Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A middle school hockey graphic novel–yay! I loved this sports-centered story about resiliency when faced with teams better than you and resiliency when faced with obstacles to keep you from what you love. It is because of this universal message that it will also be a graphic novel that those who do not like hockey will still enjoy.

So many kids are looking hockey graphic novels, so finding this was a treat! Its fun, its sporty, and already it's flying off the shelves of the library.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this Graphic Novel. If you are looking for a historical middle school hockey story, this story is for you. The artstyle is unique although not one that I would immediately gravitate towards. The plot is interesting and simple but also surprising as well. It kept my attention, but it also lost me in points. Overall, though, I appreciate that this graphic novel exists, and I do recommend for boys who want to learn about hockey. 3.5 out of 5 stars

Strikers is a great addition to all YA graphic novel collections. This is a fantastic sports graphic novel that teachers readers about not giving up and that winning is not the most important thing.

Genuinely cute book with really moments of funny and excellent dialogue. The relationship between characters was fun in the second half, but the first was kind of annoying and boring.

I will read anything hockey related, even if it's WELL below my reading level (I am a grown adult after all). This was well suited to a young reader in my opinion. I thought the art was nice and it had a decent story. I would recommend this to someone even if they were not super into hockey.

This was a nice graphic novel about a youth hockey team. I wish there was a little more substance behind it, but I did enjoy reading it.

Strikers was a fun graphic novel about a struggling D-league hockey team. Set in 1980s Flint, Michigan, Strikers followed a ragtag team of boys trying to keep their team afloat after their star player gets injured early in the season. Lacking a coach, the boys had to band together to find solutions to their scoring drought.

As an NHL hockey fan (go stars!!), I liked reading about the journey to the big leagues through the small-town struggle. It was easy to empathize with the boys because the author did a good job with portraying the frustrations and despair of losing (even in juniors). Another thing I loved was the player cards! They were really cute and a quick introduction to the player and their motivations for the following pages. I would’ve like the novel to be a little longer because some of the transitions from coach to coach and game to game were a bit rushed and unclear.

Definitely recommend this graphic novel to anyone looking for a believable representation of junior hockey with gameplay on the page.
Thank you to Netgalley, Lerner Publishing Group, and Graphic Universe for this ARC.

This was such a fun read! As an avid hockey fan, I was immediately drawn to Strikers when I saw it listed on NetGalley.

The art style took a little getting use to, I wasn't sure at first how I felt about it but grew to like it as I read on.

Overall it was a short, quick, fun read - the only issue I had with it once I became accustomed to the art style was that the dialogue at times seemed a bit choppy.

I'm a huge fan of the graphic novel Dragon Hoops. If you enjoyed that then you will absolutely enjoy Strikers. It's an adorable story about tween hockey players who love the game but aren't...great. It's a story of team work and that finding the joy in the sport are the relationships you build along the way. Loved this - loved the illustrations and the story, where the positivity comes across without being corny.

In a lot of ways, this graphic novel reminded me of one of my favorite book series, All For The Game - though definitely deeply cleaned up to be child friendly! A ragtag group of kids in difficult life situations, these youngsters learned how to come together as a team, form real and supportive friendships, fight their hardest win or lose, and understand that sometimes being a real champion doesn’t mean winning the game.

Sometimes I felt like there were choppy dialogue/scene transitions and I would’ve preferred the story not included the epilogue-like ending, but overall it was definitely a solid, entertaining, and deeply human tale.

The Strikers are a young, ragtag hockey team. They’ve pulled together as many as they could to form a team and are continually asking their guardians to stand in as the coach so they can play. Evan has a goal - win a game. A small goal that seems increasing out of reach as the season goes on. Can the boys come together as a team to get a win in their season to have a bright spot when nothing else seems to be going well?

The art in this did catch me off guard at first. The colors are muted, so it doesn’t really feel like it pops. That took me a while to get used too as it’s not the norm for what I usually read. Now, beyond that, I do feel like the action sequences were well done.

The characters each have their own vibe which made this ragtag group fun. This is a great middle grade sports graphic novel. That story of working together, finding your best strength and keeping up hope even when it seems pointless.

I adored the ending. I thought that was such a fun, cute way for it to end and really solidify it as this sports graphic novel. The ending really shot my enjoyment up for this story. It was just so good.

For those who like sports, I recommend picking this one up and giving it a chance.

Short and quick hockey graphic novel. Perfect for fans of the sport, including those on a winning streak or losing streak. The book teaches teamwork, determination, and trying to stay positive through hard times. The story has a Sandlot feel with some of the lines written/ spoken and the "where are they now" pages.

I wasn't a huge fan of the artwork, but it did a fine job at moving the plot along.

Thank you NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group, Graphic Universe ™ for the eARC!

As a non hockey player, I did have a hard time following some of the game parts but well written and relatable story. With several hockey lovers in my school, this book will likely be added to our shelf as soon as it comes out!

A great graphic novel about a losing youth league hockey team and how they unite as a team to improve. I loved the end explanations of "where are the players now". The player cards with info was a cute touch as well. Loved that the boy and his family grew and evolved during the story.

This was a fun quick sports graphic novel. While this book is centered around a not-that-great team it talks about how you need to keep pushing forward even if you don’t see yourself winning in the future. This books has a great message and would be great for young audiences.

Fun graphic novel about a hockey team on a losing streak. The story touches upon difficult obstacles and life lessons - overcoming failures, acknowledging others’ strengths, lack of family support, and playing for the love of the game. Middle grade readers who enjoy hockey will definitely want to read this one! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

A graphic novel about a hockey team? Why, yes, I will take that and read it in one sitting.
Evan finds himself on a hockey team without a dedicated coach... and one a losing streak. And it frustrates him to no end. His friend Bobby plays hockey with him to get his anger out... because he loves to fight. And there's other issues: hand me down equipment, no depth to their teams (everyone plays a lot with little breaks), and absentee parents/lack of support in the stands. What's the point of playing hockey if you won't ever win? Each kid will discover his own reason for staying.

What I love: this is a realistic novel about dealing with losing games, failure, being let down by family, how life is not fair (and it doesn't get magically better), and real life after high school. I love that it is super realistic and at the end of the season, the story gives a brief synopsis of each character after the season as an adult.

As a hockey fan, I really enjoyed this story of a not-that-great team, especially the end where the futures of the players are revealed. This was a fun read and will be enjoyed by hockey fans.