Review by Booklist Review
When hockey team leader Johnny goes down with an injury, alternate captain Evan must rally his team to finish the season. Unlike some sports fiction authors, Phegley is less interested in what it takes to win than why the characters play in the first place, especially when the odds are so heavily stacked against them. Flint, Michigan in the 1980s is a fitting setting for this underdog story--the Flint Spirits are destined to relocate, and the memory of sit-ins from the 1930s in the region lingers in the background. While the story spends a lot of time on the ice with both games and practice, the interpersonal relationships, razzing, and camaraderie among the characters draw more attention. A brief epilogue for each team member paints a bittersweet portrait of his future, which feels genuine to the time and themes. Khouri's artwork nicely differentiates among the characters during matches, but the rosy cheeks and happy expressions don't always match tone. Readers who like their sports comics with both lots of action and vivid emotional dynamics are the best audience for this.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Ice hockey provides an outlet for young boys in a tough town, but the season comes with its own challenges. The Strikers are a youth ice hockey team in 1980s Flint, Michigan, a club of misfits in a low-stakes league. Evan's slightly skeptical about signing on with this crew and tempers his hopes for a successful season. He's not wrong to doubt--the star player (also the coach's son) wrecks his ACL in game one, leaving the team without a coach or captain. The season stays bumpy, with frustrating losses, a knock-down fight, and a few moments of glory. Disappointments abound off the ice as well. Evan's mom's boyfriend is unemployed and unreliable when Evan needs coaching support, and though Evan's dad wants to coach, he has to leave town to work for extended periods. Other teammates face their own challenges, with their backgrounds detailed in trading card--style bios at the start of this graphic novel, but the central story is squarely Evan's. Angular illustrations express emotional interactions effectively but feel a bit stiff for conveying dynamic game play. Ultimately, however, the sense that sports can tenuously hold things together for the kids, their parents, and their struggling city is poignant and palpable. Although most of the athletes present white, the lineup includes Black twin brothers who are multisport athletes keeping busy in their off-seasons. Persistence in the face of defeat and disappointment defines a season of sports and adolescent life. (Graphic fiction. 8-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
