Bisexual representation! Title kinda says it all: hockey girl Alix teams up with theater geek Ezra, and they end up falling for each other. Alix learns to be more open, vulnerable, and stand up for what she believes in, and Ezra is just a cool kid.

I enjoyed this story a lot, but was a bit disappointed by the artwork. The shading on the characters' faces made it look like they all had black eyes. I would have loved this if I'd liked the illustrations. I will purchase a copy for my library.

The art is fantastic. I loved all the characters and emotions. This is a great standalone graphic novel for fans of romance, sports, and family dynamics. There were one or two things I'd have loved to have a few more pages on, but as a whole this was an uplifting, hopeful, and cute book.

Like 2.5? Illustrations are beautiful though and are a 5
I love Faith Erin Hicks illustration style, especially how sketchy it feels. I enjoyed the POVs of both protagonists but enjoyed Alix’s character much more as she felt more rounded. It was also super fun to see all the local aspects of Vancouver and the island within the story. Overall enjoyed the story but felt that some moments came extremely out of left field, specifically plot points around Ezra:P

A wonderful look at teens who know their passions and wanting to be better to people for themselves and going after what they love. Very sweet!

This graphic novel was sweet and real I love the characters, Well not Lindsey or Greg but they were well written jerks. In this 304 page book there was love and loss and bullying and friendship. And beautifully flawed people that love and want the best for their friends and family. The two main characters are two people that have already kniwn such loss and trauma and yet they are still standing. Whiley Ezra helps Alix realize there is nothing "wrong" with her and helps her be happy with him and herself. The coach is just as toxic as Lindsey and I am glad Alix was able to finally see that is not how a real team should be. Amazing book. Amazing Art. So well done.

Truly highlighted the high school experience of both desperatley wanting to belong and feeling like you're always on the sidelines. This is both in and outside the family, because while connecting with your peers is hard, it can be just as difficult to connect with family as a Teen. It also captures the confusion about identity, sexuality, and dating. Stereotypes are broken in the way Hicks takes the assumption we might make about a girl playing Hockey and a boy in Drama. Plot wise, the story managed to progress well. Though, part of the end, where a plot point is wrapped up, felt a bit rushed. It didn't take much from the story, but it was what drove the plot initially so it felt odd to see it suddenly tied up so completely. But, as a whole the story is also just a sweet romance. I enjoy Hicks' style of art which is easily identifiable. When I saw the cover on Netgalley I knew immediately who the creator was. The little classic cartoon style illustrations within the work, like popping hearts around a character, are a great throw back to classic comics and a great addition to this modern piece. There was also a limited palette, consisting of a greyscale with pops of blue which is very visually appealing. Will be recommending this to my High Schoolers who love stories like Heartstopper and Pumpkinheads. (Thanks to Netgalley and First Second Books for the ARC)

Graphic novel Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy is a classic opposites-attract romance by powerhouse Faith Erin Hicks. Recommended for purchase for high school and public libraries. Put it into the hands of any reader who's a fan of Hicks' work, Heartstopper and other realistic rom-dramedies. The heartfelt work is complimented by limited palette art of black and white accented with blue.

Alix needs to change. She can't let the mean girls on the hockey team get to her. Especially not after she loses it after a game and punches the captain. And then she sees it or more accurately him. Ezra the queer drama nerd who keeps his calm in the face of bullying and even manages to toss back witty barbs. Alix needs to change, and Ezra is her ticket to mastering her emotions.

Despite only talking once before, Alix asks him for help and the pair become fast friends. Through spending time together, Alix learns that even Ezra still has anger and pain inside of him. And Alix realizes that conquering her anger may mean changing her life - taking control of what she can and being the real her. Through learning about each other's hobbies, friends and families, something more blooms between the odd couple. Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy will be an instant hit.

I really enjoyed this! The characters were complex and charming, and the stakes were exactly as they should be—everyday issues that tie into the larger things that make us who we are

This was a cute quick read - my rating honestly is more a reflection of my constant struggle with graphic novels, I love the art but I find it so hard to feel a proper connection to the story. Overall, this was a fun time, I liked the characters, the undefined bi/pan rep was a nice addition and I really loved the subversion of tropes with female jock and male drama geek. I thought the pacing was a little rushed at time which wasn't helped by the format but it was generally well done. A fan of graphic novels and sports romance would probably love this!

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for a digital arc in return for an honest review.

Over all, Hockey Girl and Drama boy is a cute story about two unlikely people who come to like each other. The main characters are likeable and it preaches kindness and acceptance.

I felt like the story was a bit thin, we get a lot of the hockey story line but not much of the drama club. We also had most of the conflicts ending with quick and easy conversations and therefore the ending was rather unsatisfying.

An amazing graphic novel with simple graphics and color palette that outline the life of a high school age female hockey player as she learns to deal with her anger and the bullies in her life. I loved the budding romance, but more important I loved the explorations of family and friends within the book. So many amazing components make this an essential read for teens.

The bullying that both Alix and Ezra endure in this story is, unfortunately, way too common. Both are picked on & denigrated constantly by others who are never reprimanded by any of the adults or friends around them. Alix is even told by her coach to stop being so sensitive.

I think a lot of teens out there will be able to relate to Alix and Ezra and their emotions and the things they are going through. They are both complex characters that evolve throughout the story and though they may not have all the answers by the end, they are both in a better place than at the beginning.

The artwork is fabulous, as all of Faith Erin Hicks works are. The fact that it is monochromatic with only baby blue as the accent color makes the items in blue feel more vibrant and impactful.

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#2023reads #bookstagram #MsMcCallaRecommends #NetGalley #HockeyGirlLovesDramaBoy #YAromance #graphicnovel

Alix loves hockey. In fact, it's the only thing she wants to do. Unfortunately, one of her high school's biggest bullies is also on the team. After a game, Alix gets pushed too far and reacts violently, putting her dreams of hockey camp in jeopardy. More importantly, the violence scared even Alix. When she sees Ezra, one of the drama kids, handling a school bully with confidence, Alix asks him to help her.

I enjoyed about 99% of this book. The characters seem realistic. The emotions are well conveyed. A lot of the problems that appear seem to be because people are talking past each other instead of to each other. Normally, plot momentum based on miscommunication would frustrate me, but here it worked. Alix and Ezra are normal teenagers having normal problems with adults that are supporting and, quite honestly in the case of Alix's hockey coach, epically failing them. Everything seemed very natural and the romance was cute.

However, this book ends far too abruptly. I think ten or so more pages to just round out some loose ends in the story would have been great. It's true that sometimes real life isn't so neatly tied up, but it kind of seemed here like pages were literally misplaced and just not inserted into the back of the book. Still, it's probably a good thing for a book that my biggest complaint was there wasn't enough of it.

Cute graphic novel, focusing on the themes of bullying, identity and standing up for yourself. A hockey girl asks a drama boy for help, to learn how to cope with her conger. Along the way they fall in love and each overcome fears and hesitations as their relationship blossoms. The use of blue as the main color was interesting, kind of having a feeling of calm as you read the story.

Alix loves hockey, but she doesn't love her captain, Lindsay. Lindsay says some tuly awful things, which causes Alix to snap and hit her. The strength of her anger scares her, so she asks Ezra to help her keep her cool. Ezra is an openly queer theater kid who is able to keep his cool in the face of his bullies. Ezra agrees to help Alix, and the two hit it off.

A hockey/theater romance is a really cute idea, and the illustrations are really good. The plot is a little wonky, and it ends pretty abruptly, so I'm on the fence about this book. The things Lindsay says are truly awful, and the adults are hardcore FAILING in this one: Alix's mom is not it, and her coach is garbage. Lindsay says objectively awful and spiteful things but the coach is like "you're being too sensitive". I realize this happens in real life, but it's definitely next level and might trigger some people.

This was super cute, I loved the use of blue throughout the graphic novel. I also loved the exploration of Ezra's queer identity which I wasn't expecting.