I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

For high-achieving Margaret Douglas, rowing is everything—her friends, her family, and her way into college. As a senior and varsity captain, she has made many sacrifices to get where she is. But after she mysteriously disappears for the summer, rumors swirl: Was Margaret at Olympic training? Rehab? Under house arrest?

Whatever happened, it clearly haunts her . . . and when she returns at the beginning of the season, Margaret discovers that the sisterhood she once knew has moved on without her.

Meanwhile, spunky freshman and new girl Jo Bryant is only rowing because of her father: former Olympian, Boston legend, and the person Jo blames for her parents’ divorce. Jo knows nothing about crew, or why Margaret’s return has everyone at the boathouse whispering, but she does know that Margaret is the only person who doesn’t treat her like a joke.

For both girls, the varsity team is a sisterhood earned in five a.m. wake-ups and blistered hands. But there are secrets and scandals waiting to surface—and with the biggest race of the year on the horizon, Margaret, Jo, and their teammates are about to find out just how deep those secrets go.

Short and Sweet Review

Margaret Douglas has spent years making rowing her entire life. As a senior and varsity captain, she’s worked toward earning a college scholarship and has sacrificed a lot to get there. But after something happens following Nationals, Margaret suddenly disappears for the summer, leaving everyone wondering where she went and what could have happened. When she finally returns at the beginning of the season, she discovers that things have changed. She’s lost her captaincy, her place on varsity, and the close friendships she once had with her teammates. Then there’s Jo Bryant, a freshman who doesn’t even want to be on the rowing team. She’s only in Boston because she’s living with her father, a former Olympic rower who she blames for her parents’ divorce. Her father pushes her into rowing, and Jo agrees on the condition that if she makes varsity, she gets to stay at her new school. Despite being new to the sport, Jo quickly finds herself caught up in the intense world of competitive rowing. When she meets Margaret, she’s surprised to find that Margaret is one of the few people who doesn’t treat her like a joke. As the two girls become friends, they start uncovering secrets surrounding Margaret’s disappearance, the team, and the people they thought they could trust.

I really enjoyed this one! I knew very little about rowing before reading Capsized, but I actually loved getting to learn about the sport and seeing how much work goes into being part of a competitive crew. The early morning practices, intense training, competition for varsity spots, and pressure surrounding the Head of Charles race made the rowing side of the story really interesting. I also liked how the team dynamics showed both the amazing friendships that can come from being part of a team and the pressure that can sometimes make those relationships complicated. Margaret and Jo were definitely my favorite part of the book. I liked how different they were and how their friendship developed despite coming from completely different places. Margaret is dealing with everything that happened over the summer while trying to figure out how to regain the trust of her teammates, while Jo is trying to adjust to a new school, a new sport, and a complicated relationship with her father. I especially enjoyed Jo’s storyline with her dad because there was so much resentment between them, but you could also see that they were both trying to figure out how to have a relationship with each other. The mystery surrounding Margaret’s disappearance was what really kept me turning the pages. We get little pieces of information throughout the story, and I kept trying to figure out what actually happened and who Margaret could trust. Even after the truth about her disappearance comes out, the secrets don’t stop there, and I liked that the story continued to introduce new conflicts and revelations. The countdown toward the big race also kept the pacing moving and made the pressure surrounding the team feel even stronger.

Overall, Capsized was a really fun YA sports mystery that gave me a glimpse into a world I knew almost nothing about. I loved the competitive rowing setting, the friendship between Margaret and Jo, and all the secrets and complicated relationships surrounding the team. I also appreciated the themes of teamwork, trust, family, leadership, and figuring out what it means to be part of a team. If you enjoy YA books with competitive sports, strong friendships, family drama, and a mystery that keeps unfolding as you read, I definitely recommend giving this one a try.