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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Close Enough to Burn by Daniela R. Morassutti follows Isabella, a teenage go-kart racer chasing her dream of becoming a professional driver in Europe. After losing a beachside race to her longtime rival and emotional entanglement, Marco, Isabella remains determined to succeed. Complications deepen with the arrival of Matias, a childhood friend now grown into a confident, appealing presence. As Isabella trains, competes, and seeks sponsorship, issues pop up between Marco and Matias, flaring both on and off the track. Isabella finds herself torn between the stability and warmth of Matias and the unpredictable, charged connection with Marco. Her future looks bright around a high-stakes race, until her performance falls short. Worse still, when Isabella crashes during a motorcycle race, her future and her relationships are left suspended in uncertainty.
Close Enough to Burn by Daniela R. Morassutti is a unique, spirited, and intelligent novel that manages to balance the thrill of motorsport with Isabella's ambition, identity, and heart. The writing is tight and well done, and while I tend not to be a fan of non-linear storylines that, even occasionally, shift between past and present, the author nails the structure, and the story is better for it. As a girl-dad, I love an arc with a capable and determined female protagonist, and Isabella is kind of the gold standard in her challenging the norms of a male-dominated sport. The author makes her path feel realistic and empowering, and adds a finely tuned relationship conflict, extending the drama beyond the track. We're left wondering whether or not good guys actually do finish last, or if it's the bad boy who stalls. Either way, with a focus on Isabella, we see what it means, and what it costs, to chase something bigger than yourself. Very highly recommended.
