James Hewlett’s Izzy Harvey: Rise of The Falcons existence shows a changing trend in literature. Young people want to read stories about women’s football. More authors are entering the world of women’s football to tell stories for younger audiences. Even players such as Leah Williamson and Ella Toone have penned books aimed at children in recent years. The women’s game is a hot topic for authors.
The book depicts the story of the titular character’s efforts to get together a girl’s football team at her school, Falcon Hill. Her efforts are futile until the arrival of new P.E teacher and former player Rachel Hunter. Harvey, alongside her best friend Tayla, go on a recruiting mission to put together a ragtag team to enter the National Cup to take on the dominant Millbrook House School and try to win the competition.
Writers from Beyond The Pitch read and reviewed the book. In all of the reviews, there were common themes regarding relatability, the importance of writing books for its intended age demographic and the importance of hard work and determination.
Eloise Smallbone notes that the book’s relatability can be found in its characters.
“My favourite aspect of the book is its characters. They all have different backgrounds and stories behind how they got into football and ended up playing in the National Cup, and I think this is significant in presenting different struggles and challenges that girls can often face when they want to play football at school.”
Joe Rosedon concurs with the book’s relatability, saying that:
“Hewlett does a good job of making Rise of the Falcons accessible to its target audience in certain aspects. Young people who have played football at that level will understand the difficulty of balancing sporting, school and personal life requirements.”
The importance of dedication and hard work was also a common thread in the reviews. Angharad Evans denoted:
“What makes this story truly stand out is how it brings together a group of determined girls, all pushing past stereotypes and low expectations to form a team that surpasses everyone’s expectations.
This book is a fantastic read for young girls, particularly those with dreams of their own in sport or other male-dominated fields. It shows that setbacks can be stepping stones, and that perseverance, belief, and hard work can open doors.”
The reviews weren’t without criticism, however. Rosedon observed that:
“The idea in a post-Lionesses euros victory world that a pupils would have to fight to get a girl’s football team seems unlikely.”
In response to Joe’s comment, James Hewlett explained that in speaking with a variety of female players, the strongest theme that emerged was the challenge of breaking through the male football stereotype. Many described how difficult it was to get enough players together for a team, let alone form a competitive league.
Without giving too much away about future stories, he added that the Lionesses may well feature later on in Izzy’s journey. Hewlett believes that while women’s football is in a far better place today, there’s still progress to be made, which is why he felt the first story needed to reflect the real hardships girls have faced on their way to where the game is now.
Overall, the writers at Beyond The Pitch responded positively to Izzy Harvey: Rise of The Falcons. As women’s football continues to thrive, stories that capture its spirit for younger readers are more important than ever. Hewlett’s work makes a valuable contribution to this growing field, and he deserves recognition for bringing the game to life on the page.
