oddduck's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Roller derby is such a cool sport and I love seeing it depicted in media. This graphic novel was very cute and fun, and only partly for the focus on derby!
My favorite thing about this story was how realistic the problems Astrid faced were. And I don't mean realistic as in "that's something that could happen"; I mean "this is bringing back memories of my own middle school experience". Like Astrid, middle school was about the time I started drifting away from my long time friends. Like Astrid, that was a difficult experience for me, especially when my friends made new friends with people I didn't like. Like Astrid, I sometimes have a hard time being happy when someone else - even someone I like - gets what I really wanted.
As an adult reading this book, I absolutely get why people might not like Astrid and might think her problems are shallow. But I am not the target audience for this book. Middle schoolers are. And these are exactly the sorts of problems that consume a middle schooler's entire world. With that in mind, I think this is an excellent story about growing up, learning to be your own person, and learning to be a better friend. It's also a nice look at what having a supportive parent and other adults can mean for someone Astrid's age and a good reminder that skills take time to develop, so even if you start badly, with hard work and determination, you can improve a lot.
My favorite thing about this story was how realistic the problems Astrid faced were. And I don't mean realistic as in "that's something that could happen"; I mean "this is bringing back memories of my own middle school experience". Like Astrid, middle school was about the time I started drifting away from my long time friends. Like Astrid, that was a difficult experience for me, especially when my friends made new friends with people I didn't like. Like Astrid, I sometimes have a hard time being happy when someone else - even someone I like - gets what I really wanted.
As an adult reading this book, I absolutely get why people might not like Astrid and might think her problems are shallow. But I am not the target audience for this book. Middle schoolers are. And these are exactly the sorts of problems that consume a middle schooler's entire world. With that in mind, I think this is an excellent story about growing up, learning to be your own person, and learning to be a better friend. It's also a nice look at what having a supportive parent and other adults can mean for someone Astrid's age and a good reminder that skills take time to develop, so even if you start badly, with hard work and determination, you can improve a lot.
Content Warnings
Minor: Lesbophobia and Bullying
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