I See You, Katarina
This is a book review of The Favorites by Layne Fargo with spoilers.
It’s been a minute since I finished this book, and I still think about it. That’s how amazing I believe this book is.
The Facts
Author: Layne Fargo
Release Date: January 14, 2025
Genre: Sports/New Adult Fiction
Main Characters: Katarina Shaw & Heath Rocha
Number of Pages: 448
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
What I Loved
Immediately, this book grabs my attention, and it would not let it go. One of the best openers I’ve read in the past couple of years. Plus, our main characters were already in love, which piqued my interest; I wanted to keep reading to see where the story was going to go.
Not to sound insane, but the 9/11 mention… I was fully unprepared for it, but its inclusion makes the story more realistic, especially with Heath getting searched by TSA because of his appearance. Adding to the realism is the progression of the way they contact each other; Katarina goes from being excited about receiving a flip phone to casually using an iPhone. The One Direction mention also held the same energy.
I’ve seen where several reviews said they disliked Katarina Shaw, but I feel like she is so misunderstood. She knows what she wants and works hard to get it. Like she said, “We controlled our career. We controlled our destiny.” I truly had no qualms with Kat; I was rooting for her the entire time… until she exploded on Inez Acton after chapter fifty-six. Despite that, Kat shows significant character development by the end of the book. This really hit home when she says, “If we wanted happiness, we had to create it ourselves. Not in one shining moment on a metal stand, but every single day, over and over again.” I will happily become Katarina Shaw’s number one defender.
What I... Didn't
In reference to Ellis smoking, Katarina said, “If he wanted to wreck his lung capacity, that made one less competitor for me to worry about.” It was such a wild statement to make/thought to have. Well, I thought this until I realized Ellis is one of our antagonists (Francesca, our Republican representative, is another one). Ellis Dean did a really good job of being the villain because I genuinely hated this man, and since he’s a fictional character, it feels okay to hate him. He had the same annoying energy as Perez Hilton.
What is up with people disappearing for three years?
It’s not that I necessarily disliked these parts, but I wasn’t sure where to include this. I felt some satisfaction when none of them made it to the Olympics in 2006, and I definitely celebrated her brother going to prison.
Bella being pregnant with Heath’s baby PISSED ME ALL THE WAY OFF. Later, they semi-redeemed themselves when I found out they were co-parents, and Kat & Heath end up being that annoyingly complicated, on-again off-again couple who won’t commit (even though Kat wears her engagement ring).
Final Thoughts
With the Winter Olympics happening, this was the perfect time to read it. Though this review is a little late, I must note that I did, in fact, read it while the Olympics were airing live.
I absolutely love the way this book is written. It genuinely feels like I’m watching a documentary, and I hope Hollywood doesn’t fumble the bag when this eventually becomes a movie. If they turn it into a limited series, it’s already a loss. With the way this is written, it’s best suited to be a film.
"But what was the point if you had everything and enjoyed nothing?"
