Reviews for Roller Girl

by Victoria Jamieson

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

At summer roller derby boot camp, coaches, teammates, and celebrity roller Rainbow Bite cheer on twelve-year-old Astrid as she faces the challenges of derby as well as tweendom. When time comes for her big end-of-summer bout, "Asteroid" is ready to roll. Jamieson's dialogue captures coming-of-age within a subculture authentically; the graphic-novel format is used resourcefully. Have this at the ready for Telgemeier fans. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

One summer changes everything for two 12-year-old girls whose friendship is tested when their interestsand attitudesdiverge.Astrid and Nicole have been BFFs truly forever. When the girls go to the roller derby one night, Astrid is immediately hooked and jumps at the chance to attend a roller-derby camp, skating alongside the tough, dyed girls. Nicole, however, who's passionate about ballet, decides not to follow along with Astrid, creating the first real rift the girls have known. The two quickly make new friends in their new circles: Astrid with her roller-derby cohorts and Nicole with the popular ballet crowd. As Astrid navigates the rough-and-tumble sport she's fallen in love with (and the bumps and bruises that come with it), she must also deal with what happens when friends just stop being friends and grow apart. Jamieson captures this snapshot of preteen angst with a keenly decisive eye, brilliantly juxtaposing the nuances of roller derby with the twists and turns of adolescent girls' friendships. Clean, bright illustrations evince the familiar emotions and bring the pathos to life in a way that text alone could not. Fans of Raina Telgemeier or Jimmy Gownley's Amelia series should certainly skate on over to this gem. Full of charm and moxiedon't let this one roll past. (Graphic fiction. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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