Review | You Don't Have a Shot by Racquel Marie

**Spoiler Warning**

By my count, there are only a handful of Young Adult novels about queer love set in women’s football. You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie is the newest addition - and a welcome one. Marie blends the sport and the personal effortlessly: soccer is central to the plot, but it never drowns out the messy, tender human stories happening off the field.

Vale Rodriguez is a driven, hot-headed perfectionist still grieving her mother’s death and weighed down by her father’s intense push for her athletic success. Convinced by her best friends to spend the summer at soccer camp, she’s expecting a lighthearted break from her dad’s expectations. Instead, she ends up co-captaining an underdog team with Leticia Santos - her fiercest rival from another school. The camp tournament dangles a tempting prize: D1 scouts at the final match. For Vale, still smarting from a reckless foul she committed against Leticia in the school season, it’s a shot at redemption and a way to put distance between herself and her father.

As the rivals-to-lovers arc unfolds, Vale starts to see beyond her father’s narrow, negative worldview, while she and Leticia slowly lower their emotional defences. Their relationship shifts from antagonism to genuine partnership, deepening through vulnerable moments that touch on self-discovery, cultural identity, and healing from loss.

What stands out most is how the novel handles representation. Vale and Leticia are both Latinx, and the cast also includes queer parents, a best friend dealing with transphobia, a teammate whose boyfriend has cancer, characters coping with anxiety, discussion of Leticia’s pansexuality, and hints at Vale’s asexuality (which I wish had been explored further). These identities feel natural and lived-in, adding richness to the story without feeling forced or overshadowing the romance and soccer plot.

Vale’s growth drives the heart of the book. She’s a character you root for, even when her stubbornness and impatience make you wince. Marie gives her room to be flawed and vulnerable, so every victory feels earned. Around her, friendships are tested by jealousy, sibling bonds are rekindled, and the usual camp mean girls make their presence felt.

You Don’t Have a Shot is a vibrant, layered story about queer love, grief, and the thrill and heartbreak of soccer. The game scenes are detailed enough for sports fans, but the character work will hook readers far beyond the pitch. Even reading it well past the intended age range, I was swept up in Vale’s journey - a testament to Marie’s skill in telling a story that’s both specific and universally relatable.

Interested in other WLW YA and adult fiction? Check out my ultimate list of women's football books featuring wlw relationships.

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