I adore DJ Schwenk with all of my heart. She has this straightforward way of looking at the world. At the same time, she over thinks everything in her life, which as a former teenage girl, I can totally appreciate. The final book in the Dairy Queen trilogy turns introspective. The first book was about DJ getting outside of her comfort zone, what with training Brian Nelson and trying out for the football team and all. The second book focused on DJ helping her family and putting their needs ahead of her own. This book, however, lets DJ have the opportunity to decide who she wants to be on her own. Does she want to play for one of the Big Ten basketball teams in college, where thousands of people show up to game? Or does she want to play it safe at a smaller school, where she'd be one of the best players on the team? She definitely wants to do the second, but her final decision is a wonderful process of analyzing the risks and benefits of playing for a big team. Similarly, any teen will identify with the idea of deciding what leaps are worth taking. 
 When it comes to the boys in her life, does she want to spend time with the boy that is always sweet, but a little zealous? Or would she rather go back to her ex-boyfriend, who seems to have made a lot of changes in his life since they last broke up? I found the idea of a romantic triangle where both of the boys are not perfect to be incredibly refreshing. Beaner and Brian read like they were real teenage boys, which was wonderful. Her family played less of a role in this book, but there were some sweet moments with her parents and with her brothers. 
 I worry that these quieter and less-hyped young adult novels will not reach a deserving audience. Although DJ Schwenk hates the spotlight, she could really use a stadium filled with readers.