Publisher: SparkPress
Format Read: E-ARC
Number of pages: 256 pages
Publishing: June 9th, 2026
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Opening Lines: "The distance between two prickly pears was perfect."
Twelve-year-old Cassaty has always looked up to Katey Korey and dreams of becoming an extraordinary midfielder for the Barons Creek High School soccer team just like her. This spring brings two major events in Cassaty's life, the state soccer tournament and the anniversary of her twin brother's death. The day usually weighs heavily on her mother, and it sends Cassaty into moments of spiraling guilt, convinced that she somehow took the nutrients that her brother needed to survive while they were still in the womb.
But this year unravels in a way no one expects when the Battling Billies' star midfielder disappears on the eve of the championship game. The news hits Cassaty the hardest. Suddenly, the girl she idolized for years is gone, and Cassaty feels an overwhelming responsibility to find her. If she can bring Katey home, maybe she can finally prove her worth to her parents and the people in her town. Maybe, just maybe she can even ease the guilt that she's carried ever since her brother's death.
The Twin Stars and Soccer Superstar is a heartfelt, engaging story that explores the impact of grief and loss on a family and the different ways each person copes. It hooks the reader in from the very first pages with the urgent mystery of what happened to fellow soccer player Katey. Cassaty is well liked at school and quickly gathers a group of friends to help her collect information about Katey's disappearance and build a list of possible suspects. I was completely riveted as the clues began to unfold. Cassaty fierce determination is admirable, and I felt for her every time she interpreted a setback in the investigation as a personal failure.
Cassaty's mom is also carrying secrets that she has never shared with her, truths about her grandfather's death and the origins of Cassaty's and her twin's names. Secrets that are both sad, but whose revelation may help the family heal. One of the themes that resonated with me most is the importance of truly hearing someone, not just listening. The story drives home the point that sometimes in our attempts to comfort, we rush to smooth over someone's pain, to explain it away rather than letting them release all the "ugly" feelings they've been holding up inside.
The book concludes with a series of thoughtful discussion questions and an author's note explaining that the story is shared in the memory of the girls of Camp Mystic and those who lost their lives in the Texas Hill Country Flood of July 2025. Pick this up if you are looking for a fun mystery with an unexplained disappearance and a happy resolution.
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