Title: The Fast Track
Author: Angelica Cheng
Genres: Contemporary, Sports, Romance
Pages: 329
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Review Copy: Review copy provided by publisher
Availability: Available now
Summary: Justine Kwong has always dreamed of becoming a Formula 1 champion. There’s just one problem: no female driver has ever done it before. So when she’s offered a coveted chance to race in Formula 3, she leaps at the opportunity. Sure, half the fans think she’s just there to fill a diversity quota, and her teammate—the infuriatingly cute Cameron Evans—mistakes her for an intern, but Justine knows her talent will leave them all in the dust.
But driving well isn’t the only prerequisite to getting noticed, and Justine’s forced to fend for herself in a sea of prejudice, paparazzi, and petty backstabbing. There’s a lot riding on her ability to navigate the complicated trackside hierarchy—like the open F2 seat that could be her ticket to the big leagues.
Except…when Justine and Cameron’s bickering gives way to unexpected chemistry, the boy she’s falling for may be the one person standing in the way of her dreams—because while they may be teammates, they are also each other’s biggest competitor. And with her only shot at glory on the line, this race could break more than just hearts.
Review: [As hinted by the summary, Justine faces a great deal of sexism, as well as some racism, over the course of the book. Classism is also touched on, and there is a scene where Justine gets very drunk.]
I know practically nothing about F1, but I do enjoy stories about people excelling in fields that are hostile to them, so I took a chance on The Fast Track. Author Angelica Cheng did a fantastic job of describing the stakes of each of Justine’s races, along with racing culture norms and expectations. Cheng provided just enough detail that I felt the increasing intra-team tension and generally understood impact of Justine’s individual performances on her overall season. The rest of the Orbital team and crew presented plenty of opportunities for additional conflict, plot, and character development outside of the racetrack.
And there was a lot of conflict. Justine is keenly aware of being the only girl in F3, and she gets both intentional and unintentional sexism thrown at her throughout the book. Some scenes are downright rough to read, and the subplot where everything comes to a head is both well-written and absolutely rage-inducing as a reader. There are a few moments where Justine is able to call out others’ treatment of her, but it doesn’t always work in her favor. That said, I was pleased with how this plot was resolved for Justine, even if it didn’t end up overturning racing culture as a whole.
If you like bickering almost-enemies in your romances, you’ll likely enjoy Justine’s relationship with Cameron. I liked how its rocky start gave way to genuine admiration and friendship, and the conflicts that arose between them felt grounded and weren’t there just to eat up the page count. There were some great scenes between them; I was particularly fond of when they each opened up to each other about the difficulties they personally faced in the sport. By the end of the book, I felt that their romance would survive their continued competitiveness without forcing one or the other to yield, which I had been a little worried about. Cheng used this romance subplot to enhance the conflicts in Orbital and F3 in general, which strengthened the overall pacing of the book.
Recommendation: Get it soon if you are into racing or sports books in general. Angelica Cheng’s The Fast Track is an interesting take on a teenage girl breaking ground in a traditionally male sport that doesn’t flinch away from how difficult and demoralizing it can be to be the “first” or the “only” in a field. Justine’s fight to be taken seriously on her own merits has some genuinely great moments, and I appreciated the hopeful note the book wrapped up on.
Extras: Interview With Angelica Cheng (The Fast Track) at YA Books Central
Interview with Angelica Cheng, Author of The Fast Track at YA Outside the Lines