Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy

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What happens when a tall strong hockey player meets a drama boy who loves a variety of people and has a heart for others?  Is it true that opposites attract? Faith Erin Hunter takes on bullying issues with Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy in a tender story of healing and action.  

Basic Details for Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy

Title: Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy
Author: Faith Erin Hicks
Publisher: First Second
Pages: 304
Intended Audience: 14-18 years
Genre: manga, graphic novel, teenage romance, LGBTQ, young adult romance
Available formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Author and this Story

Faith Erin Hicks writes story that feature teens and writes with a LGBQT perspective in mind.   I’ve reviewed One Year at Ellesmere and Ride On. I always enjoy her stories.  She is a Canadian and lives with her hubby and cat in Vancouver.   She’s been writing comics since she was a teenager and has written a fair number of books. A couple of her books have earned her the Eisner Award. 

People handle bullying in many different ways, some better than others.   Alix, after what should have been a night of triumph for her hockey team, deals poorly with her mean teammate Lindsay.  The ultimatum is clear…. learn to deal with her bully is a better manner or her the invitation to the Canada National Women’s U18 Team’s summer camp is on the line.

Giving her dilemma some thought she realizes that Ezra deals really well with bullies, maybe he can help.   Ezra is a drama kid… no sports, no understanding of the fundamentals by which Alix lives.   Can he help?  Can they build a friendship by which Alix can learn what she needs to? So she asks for his help. But as they hang out and start get closer, Alix learns that there is more to Ezra than the cool front he puts on. And that maybe this friendship could become something more. . 

Digging Deeper

Ms. Hicks uses words and images to convey her story.  Some images are filled with action and no words.  Other pages are filled with clearly delineated words. 

Ezra is a boy who has complicated love life.  Alix accepts it.  It’s part of the storyline.  You’ll discover teenage drama, a decent storyline, and personal growth on a number of fronts. 

My Thoughts

I enjoyed this story.  A girl goes to a guy who she sees handling bullying well.   So she asks for help with how to handle it, and they become good friends, and then dating happens.  In the process she has to deal with his interest which goes to both genders.  But she learns how to handle bullying (in a couple of different forms) and he develops a new friendship and learns how to care for some of his other friends better.  Growth happens in both.   I love those types of stories, where romance isn’t central but where both people grow and develop into better people.  

I absolutely love that.  

But I struggle you know?  I was talking with my boy and saying, how do I recommend a book to be read by impressionable people, where something is being promoted that is NOT in their best interest?  Opposite gender households (long term) are for the betterment of society and more stable than any other types of relationship.  How do I recommend people read a book that encourages our youth to self-destructive behaviour?  So while I love the overall story, the other bit of it detracts from it.  

If you aren’t bothered by the LGBTQ aspect, read Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy, or if you want to engage your teens in discussion, read it with them.  Honestly, because it’s a graphic novel, I had it finished in under an hour. My thinking about it took much longer. 🙂