible.

I think Stick It would make a fantastic book; what about you?

Feel free to comment on my choice in the comments. :)

1 comment:

  1. I saw this movie over the summer as well. It was really awesome and I agree it would make an awesome book.

    Jesus Freak Reader

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