Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: 12th March 2019
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Publisher
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: 
When a car crash sidelines Mickey just before softball season, she has to find a way to hold on to her spot as the catcher for a team expected to make a historic tournament run. Behind the plate is the only place she’s ever felt comfortable, and the painkillers she’s been prescribed can help her get there.
The pills do more than take away pain; they make her feel good.
With a new circle of friends—fellow injured athletes, others with just time to kill—Mickey finds peaceful acceptance, and people with whom words come easily, even if it is just the pills loosening her tongue.
But as the pressure to be Mickey Catalan heightens, her need increases, and it becomes less about pain and more about want, something that could send her spiraling out of control.
I always enjoy Mindy McGinnis’ books, and Heroine is no exception. I went into this book knowing that it was going to be dark and difficult, and it was, but I also greatly appreciated reading about Mickey’s story.
Before I continue, let me reiterate that this book is dark. I’m normally ok with dark subject matters (the only thing that got to me recently was that chapter in The Poppy War), and even I found Heroine mildly uncomfortable. I wouldn’t recommend this book for people who struggle with drug abuse (currently or previously), and I probably wouldn’t recommend it for people who know people who struggle with it.
I thought it was incredibly interesting to read about Mickey’s journey, but it was also incredibly heartbreaking. As the reader, you know what is coming from the first page, and when Mickey and her friends think it starts out as perfectly innocent – Mickey was on painkillers for a broken leg – but you know where this path is going to lead and it’s painful. There’s a tonne of tension throughout, and just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse it did.
I absolutely adored Mickey’s relationship with her stepmother. It really grows and develops through the book, and by the end they had me sobbing. It’s so well done, and I applaud McGinnis for writing such an intricate relationship between a stepmother and stepdaughter! Those relationships aren’t always done well in YA, but this one was perfect.
I think Heroine does a great job of showing the reader how addiction can happen, and how it can progress rapidly and how addicts can start to spiral. It would hopefully allow people to feel empathy and understanding, and it shows that some things are out of people’s control.
I would highly recommend this book!
Oh I could not agree more! This was a tough one to read, but really important. Like talk about knocking down stereotypes! I think the hardest part was that we knew the outcome, yet couldn’t help but begin to care for all the characters and such. Wonderful review, glad it had such an impact on you too!
Thanks Shannon! I totally agree, knowing what was coming was the most difficult part.
I’m definitely interested in this one, but I’m a bit scared of it being too tough for me – I typically have a hard time reading sad books, as well as books with addict characters. Even though I’m not personally affected by addiction, and I don’t know anyone who is (as far as I know), there’s something so hard in reading these stories. BUT it is an important topic and I really like the author, so I might push myself to read it. Great review!
Thank you, Veronika! I hope you do read it, but at the same time don’t push yourself to if you’re not ready! <3
It sounds like its a really deep read that takes you into addiction so far that you can’t see the light. I don’t think its for me TBH but I imagine its amazing with Mindy McGinnis behind the writerly wheel. ❤️
I can’t wait to see what McGinnis comes out with next tbh!
Mindy McGinnis always writes such excellent books with morally questionable characters you can’t help but want to read about. It sounds like this is another winner from McGinnis writing a book that is dark and tough and not everyone will find it easy to read, but the subject of addiction is obviously dealt with so very well if it can hit so close to home for some. Addiction is not nice, and it’s easy to dismiss folks as an addict but I’m glad to see how easy it is for someone to slide into addiction without anyone noticing before it’s too late.
Totally agree with everything you said!