Having read Hooked by Liz Fichera, in which a young pair of golfers get to know each other across a cultural divide, I was keen to read PLAYED. Set in Phoenix, Arizona, this tale introduces us to Riley Berenger, sister of Ryan from the previous book. Riley tries to be a good student and hopes to make college, but sometimes she just wants to break loose. Like with her pals from school, who convince her to let them give her a Botox injection - I couldn't think this was either safe or necessary.

This is a world away from Sam Tracy's life on the Rez. He hangs out with the guys, drinking beer at night. Sam's always been a loner, but he doesn't get bullied since he grew over six foot. His parents work in the tribe's casino, and his mother studies. He's pretty smart, but if he wants to escape the bounds of the Gila River Indian Reservation, he knows he's got to get something creditable on his resume. Like a Maricopa County High School Leadership Conference. That's where Sam and Riley really meet.

A camping, team-building weekend turns into fun. A scavenger hunt in the woods gives Sam a chance to shine compared to his pink-clad team-mate Riley, but the rough country takes its toll on the unprepared girl. Sam has to choose between helping her and leaving her, with no cell signal and nobody else in the vicinity. He stays and helps them survive the night, but the next day, the rumours start to fly. Sam is the worst person Riley's friends think she should have been with, even if he's got another girl in mind entirely.

While I enjoyed a lot of the viewpoints and escapades, parts of PLAYED will appeal more to young adults still at school. PLAYED is a departure from the golf-focused first book but contains the same lively mix of young people growing up, mixing, making mistakes, and learning how to be themselves.