Despite its title, you can easily read "The Hockey Saint" without knowing a thing about hockey. This story is all about an unlikely friendship, real life heroes and difference between the real and media self. Shapiro uses a bunch of tropes and stereotypes but as the book is clearly aiming for a young teen audience, it didn't annoy me too much. Most of the topics addressed throughout "The Hockey Saint" are meant to make you think about them and not offer too realistic depiction. My favorite thing probably were the recommended music titles for each chapter though - a nice touch and they fit the story perfectly!

'The Hockey Saint' by Howard Shapiro is the second graphic novel in a trilogy, but I read it as a standalone and didn't feel like I was missing anything.

Tom Leonard is a college sophomore and idolizes hockey player Jeremiah Jacobson.  Tom's had it rough since his parents died, and when he gets a chance to hang out with his idol, he takes it.  Jeremiah has some good qualities, and some bad ones.  He shows Tom that he's only human.  When a rival team hires a private eye to dig up dirt on Jeremiah, Tom is caught in the middle.  He is pressured to give out secrets of his new friendship and even offered money to give up the dirt.  Eventually, this leads to a conflict between Tom and Jeremiah, especially when Tom sees something in Jeremiah's life that will eventually hurt him.

The art is not awesome, but the story isn't bad at all.  It feels like an after school special (except one where smoking and drinking is okay).  I like the fact that Tom is not so starstruck that he doesn't want to help Jeremiah out.  The supporting characters are pretty good for the most part.  The main characters are only a few years apart, but I felt like Tom was a lot younger for some reason.  The story has some good things to say about stardom and friendship.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Animal Media Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This graphic novel is my first NetGalley book that I got since I joined a few months ago. Before requesting any book there I decided to try the ones that can be immediately downloaded. At that time I was in the mood for a graphic novel and my choice came down to this because the title intrigued me. Thank God, this graphic novel is good and I liked it.

I just want to say that although the title is The Hockey Saint, the main focus of this graphic novel is not on Hockey it is more on the friendship between Tom and Jake. So, don't worry if you don't know jack about hockey (because I don't) you won't find any difficult hockey terms that might confuse you. The story is easy to read and I flowed through it quickly (it helps that it is a graphic novel).

I really like the friendship aspect of this graphic novel. The friendship development between Tom and Jake was told in a perfect pace, not too slow and not too fast (instant friendship). I also love how parts of Jake's side was told sequentially and not all at once. It's like I got the chance to get to know him as well.

The drawings are of course very good, since I can't really draw I've always appreciated people who can draw and therefore I like graphic novels (cause I like looking at beautiful pictures). I really like the face of the ex-FBI turned private investigator because his face really gives me the creeps, which is a good thing given that he's the antagonist.

I can say that the thing that put me off was the after hockey game discussion scenes that Tom watches on TV, since I'm not a sports fan I've never really liked sports discussions so I don't really like reading about it as well. Those scenes were my least favorite of the whole story, but they seem very realistic to me so the author must've done his research.

Overall, I liked this graphic novel. An easy to read story about friendship mixed with hockey that might give you a little insight in the world of hockey.

A solid sports-orientated graphic novel, dealing with friendship & secrets. Good for fans of The Stereotypical Freaks and fans of sports novels. Characters have a strong human feel, a welcome change from the glamorization of sports stars in the media.

When friends need each other, sometimes it is hard to take a stand in order to help one another.  But if a friend won't help?  Who will?

This sequel to "The Stereotypical Freaks" is set two years after its predecessor ends. In this installment (Volume 2 in the "Forever Friends" Trilogy), Tom becomes friends with Jeremiah "Jake" Jacobson--the world's best hockey player--and realizes that fame and stardom have a gritty side.  In fact, it would seem that the real Jake is far more real than Tom would really like. Although it can be a little heavy handed and preachy, this text has a fun twist at the end and will resonate with lovers of realistic fiction.

Solid story about being open to see the true heart of people past the persona they put on or the reputation they may or may not have earned. Somewhat predictable and a little heavy-handed at times, but still a message that deserves to be heard.

This is the second story in the Forever Friends Trilogy. In this story, Tom is now a sophomore in college. He is living with his grandmother after the death of his parents in an accident with a drunk driver. He is playing on the college hockey team and has just been made Assistant Captain as well as receive a partial scholarship. When he meets his idol, Jeremiah Jackson, he can not resist the opportunity to hang out with him. Jeremiah has some good qualities, and some bad ones. He shows Tom that he's only human. When a rival team hires a private eye to dig up dirt on Jeremiah, Tom is caught in the middle. He is pressured to give out secrets of his new friendship and even offered money to give up the dirt. Eventually, this leads to a conflict between Tom and Jeremiah, especially when Tom tries to convince Jeremiah to make some changes in his life to avoid being hurt.

The story centers not just on friendship but the faces behind fame and the darkness that sometimes comes with it. 

I enjoyed this story and the lessons that it teaches. I definitely think this series would be a hit with older boys, especially the ones that love sports and the reluctant readers.

Title: The Hockey Saint.
Author: Howard Shapiro, Marica Inoue, Andres Mossa Genre: Graphic Novel Series: Forever Friends Trilogy (#2)

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews. 

 I approached this graphic novel with a little hesitation. I know nothing about ice hockey. Like seriously, nothing. It's just not a popular sport in the UK in general - and Wales is more about the rugby than anything else.

You'll be happy to hear that, despite my hockey ignorance, I enjoyed this book a lot.

This is apparently #2 in a trilogy - but I read it as standalone and had no difficulty with reading it as such.

Premise:

Jeremiah Jacobson, or 'Jake,' is a 21-year-old hockey star. Tom Leonard is a 19-year-old college hockey player whose life is going through a rough patch - he also idolises Jake.

The two somehow form a fledgling friendship, but can it survive the demands of the sport, the press, and life?

Best bits:

I really did enjoy this - it was very readable, and the characters were actually a lot more involving than you would think on first glance. To such an extent that I basically zipped through reading this.

The art is perhaps a touch on the unusual side, but while a lot of artists make the mistake of becoming too radical in their attempt to bring a fresh style to their work, the artwork here keeps the balance well. I'd even go as far as to say it's charming (in a mature way, of course.)

The social issues touched on here are dealt with carefully and sensitively - and it gives the book a real heart that shines through excellently.

I also love the questions raised about the role of sports stars/athletes, and their glorification by a media that would just as soon tear them to shreds if it'll mean more viewers, readers, listeners, whatever.

Not so great bits:

Some of the issues dealt with might upset some people - notably that of alcoholism and drink-driving. Also mentioned are poverty, illness/cancer, the treatment of veterans, parental death, and suicide. All are dealt with sensitively, and, in my view, with great skill and balance - but this may still be upsetting to readers dealing with similar issues.

I think this book was set in Canada - but I'm not 100% on that. Enough places in the USA were mentioned to give me some doubt. On balance, it was probably Canada... probably. The names of the leagues etc. would probably tell most North Americans where it was, but as a British girl with no interest in hockey, I was left just a little confused.

Occasionally, the dialogue is a touch stilted and/or naïve, but really, this is barely noticeable, and the vast majority of the speech flows well.

Verdict:

This is a readable and eloquent graphic novel, absorbing and charming, and accessible to people outside the world of hockey, this has some stuff to say in style.

I've read Shapiro before and I love the recommended listening idea he puts at the beginning of each chapter. (Especially when they include wonderful songs like Gary Jules's Mad World.)

Though stories like this stress me out. The suspense of real-world type issues is more intense than the suspense of action movies. 

But it was a really good story. I'm not much on sports-related stuff, but I'll read just about anything in graphic novel form, and this story was well worth it. A little bit about finding yourself. A little bit about redemption. A little bit about the real world.

Beautiful illustrations in full, vivid colour dominate the pages, each capturing the emotion and tension of the moment. 

Fortunately for me, knowledge of hockey is not a requirement and I was able to enjoy this coming-of-age story of the relationship of a high school boy and his mentor, a celebrity hockey player with unresolved issues.

College hockey player who lives with his grandmother gets a partial scholarship, named assistant captain, and finds out where his idol lives. Quite an opening chapter. From there he meets his hero, who takes him to surprising places, as long as he doesn’t tell. There’s a conspiracy by the rival team to get the goods on the hockey star, and the kid has to decide which side to pick.
 Each chapter comes with a recommended song list; I didn’t try it, but the one song I did know, Rush’s Limelight, was well chosen.
 It’s a nice story, with an upbeat ending. But it’s hard to believe a guy this secretive would open up and spill all his secrets to a teen fan. This is more like a kid’s fantasy, especially the hero’s redemption at the end.
 The artwork is fine, nothing special but definitely good enough. As long as the reader has no illusions about it being far from reality, there’s a lot to enjoy here.

This may have worked better as a prose novella then a graphic novel.  The panels are almost exclusively of people talking.  The art is high school art level at best.  That being said, I did like the story.

So this was a really great book and it made me super happy! This is partly because I received some really exciting news that made me really, really happy but this book shows that friendship rules!!!!

I am quite happy that I really liked this one as I read the first one last year and really loved it. This fall into a category that I like to contemporary graphic novels because both of these tackle issues that deal with real life and I know that I don't really read a lot of these graphic novels, but I would definitely like to see more. 

The book follows the budding relationship of Jeremiah and Tom who gets to be friends with his "hockey saint" and the challenges that follow...

I really enjoyed the plot to this, the friendship definitely it was slow building one and was really nice to see how the relationship grew. Granted there was a lack of plot but it was definitely character driven and this is something that I personally really enjoy. Although I am not a great lover of sport and there was lots of hockey, I don't think this damped my view of the story and did make it more interesting. I definitely also liked the ending and it was a perfect way to end the story. 

The characters in this graphic novel were also great and there was no character that I really disliked. I definitely like both main characters, Tom, and Jeremiah and it was so nice to see their characters develop over the course of the graphic novel and stick by their friendships even though Tom was in some bad situations, this didn't prevent him deserting Jeremiah. I definitely also like who Jeremiah was a lot more developed than his celebrity persona. 

The artwork in this graphic novel is also wonderful. It was bright and colourful and I really enjoyed it. My only problem with this was the fact that I read this book and the speech did not match up with the artwork although this was not that much of an issue. 

Overall, I really enjoyed The Hockey Saint and I highly recommend it.

The Hockey Saint centers around two hockey players, one amateur and one professional, that quickly become friends. Tom Leonard is a college student who idolizes Jeremiah Jacobson and seizes an opportunity to meet him.

The bond that forms between the two men occurs naturally, and doesn't feel forced. The effect they have on each, good and bad, is slower to develop and deepens their relationship.

There are two elements that threw me off the book: the artwork and the investigation into Jeremiah. One of the league executives auapects Jeremiah of misconduct and hires a former FBI agent to investigate him. A lot of the story surrounding the investigation is repetitive, while the art felt understated throughout.

I enjoyed The Hockey Saint for the most part. Although it is presented as a hockey story, it is more about the characters and their relationship.

I liked this book and found it very relatable. I remember Tom from the first book and it was nice seeing him a few years after The Stereotypical Freaks. 

This book started out sad and focuses on a lot of real life issues. Even with all of his problems, I still liked how Jake was written. Once again, the author has inserted a 'Recommended Listening' and I can't wait to go through it. Great writing once again, and amazing artwork.

A story with a clear and believable message that is definitely for a teen audience. Worth a read if you're in the right age group with some serviceable and fun art and a sports twist which is unconventional for the genre.

This is graphic novel about a great hockey player that has a secret life.  He no longer gives interviews.  He eats in private.  He doesn't let anyone in, until a young man stubbles upon him at his front door (he wasn't stocking him, not really) and they become friends.

As much as a discussion on how hard it is, once you have gotten into the spotlight is it to get out again, unscathed.  While the Hockey player does do a lot of a good, he also drinks to excess.

Interesting story.  There were some slow bits where news casters were talking, about all things, hockey.  Otherwise this is a good story about a bad situation.

My interest in "The Hockey Saint" stemmed from my love of hockey. As a huge hockey fan, I thought that it this would be a fun read. Unfortunately, I cannot say I was a a big fan. Perhaps it was the fact that I was reading this graphic novel in eBook format that made it less enjoyable. The text seemed to be out of order and all over the place so it was difficult at times to follow the story. 

I will say that the author did a great job showing us readers what the life of a world class hockey player is like. There was also very good character development. The story itself was more about life in general, appealing to those who may not know much about the sport itself.

Overall, it was an alright story. Again, the ebook format threw me off and kind of took away from the overall experience. I believe it would have been more enjoyable in a finished, perhaps physical format.

First of all thank you very much to the author for offering and providing a print copy of this book after the ebook I got via NetGalley was edited in a very early way with the text being not within the images but on an extra page.
And I was glad I got this in full colour and full beauty because there is a really nice colour scheme to the single pages, they all have a unique shade to them that fits the mood well.
But let's start with the story. There is Tom, a young hockey player who lives with his grandmother after his parents died in a car accident, by chance he meets Jeremia, a star hockey player, against all odds they become friends but Tom soon has to realize that behind the glamourous facade is hidden much more, some good and some bad...

I really enjoyed reading this. The story has way more depth than I expected, I loved all the characters and the developments of them. The unlikely friendship between the protagonist and the famous hockey player is portrayed well. The way Tom's expectations of what a hockey star's life must look like and what he really discovers behind closed doors was really touching and heart breaking. 

This is a beautiful example of a comic book full of beautiful art AND a story that doesn't just scratch the surface of real life.

I am looking forward to reading the first installment of this book as soon as I can get my hands on it.

I don't read many books related to sports so I was a little reluctant to read this, but as it turns out this is a graphic novel that focuses more on the unlikely friendship between Tom, a college sophomore, and Jake, who is a world famous hockey player, and less on the sport itself.

It's an interesting read for me because you get a glimpse of what someone famous has to deal with when it comes to the expectations from the media and fans. I definitely understood why someone like Jake would choose to be somewhat of a recluse, but it is nice to see how his friendship with Tom develops throughout the story and how they both make a change for the better.

The artwork is neat and the writing is great. I was definitely entertained and I was able to read this in one sitting. The plot is a pretty good one. There were some things that caught me by surprise and had me cheering for the characters. 

Fun bonus: song recommendations are provided for each and every chapter. I definitely had a lot of fun checking those out while I was reading the book.

Important to note: I made the mistake of trying to read this on the Kindle - I strongly advice anyone planning on reviewing this to check out the PDF version as this is not properly formatted for the Kindle.

A very moving story about friendship- and, ultimately, how accepting the help of those around you can get you through the most difficult paths, which you should never have to face alone.

There's also some interesting approach to how the media and the general environment affect the lives of sports players, and their relationship with an activity that should be of sheer enjoyment for those who decide to get involved in it. 

For something so short, it was amazing how deep the narrative went.  
Also, the illustrations are adorable. They really complete the great dialogue.

**I received a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I didn't read the first book/graphic novel in the "Forever Friends" Series. Book 2 is definitely a stand-alone story.

It's a nice story, albeit somewhat unbelievable. Tom meets his long-time hero Jeremiah. They become friends. Tom realizes that even heroes are just humans with shortcomings and faults.

It's a quick feel-good read and the art is pretty. Despite the title, Hockey itself is only a very minor feature in the story which really is mostly about the human condition, relationships and finding yourself.

A graphic novel that I really enjoyed once I started reading it. I loved the plot, the amazing story and the emphasis put on friendship.   The narrative was beautifully written and the story enlightened the reader about the price of fame. A one sit read for me. I  hope for more books like this from the author

This is the second book in the Forever Friends series.  The only familiar face in the whole thing is the main character, Tom.  Neither Dan nor Marc from #1 were even mentioned, nor was Jacoby, which was a HUGE disappointment considering the visits to the VA & children's hospital's cancer wards. I mean, what?

Just like the first in the series, this one started slow and built slow, but then picked up.  Some of the events were a little beyond suspended disbelief...but overall it was another fun little read. 

Also...I really thought with Felicity's reaction that they were going to say Jake was the cause of Tom's parents deaths...but I'm glad they didn't take that route.

Tom Leonard is a hockey player and a sophomore in university. His coach made him assistant captain for the team and he may get a full scholarship for his next year at school. He lives with his grandmother because his parents were killed in a car accident when he was a kid. He loves hockey and his favourite player is Jeremiah Jacobson. When he finds out where Jeremiah lives, he goes and sits outside his house, just to think about the problems in his life. Jeremiah goes outside and starts talking to Tom. Jeremiah tells Tom that he lost his father as a child too, so he understands what Tom is feeling. He invites Tom to go out with him the next day.

When Tom meets him the next day, they go to a food bank where Jeremiah volunteers every week. Tom assumed that Jeremiah went there to sign autographs but he wants to help people. Then he takes Tom to his next stop at a hospital to visit with veterans and children with cancer. Jeremiah continues to defy Tom's expectations of who a stereotypical athlete should be.

Tom learns that his idol is very generous. Jeremiah is a famous hockey player who uses his status to help people who are less fortunate. Tom is shocked when he does this without asking for recognition. There are some celebrities that do this in the real world. Celebrities, whether they are athletes, singers, actors, or another profession, have a lot of influence over large portions of the population so they could make a positive impact on the world if they use their influence in a good way. However, many don't use their power to make positive changes.

This is a really good graphic novel because of the way it looks at helping people who are less fortunate. Tom's assumptions of Jeremiah looking for recognition of his good deeds are also knocked down. I like this positive message in the story. It is the third graphic novel in a trilogy from Howard Shapiro. The first one is called The Stereotypical Freaks. 

This review will be posted on my blog on May 20, 2017.

4.5 stars

Introduction: 

After I had finished reading Howard Shapiro’s previous graphic novel, “The Stereotypical Freaks,” I was excited to find out that “The Stereotypical Freaks” was a part of the “Forever Friends Trilogy” and I was even more excited to find out that I was approved of the second book in the series “The Hockey Saint” by NetGalley!  After reading this graphic novel, I found this story to be just as memorable as “The Stereotypical Freaks!”

What is this story about?

Tom Leonard is back once again as he is now a college sophomore who is a part of the school’s hockey team and he now has a new dilemma to face!  The story starts off with Tom’s parents being killed in a car accident and Tom is still trying to deal with this tragedy.  Also around that time, Tom has been offered a scholarship for his talents in hockey and Tom is striving to get that scholarship as much as possible.  One day however, Tom ends up meeting his favorite hockey player, Jeremiah Jacobson, who is known as the world’s best hockey player.  Tom then quickly becomes good friends with Jeremiah and the two of them started spending a lot of time with each other.  But later on, Tom discovers that Jeremiah has a terrible secret: he is a heavy drinker and a smoker and Jeremiah refuses to acknowledge that he has this problem.

Can Tom help Jeremiah with his drug addiction before it is too late? 

Read this book to find out!

What I loved about this story:

Howard Shapiro’s writing:  Howard Shapiro’s writing is as usual a delight to read as the characters are written extremely well and I loved the real-world plot of this volume as it addresses the dangers of drug addiction that has rarely been addressed in many comic books.  I loved the fact that we actually have a comic book that details drug addiction in a realistic way by showing that Jeremiah is in denial about his addiction and how it was difficult at first for Tom and his loved ones to try to get Jeremiah to understand about the severity of his drug addiction. I also loved the way that Howard Shapiro wrote the relationships between the characters, especially between Tom and Jeremiah as I loved the fact that Jeremiah shows Tom that there is more to life than just playing hockey all the time and Tom cares enough for Jeremiah to go out of his way to help out Jeremiah with his drug addiction. 

Maricia Inoue and Andres Mossa’s artwork:  Maricia Inoue and Andres Mossa’s artwork is beautifully done as the characters look truly realistic and I loved the way that the characters glow off the pages.  Now, I will admit that there were some facial expressions on the characters that looked a bit odd, especially regarding Tom always smiling during some serious moments; but other than that, the artwork really captures the raw emotions that the characters feel during this serious situation that deals with drug addiction.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I took off half a point from this rating was because I felt like the pacing was a bit slow at times, especially at the beginning and I sometimes wished that the plot moved at a much faster pace to get to the main point of the story.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “The Hockey Saint” was a truly heartwarming and realistic story about drug addiction that anyone who wants to read about the consequences of drug addiction and the importance of true friendship will truly enjoy!

I'm not a hockey or sports fan but was drawn in to this by the cover. The illustrations were really good so I wanted to read it.

Whilst you'd think it was a story about hockey, it really isn't. Meet Tom, he lives with his grandma and is a member of his high school hockey team. One day he chances upon a meeting with someone who changes the way he thinks about life.

The illustrations, as the cover was, absolutely beautiful. I found them to be fantastic. They made it so easy to read. So many GN's fail on graphics when they have a brilliant story. This managed to impress me in both cases.

I'd definitely recommend it if you get chance.

An uplifting story of friendship where a college aged hockey fan (Tom) meets and becomes friends with his idol at the expense of his own studies and friendships. The star hockey player has secrets which others want exposed so try to bribe Tom to spill the dirt on his idol whom is a really decent person but has a few vices he needs to resolve. A teen story of friendship, keeping trusts and doing the right thing.

Book – Hockey Saint (Forever Friends Trilogy #2)
Author – Howard Shapiro
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 133
Cover – Great!
Would I read it again – Maybe
Genre – Young Adult, Comic, Sports


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **


It was a little strange going from teen Tom to adult Tom, but I think it worked well. It didn't have quite the same emotional impact as book 1 in the trilogy, but it was a really great story.

Again, I loved the illustrations and the way the story was paced. It had a nice undercurrent of good will and teaching a lesson, this time about appreciating what you have because others have it worse and helping out those who really deserve it. I did think, for a moment, that Tom might have mentioned Jacoby when they were at the Children's hospital, so I missed that when it didn't happen.

Tom has really grown a lot, since the first book, but I did feel that he was a little too over-eager, too naive and easily led compared to before. I found it a little weird the way he met Jeremiah, only because it was kind of stalker-ish and there was no real reason for Jeremiah to continue to hang out with Tom. I didn't really believe in their friendship, much, because it felt superficial. Jeremiah wasn't a good guy and he wasn't a great role model, he seriously affected Tom's social and educational lives, in a negative way, and that wasn't great. But I did like the way that Tom tried to help him, once he knew there was a problem.

Again, there were some serious issues tackled – drinking, death, excessive smoking etc. They all had their impact on the story, the characters and the way the plot flowed from one part to another.

Overall, a decent follow-up, but it failed to have that emotional tug on the heart-strings that book 1 had.

I'm not a big sports fan but having read another book by the author, I decided to try this one out. I'm glad it turned out to not be a sports book, just a good book with hockey in it. I love how the author includes song suggestions to go along with the chapters. My favorite part though is how he portrays his characters as flawed but inherently good people. I look forward to more from him.

Free ARC received from Netgalley and Animal Media Group in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion on the ARC that I read. 

Rating: 3.75 / 5

Publication Date: 14th October 2014
Review Date: 09th August 2017

Tom looks so tiny in his hockey jersey he’s so tiny and adorable I want to hug him

Twenty-one year old Jeremiah Jacobson is the world's best hockey player, but he wasn't prepared for the frenzy and scrutiny that came with that title. Tom Leonard is an average college sophomore... just a guy trying to find his place in the world as he sorts through issues that are both very real and seemingly insurmountable.
Through a chance meeting, these two strike up an unlikely friendship. Their bond is tested when Tom discovers that his idol isn't as perfect up close as he seems from afar. With Jeremiah living a little too much in the moment and with his past catching up to him, will Tom be able to help him before it's too late?

In my review of The Stereotypical Freaks, the first book in this series, I had one major qualm – and that was that it wasn’t coloured and it was hard to read. The first thing I found, much to my joy, when I opened this comic, is that it is coloured. Praise! Although, I found a new thing to be a little annoyed at. Does the writing have to be so small? Adobe always freezes when I zoom in to read it and I’m having to squint and I’m ruining my eyesight even more trying to read this. I am so sorry, I don’t want to complain about every little thing but seriously! It’s painful

One thing I am so glad is back, is the recommended listening at the start of each chapter. I love this! As I said in my review for The Stereotypical Freaks , I find that these are much better when read with the recommended listening for each chapter and honestly? Shapiro does it again! I have not only extended my music library and enjoyed more of a series I’m highly enjoying, but I got to have a bit of an enhanced reading session with this (even if I did have to look around YouTube forever, oops).

However, I do have an issue quite early on in this graphic novel. The seeming stalkerish behaviour. A friend gives Tom the address of his favourite ice hockey player, as though it’s his to give, and then, of course, Tom scribbles it down. This made me a little uncomfortable. I understand plot lines and that it’s probably important for the story, but still it made me uncomfortable and I can’t ignore that, and I will highlight it because I know there are some people that will want to avoid this sort of behaviour in graphic novels and the material they read. Because of how uncomfortable I felt watching Tom basically drive to this guy’s house, knowing he doesn’t have permission or right to be there or to be in possession of his address, I have to knock a star down. Sorry, Howard, but this is a little bit on the creepy side, in my personal opinion.

It took me a while to get back into this after leaving it for quite a while, due to college getting down on me and some personal issues, but I am so glad to be able to have finished this! I did notice though, the art wasn’t as good as I remembered from previously, and it saddened me a little bit to realise this. It wasn’t amazing, almost two dimensional, and the aspect of the characters seemed a little off at times.

This was really a wonderful graphic novel. This really deals with a lot of themes that aren’t ice hockey, and even as an ice hockey fan, expecting sports, I really enjoyed this story. The terms of alcohlism, hero worship, not knowing who you are, learning other people to learn yourself, are all themes that many people can relate to in this world, and I found it an absolutely stunning read.

Shapiro really did wonders with this, and it’s a brilliant follow up to The Stereotypical Freaks . I can’t wait to read more.

I kept hearing about the Forever Friends Series from one of my library friends so I finally decided that I should give the much talked about The Hockey Saint a try, and I wasn't disappointed. Although a little on the shorter side for a graphic novel, this book covers a lot of ground in both the topics covered and the development of it's characters throughout. Dealing with coming of age, assisting an alcoholic come to grips with his addiction, and coping with the loss of one's parents this is a book that might be better suited to older/ more mature YA readers and adults. Yet, at the same time it is also incredibly relatable. 

The sports focus was the perfect vehicle to broach some much broader topics all while keeping the action high and the plot trucking along. I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between Tom and Jeremiah, and how they both came to help each other in their own ways. It does a beautiful job at addressing the pressures that accompany pursuits such as university, college sports, professional hockey, and managing private lives in the public eye. But more than that, Shapiro talks unabashedly about some of the socio-economic differences experienced based solely upon your zip-code. The messages that good people can make bad choices, that snakes and spies can be outed, and that we really can make a difference in the world if we so chose to truly ring loud and clear.

I really enjoyed the artwork throughout as well. The colours are beautiful and striking, faces expressive, and the layout is clean and easy to follow. Just enough action happens in the gutter to spark the imagination a little - and as a life-long hockey fan I really loved how all of the action scenes were depicted. I could envision every deke, pass, and play and really got caught up in the practices and games.

The Hockey Saint is the second book in the Forever Friends Trilogy and tells the story of Tom Leonard and Jeremiah Jacobson. Tom is a 19-year-old student who loves playing hockey and who's fascinated by Jeremiah, a hockey player. Tom and Jeremiah meet one night and from that they on they're friends. But is Jeremiah the hockey player that Tom thought he was?

The Hockey Saint is such a nice graphic novel about some tough topics, just like The Stereotypical Freaks. I think that it's a good sequel, but I loved The Stereotypical Freaks more. I do love that all the comics are in colour though!

I cannot wait to see what Hockey Karma has in store for me!

This was a true-to-life graphic novel, with no capes and no frills, just an engaging story that teens and adults would enjoy.  I would especially recommend this for sports enthusiasts.  The Hockey Saint would make a nice addition to any classroom bookshelf and would likely be a popular choice for young readers.  Nice, polished product.

The Hockey Saint is an interesting read in that it has several problems with the plot, but the characters are strong enough that you’ll likely overlook every problem and enjoy the book from beginning to end. What’s strange about that, is that this happens to me a lot. I can enjoy something and still pick it apart and write a review for it, while still enjoying it.

The thing is, there’s only one time that I looked at the story and thought, well that’s a little far fetched. The rest of it is character moments pure and simple, and for a book about hockey, there’s almost zero hockey in the book.

The story follows Tom, he’s recently been orphaned and now living with his grandma as he attends university. He’s on the hockey team, but the fourth line. I’m not going to explain hockey to you nor is the book, but thankfully details like that are given smoothly in conversation and not something that ends up being important to the story.
The Hockey Saint.jpg
A friend of Tom’s finds out that the best player in hockey and star player of their local team lives in the burbs near by them. For some reason, Tom goes to visit Jake, the star hockey player’s house. I say “for some reason,” but I know the reason, and that’s another interesting aspect of the storytelling. You’d think that this scene doesn’t make any sense, and that’s it’s a big “Deus ex machina” just getting the plot going, but it does have meaning and turn into something more than that.

Jake invites Tom into his life, and it’s not what Tom was expecting. The first time Tom completely bails on his life and practice to hang out with Jake, but he ends up helping at a food bank, a hospital and having a private dinner at an Italian restaurant. From there Tom becomes more and more involved in Jake’s world, learning things about him that are never said in the press. But as Tom says, it’s a carefully orchestrated house of cards that could come crashing down at any moment.

The artwork is a little weak at times. Based on the info presented it seemed as if Tom and Jake were pretty close in age, but they never looked it. There were also numerous scenes in which Tom’s clothes look massive on him. Otherwise, there was a significant bit of detail to the artwork and consistency to the characters. The coloring is vibrant and matched the tone of the story. It's strange to say this, but the lighting effects were almost too much at times. It made the art look sharp and animated, but particularly with the hair, it seemed like overkill.

The ending is the only part that seemed far-fetched regarding what we see in the story. It’s not far-fetched, but because it has a twist we’re suddenly not privy to some character information that we’ve previously been exposed to. That’s my only gripe with the story, and even then it works quite well for the rest of the ending.

The Hockey Saint was not what I was expecting it to be about. It’s about role models, idol worship, friendship, and family, with just a sprinkle of actual hockey. It’s human drama, and it’s quite well done.

Follow-up to The Sterotypical Freaks.  Tom, the main character in The Stereotypical Freaks is now a college Sophomore and hockey, rather than music, is at the center of this book.  The focus shifts from Tom to his idol, Jake, a professional hockey star and the different sides of his fame.  Another entertaining installment.

Although not up my usual alley, I really enjoyed this story. An unlikely friendship, with two troubled hockey players in seemingly different worlds blossoming into something so real, made me feel all fuzzy inside, and my heart race when the friendship was tested. I really liked the suggested music to listen to while reading each part, it really enhanced the story.

I'm probably not the intended audience for this comic/graphic novel. I requested an ARC so I could read it alongside my nephew, a young hockey fan. While my nephew enjoyed the illustrations the story was a bit mature for him and too juvenile for myself. We did discuss the importance of friendship and the dangers of fame, money and drug dependency.

Once again I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One thing I love about this trilogy is that they’re all connected but they don’t spoil one another. They could almost be stand alone novels if I’m honest. I just love how they’re loosely connected.

I had trouble reading this book because the way it downloaded on my device was weird. It could be a little jumbled. That’s not why I gave it four stars though. I didn’t take the jumbled download problem into account when rating the book because it’s not the author’s fault and it’s not an actual problem with the book. I gave it four stars for the reason I listed above in my first review.

This book had a great message as well. We got to see Tom a little older and we also got to see some of the things Tom has gone through now that he’s grown a little. Tom has a good story and I like seeing him grow a little more as a character.

The writing was great along with the dialog. Even better is that this book is in color! Yay for that. The art is really good again so that’s always a plus. I honestly thing you see the books and the story get better as the trilogy continues.

I was also able to connect with this book as well. It was a quick easy read and I was able to connect with Tom just enough for it to make me feel closer to the book in a way. Hope that makes sense.

Overall this book was really good. I think these books are for anyone who likes graphic novels and a good message. They all come with good messages and I think they have good stories too. Of course I don’t want to give too much away since these are all spoiler free.

I am reviewing this book for Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, Animal Media Group and Netgallery who gave me a copy of their book for an honest review.
I liked the fact that this graphic book had colour. I struggle a bit with non-colour graphic novels. The illustrations were perfect and matched the text perfectly. Like a previous book in the series it contains song lists to accompany the chapters, which I think add to the book / story.
An insight of hockey is not required  to get the most from the book which shows the lives of two hockey players – one a up and coming star and the other already famous but heading for a fall. It shows the damage drinking and smoking can do to people.

3 out of 5 stars 

I enjoyed this book. I had problems with the formatting on my e-reader so it made it a bit hard to follow at times but when I got into the story it was quite enjoyable. The artwork was very clean and I thought the colors were vibrant. I really enjoyed the character arc of Jacobson and the fact that everyone got theirs in the end really. It was quite satisfying.

This a heart warming story set in the world of professional hockey. It has a lovely illustration style. A thoroughly enjoyable story.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. There are great messages behind the plot. A lot of sports stars are portrayed as "divas" or pinks. What we don't see is that a lot of those same starts are heroes in their own communities. They just don't make a huge deal out of it.

The plot was engaging and the artwork was done very well. It flowed very nicely and kept my attention through the entire story.

[Note:  This book was provided free of charge by Net Gallery/Animal Media Group.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

As someone born just outside of Pittsburgh, I have an interest in hockey even if I have never been an adept player of it [1].  This book has at its core a friendship between two young men of about the same age.  One of them is a scholarship student at a fictional Canadian college and the other is a local hockey star with a bad reputation, and the visual novel shows the complications that result as both of them wrestle with their responsibility and their loyalties.  The result is an exciting story that demonstrates growth in character and maturity as people wrestle with their bad choices and the results of them.  This is an inspirational tale of the kind that would likely be very appealing as very informative to teen and young adult readers--especially young men.  Here we have a focus on friendship and family and sports, all of which ought to be of interest to a wide audience.  This is the sort of story that I can easily imagine being successful in other media besides graphic novels, as this novel is part of a trilogy and naturally I started reading in media res.

The premise of the novel is a straightforward enough one, with a young man struggling to recover from the death of his parents living with his grandmother.  Just as he is offered a role as a captain for his college team and a partial scholarship he becomes friends with a famous local hockey player whose bad reputation with the press is at odds with what the student sees of him as a quiet and somewhat reclusive person who smokes and drinks too much and is secretly married but who does a lot of good in community service that he tries to keep as private as possible.  As a result of their budding friendship the two young men are put in a world of secrets where neither of them feel comfortable being open with those around them, all while the owner of an archrival is trying to dig up dirt on the hockey star, which results in a humorous twist that sets up the bittersweet ending, one that ends with life going on, if not the sort of outcome that the reader would expect from a book of this genre.

At its heart, this book reminds us, if any reminder is necessary, that there is often a wide gulf between the public reputation of a star athlete and the reality of their lives.  This can work both ways.  Someone who is thought of as being aloof and proud and difficult with the media can merely be shy and somewhat awkward.  Likewise, someone whose athletic abilities can put them on a pedestal can be someone with serious problems that can cost them their lives if they refuse to face them and deal with them, as is the problem with addictions like smoking and drinking.  Yet having loyal friendships can help us to become the sort of people that we were meant to be and can encourage the better angels of our nature to face responsibility for our lives and to build better relationships with other friends and family as well.  This is a book that shows some definite growth on the part of its protagonists, and even manages to show a divide between the professional media and the blogosphere, of which some of us play a notable part.  For its intended audience of young readers, the book is a reminder of the complicated aspects of adulting that are involved among those who are skilled at sports and which may escape those who are lost in hero worship.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/07/02/o-canada-or-finding-identity-in-negative-spaces/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/05/18/book-review-the-field-guide-to-sports-metaphors/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013/06/14/book-review-love-thy-rival/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011/05/16/dont-let-it-go-to-your-head/

4.5 stars

Synopsis: Tom is a college student playing hockey. He has lost his parents and is living with his grandmother. One day, he hears that his hockey idol, who isn't that much older than him, lives in a certain house, so Tom just drives one day to go and see if it is true. He meets his idol that night, and they start up a friendship. Tom has to sneak around so that no one knows, and so the idol doesn't get bothered, but since he has started feeling again, Tom feels that it is all worth it.

The story: well told with a definite feel for fame and hockey. This didn't sugar coat the benefits, or what people lose because of fame. It also touches on alcoholism and grief, and how people just try to get through each day however they can without causing harm to themselves or someone else.

The art: I didn't really notice the art, or have strong feelings about it, so that means that it stayed out of the way of the story.

I'm not a full on hockey fan but I did enjotly this book. This was more behind the scenes of Jeremiah Jacobson's life and his struggles. I loved his and Tom's relationship and that he loved to play hockey not compete in it. The story was good and I liked the artwork. 3.5 Stars
FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review

I initially requested the book that comes after this on netgalley, but was granted access to Animal Media Group's catalog so I discovered that this book was available, so I decided to dive in here. I had no idea this is actually the second book in the series. I don't think I missed much from not reading the first book. I think the story in this comic stands well on its own, so if you haven't read the first one you can still pick up on what is going on.

There isn't anything particularly special about the art in this one. I liked it, but there was nothing that really jumped out as "wow" to me. It had some pretty standard clean lines in the art, which I think makes sense for this story. The story in this comic is what really stands out, and I think that is kind of the point.

I think this story is interesting, it's all about how not everything is what it seems. When Tom meets his idol hockey player he has some preconceived notions about what he is supposed to be like. He expects a glamorous lifestyle, which he gets some of that, but Jacobson also tries to show Tom how it's important to give back to your community. It actually made me feel bad that I don't do enough charity work! Jacobson is somewhat of a "hockey saint" with how much he gives back to his community.

This was a decent one, but I had a hard time with the main character Tom. As soon as he meets his idol he kind of gives up the rest of his life to hangout with this dude. His grades drop, he starts missing practice and he's kind of crappy best friend. It seems to "all work out in the end" in this comic, but I felt like it was wrapped up a little too perfectly. His best friend forgives him for basically ditching him way too easily. The neat ending just didn't sit that well for me.

I was initially interested in this one because it's about hockey, and I am a huge hockey fan, but it's less about the game and more about how it holds captive some of the people that make a living off of it. It also seems like the author was throwing mad shade at sports journalism and how everything these athletes do is scrutinized to the Nth degree. I don't think he's wrong in this assessment, but I found it really interesting to read about here. It was so interesting to me that Jacobson would refuse to do interviews with the traditional media, but will do stuff for smaller blogs. I know when I wrote for smaller hockey blogs this was a hard feat to manage!

The next comic in this series is also about Tom and Jacobson again, so I am really interested to see where their story goes next.

*I received a free egalley copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

First off let me say this, i greatly enjoyed this book, though i do have some thoughts to share!

The bad-
-The story is quite shallow
-the characters are not all engaging
-and it felt just... subpar writing wise

The good-
-the main characters were well dealt with 
-had some great moments, but i won’t spoil anything

The GREAT-
-the artwork! Oh my gosh! Seriously the artwork of this is phenomenal and i would buy it just for that!!!