21,000+ Reviews
Bookshop.org has the highest-rated customer service of any bookstore in the world
Description
Dangerous secrets. A toxic workplace. And an unsolved murder. . . . A football professional reckons with the choices that made her career in the boys' club world of sports possible in this riveting and sharp Friday Night Lights meets I Know What You Did Last Summer debut
Poppy Benjamin, Media Relations Director of Syracuse's storied NFL team, the Bobcats, fought tooth and nail for her career. Ever since her intern season fifteen years ago, it's been nothing but early mornings, late nights, barely-dodged inappropriate advances, and relationships lost with boyfriends who didn't get it. That's why Poppy relies on the Women Against Groping Shitheads, a support network that knows her far better than her own family. In-house counsel for an NBA team, a celebrated reporter--all of the W.A.G.S. are high-ranking women in sports who need a release from the indignities and frustrations that come with navigating the ultimate boys’ club.
But on the very same morning that Poppy’s legendary head coach is found dead in his home, five notes threatening tell the truth or pay the consequences hit the W.A.G.S. like 300-pound linemen. Who's aware of the little group they've tried their best to keep under wraps, and what reason would they have to threaten it? As long-buried secrets are brought to light, Poppy is forced to revisit a dangerous mistake from the start of her career that puts everything she's built at risk.
An unmissable novel about responsibility, regret, clouded moral compasses, and the ins and outs of professional football.
Poppy Benjamin, Media Relations Director of Syracuse's storied NFL team, the Bobcats, fought tooth and nail for her career. Ever since her intern season fifteen years ago, it's been nothing but early mornings, late nights, barely-dodged inappropriate advances, and relationships lost with boyfriends who didn't get it. That's why Poppy relies on the Women Against Groping Shitheads, a support network that knows her far better than her own family. In-house counsel for an NBA team, a celebrated reporter--all of the W.A.G.S. are high-ranking women in sports who need a release from the indignities and frustrations that come with navigating the ultimate boys’ club.
But on the very same morning that Poppy’s legendary head coach is found dead in his home, five notes threatening tell the truth or pay the consequences hit the W.A.G.S. like 300-pound linemen. Who's aware of the little group they've tried their best to keep under wraps, and what reason would they have to threaten it? As long-buried secrets are brought to light, Poppy is forced to revisit a dangerous mistake from the start of her career that puts everything she's built at risk.
An unmissable novel about responsibility, regret, clouded moral compasses, and the ins and outs of professional football.
Product Details
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Publish Date | August 13, 2024 |
| Pages | 288 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9780593686171 |
| Dimensions | 8.5 X 5.4 X 1.0 inches | 1.1 pounds |
About the Author
Elizabeth Staple is an attorney. Prior to law school, she worked in media relations for the New York Giants, New England Patriots, Frankfurt Galaxy, and Syracuse University Athletic Communications. She was a member of the NFL media relations staff at three Super Bowls, and has also worked in events for Madison Square Garden, the PGA, and the NCAA Men's March Madness tournament. Elizabeth lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.
Reviews
THE GIST BOOK CLUB NOVEMBER PICK
"Clever and furious."
—CrimeReads, "August's Best New Psychological Thrillers"
"[An] engrossing feminist sports whodunnit that made me care about the baffling logistics of American footall—totally embedded in the details of sports PR, I love books that make you feel absolutely comfortable in the writer's expertise."
—Holly Gramazio, author of The Husbands
"By turns thought-provoking and flat-out fun, The Snap is a gripping exploration of what it means to be a woman in a man's world. I don't know a running back from a tight end (yes, I just had to Google "football positions"), but I still couldn't put Elizabeth Staple's sharp-eyed novel down."
—Laura Hankin, author of The Daydreams
"Elizabeth Staple's The Snap is a no-holds-barred exploration of women in a male-dominated industry, the importance of friendships to get us through, and the dark side of ambition. Told with the precision and tension of a thriller, this clever debut is filled with wit, razor-sharp insight and an unflinching gaze at what happens when women want more. In short: I loved it."
—Ashley Tate, internationally bestselling author of Twenty-Seven Minutes
“A compulsively readable, sharp, and often witty invitation to the world of a football franchise and the isolation women face trying to make it in a male dominated industry. This story reveals itself as deeper than meets the eye and poses difficult questions. Paced like a great thriller, with the confident execution of true insider knowledge. It stuck with me long after the last page.”
—Natalie Sue, internationally bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well, a June 2024 Indie Next pick
“The Snap takes us off the field, through the locker room, and into the corporate halls of power, where a woman at the top of her game is forced to confront the cost of her success. . . . I may not be a football fan, but I’m emphatically an Elizabeth Staple fan.”
—Isabel Kaplan, author of NSFW
"It's so hard to explain the frenetic, cutthroat and batshit crazy world of sports to the uninitiated, but Elizabeth Staple provides the most bang-on, behind-the-curtains peek about what life is like on the inside. A smart and propulsive trip beyond the sidelines that is both razor-sharp and wickedly funny, The Snap illustrates the complexity of navigating one of the most unorthodox workplaces with both nuance and acerbic wit. Every woman who has ever worked in sports will recognize herself, and her own tribe of industry confidants, in this book."
—Katie Strang, Senior Writer, Investigations and Enterprise, The Athletic
"One part whodunit, one part insider’s view to the NFL, Elizabeth Staple’s The Snap deftly examines the sexual politics and power-brokering behind the league. Staple’s ironic wit and deft social commentary shine in every line. Perfect for readers of Chandler Baker and Liane Moriarty, The Snap hits hard and hits often."
—Sara Herchenroether, author of The Night Flowers
"Debut author Staple brings her personal experience as a woman in pro football media relations to the forefront of the story. Readers of books that blend workplace politics with suspense, such as Chandler Baker’s The Whisper Network, will be drawn in.”
—Booklist
"[The Snap] buzzes with all-too-familiar frustration at injustices. In the doubts and thrills of her story, Staple echoes the moment in a game when a bone-crunching collision has a player carted off the field. Are we allowed to enjoy this? Should the game still go on? An endorphin-fueled, heart-hammering sprint."
—Kirkus Reviews
"In Staple’s nimble first book, a PR director for a professional football team reckons with her role as enabler of toxic behavior after the head coach is found dead. . . . Staple’s love of football and unflinching look at its dark side are both colorful and credible. It’s a worthy addition to the fiction inspired by #MeToo."
—Publishers Weekly
"Clever and furious."
—CrimeReads, "August's Best New Psychological Thrillers"
"[An] engrossing feminist sports whodunnit that made me care about the baffling logistics of American footall—totally embedded in the details of sports PR, I love books that make you feel absolutely comfortable in the writer's expertise."
—Holly Gramazio, author of The Husbands
"By turns thought-provoking and flat-out fun, The Snap is a gripping exploration of what it means to be a woman in a man's world. I don't know a running back from a tight end (yes, I just had to Google "football positions"), but I still couldn't put Elizabeth Staple's sharp-eyed novel down."
—Laura Hankin, author of The Daydreams
"Elizabeth Staple's The Snap is a no-holds-barred exploration of women in a male-dominated industry, the importance of friendships to get us through, and the dark side of ambition. Told with the precision and tension of a thriller, this clever debut is filled with wit, razor-sharp insight and an unflinching gaze at what happens when women want more. In short: I loved it."
—Ashley Tate, internationally bestselling author of Twenty-Seven Minutes
“A compulsively readable, sharp, and often witty invitation to the world of a football franchise and the isolation women face trying to make it in a male dominated industry. This story reveals itself as deeper than meets the eye and poses difficult questions. Paced like a great thriller, with the confident execution of true insider knowledge. It stuck with me long after the last page.”
—Natalie Sue, internationally bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well, a June 2024 Indie Next pick
“The Snap takes us off the field, through the locker room, and into the corporate halls of power, where a woman at the top of her game is forced to confront the cost of her success. . . . I may not be a football fan, but I’m emphatically an Elizabeth Staple fan.”
—Isabel Kaplan, author of NSFW
"It's so hard to explain the frenetic, cutthroat and batshit crazy world of sports to the uninitiated, but Elizabeth Staple provides the most bang-on, behind-the-curtains peek about what life is like on the inside. A smart and propulsive trip beyond the sidelines that is both razor-sharp and wickedly funny, The Snap illustrates the complexity of navigating one of the most unorthodox workplaces with both nuance and acerbic wit. Every woman who has ever worked in sports will recognize herself, and her own tribe of industry confidants, in this book."
—Katie Strang, Senior Writer, Investigations and Enterprise, The Athletic
"One part whodunit, one part insider’s view to the NFL, Elizabeth Staple’s The Snap deftly examines the sexual politics and power-brokering behind the league. Staple’s ironic wit and deft social commentary shine in every line. Perfect for readers of Chandler Baker and Liane Moriarty, The Snap hits hard and hits often."
—Sara Herchenroether, author of The Night Flowers
"Debut author Staple brings her personal experience as a woman in pro football media relations to the forefront of the story. Readers of books that blend workplace politics with suspense, such as Chandler Baker’s The Whisper Network, will be drawn in.”
—Booklist
"[The Snap] buzzes with all-too-familiar frustration at injustices. In the doubts and thrills of her story, Staple echoes the moment in a game when a bone-crunching collision has a player carted off the field. Are we allowed to enjoy this? Should the game still go on? An endorphin-fueled, heart-hammering sprint."
—Kirkus Reviews
"In Staple’s nimble first book, a PR director for a professional football team reckons with her role as enabler of toxic behavior after the head coach is found dead. . . . Staple’s love of football and unflinching look at its dark side are both colorful and credible. It’s a worthy addition to the fiction inspired by #MeToo."
—Publishers Weekly
Earn by promoting books
Earn money by sharing your favorite books through our Affiliate program.
Become an affiliate
