Troy High

by Shana Norris, Khristine Hvam (Read by)

Overview

Homer’s Iliad, a classic tale of love and revenge, is shrewdly retold for teens in Troy High. Narrated by Cassie, a shy outsider who fears that an epic high school rivalry is about to go up in flames, the story follows the battling Trojans and Spartans as they declare war on the football field. After the beautiful Elena—who used to be the captain of the Spartan cheerleaders—transfers to Troy High and falls madly in love with Cassie’s brother Perry, the Spartans vow that the annual homecoming game will never be forgotten.

The Trojans and Spartans pull wicked pranks on each other as homecoming approaches. And the Spartans’ wild-card football star, Ackley, promises to take down the Trojans’ offensive line. But the stakes are raised when Cassie is forced to choose between the boy she loves (a Spartan) and loyalty to her family and school. Troy High will seduce listeners with its incendiary cast of mythic proportions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781531881368
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	10/11/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 6.75(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	12 - 15 Years

About the Author

Khristine Hvam has worked as a professional voiceover actor in New York for three years. Some of her most notable work has been with Audible.com as well as the voice of several characters for Poke'mon USA. She also enjoys dabbling in theater and is looking forward to exploring new audiobook genres and other creative endeavors.

Editorial Reviews

Based on the Iliad, Norris’s story trades the animosity between the city-states of Troy and Sparta for a longstanding gridiron rivalry between the Troy High Trojans and Lacede High Spartans. Narrator and Troy student Cassie is best friends with Greg, sophomore class president at Lacede. When school district lines are redrawn, a number of Lacede students, including the beautiful Elena, have to attend Troy. There Elena falls for Cassie’s brother Perry and dumps Greg’s brother, Lucas, who is devastated and swears revenge on Troy. The football teams and cheerleaders engage in a series of pranks (there’s even an exploding horse at the homecoming dance), and Elena befriends outsider Cassie for reasons that are not fully clear, since Elena is a cheerleader and thus immediately popular. Cassie’s crush on Greg and her budding friendship with Elena all progress predictably, leaving little in the way of surprises. Norris’s (Something to Blog About) prose is breezy, and playful references to the Iliad (footballer Ackley has sustained an ankle injury) entertain. But they’re not enough to elevate the story beyond its promising premise. Ages 12–up. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 6–10—Norris captures the drama of The Iliad by recasting the Greek epic in a modern-day football rivalry between two neighboring high schools. When school districts are reset and Elena Argos is sent from Lacede High (home of the Spartans) to Troy High, an all-out war erupts after she dumps Spartan Lucas Mennon for Trojan Perry Prince. Perry's younger sister, the outcast Cassie, is thrust into the thick of a conflict she doesn't even care about, and she has the awful feeling that things are only going to get worse. Students familiar with the epic will recognize the characters: Hunter Prince as Hector, who leads the battle despite the whole war having been caused by his irresponsible—even cowardly—brother; Greg Mennon as Agamemnon (here, Cassie's best friend); Spartan football star Ackley as Achilles, who seeks revenge for an ankle injury inflicted by Hunter; and more. Like Cassandra, Cassie's protestations go ignored, but her "Can we please grow up and forget this rivalry?" line gets repetitive and seems trite in the face of the escalating pranks. Still, she grows in her understanding of the cost of friendship and love, and unlike her namesake, gets her happy ending. While The Iliad story line lends richness to the narrative, the book stands alone, and readers unfamiliar with the classic will still enjoy the war between high schools, started over a beautiful girl.—Alana Joli Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT

School Library Journal

Gr 6–10—Shana Norris's novel (Amulet Books, 2009) is a fun, contemporary version of Homer's The Iliad. Cassie Prince, outcast younger sister of two very cool Troy High School dudes, Hunter and Perry, is drawn into a war between her high school, the home of the Trojans football team, and her best friend Greg's school, Lacede High, the home of the Spartans football team. When their school districts are redrawn, forcing former Spartan students, including the beautiful Elena Argos, to leave their friends at Lacede High to join the Trojans, trouble ensues. Elena, former girlfriend of Greg's brother, Lucas, falls for Perry and becomes the instigator of a rivalry between the two suitors. Their animosity spills over into an interschool prank war that becomes dangerous. Cassie, caught between loyalty to her brothers and her feelings for Greg, wants nothing to do with the rivalry, but can't seem to find her way out without betraying someone. Khristine Hvam's narration matches the breezy tone of Norris's tale, giving Cassie a believable and distinct teen voice. As she runs the gamut of emotions from upbeat to downtrodden to betrayed, Cassie's voice rings true. Teens familiar with mythology will be able to pick up the correlations to the epic tale, but even those who have no frame of reference will enjoy this contemporary story of romance and rivalry. A fun listening experience that may spark deeper conversations.—Jessica Miller, West Springfield Public Library, MA

School Library Journal - Audio