The Graphic Library
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Me
  • Other Resources
    • Research

Check, Please! Book 1: Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

4/28/2020

0 Comments

 
Cover of Check Please book 1: Hockey
Eric Bittle, or Bitty, used to do figure skating and has a vlog where he discusses life and baking, but figure skating isn't an option at Samwell University.  He joins the hockey team, moves into their team house, vlogs about their atrocious stove, bakes a lot of pies, and tries to fly under the radar about his crush on team captain Jack.  Bitty attends practices, finds out why Jack didn't go pro when he had the chance, and learns a lot about his teammates and the type of people they are.  At first, he's horrible at hockey because he can't stand getting banged into the walls, and he shies away from pretty much all physical contact on the ice.  He's a lot smaller than the other guys on any team they play, but he's fast and has some tricks in his skates.

This is a very cute story and something I wasn't expected coupled with a hockey story.  The sport of hockey has an even more masculine veneer than football, so to have a main character who is gay and bakes pies flies in the face of that uber-masculine hockey player I think we all expect.  However, Bitty is an absolutely amazing character, and the way he explores his world and the people in it is sincere and heart-felt.  Each character in this book, including the supporting cast, is a full person with fears, hopes, dreams, and thoughts.  Yes, Bitty coming out to his teammates is a source of anxiety to him, but as he begins to share that part of himself with others, the acceptance in this story is something I would hope for anyone who has the courage to share their authentic selves.

There is a LOT of cussing, as these students attend college.  There are also several overt sexual conversations. There is also alcohol, because, yes, college.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
​Suitability Level: Grades 11-12


Publisher: First Second
Publication Date: 
ISBN: 9781250177957 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Graphic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance, School Life, First Second
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    I've been reading manga and comicbooks for years. Now, I write reviews and other helpful things for School Librarians, teachers, parents, and students.

    Read More

    Search this site


    Picture
    Ko-fi icon

    Never miss a review! Subscribe and get the best delivered to your inbox.

    * indicates required

    Ratings, Audience, and Subject Tags

    All
    Abrams ComicsArts
    Action Adventure
    Adaptations
    Animals
    Autobiography
    Biography
    BOOM! Studios
    Comicbooks
    CSLA 2021
    Culinary
    Dark Horse
    DC Comics
    Dead Reckoning
    Del Rey
    Demons
    Disabilities
    Dungeon
    Dystopian
    Ecchi
    Family
    Fantasy
    Farming
    First Second
    Folklore
    Friendship
    Graphic Fiction
    Graphic Nonfiction
    Graphic Universe
    Greenwillow Books
    Grief
    HarperAlley
    Hill And Wang
    Historical Fiction
    History
    Horror
    Humanoids
    Humor
    IDW
    Image Comics
    Isekai
    Iyashikei
    J Novel Club
    J-Novel Club
    Kodansha
    LGBTQ+
    Mad Cave
    Magic
    Magical Girl
    Manga
    Manhwa
    Marvel
    Mecha
    Megascope
    Memoir
    Mental Health
    Music
    Mystery
    Mythology
    Native American
    OEL Manga
    One Peace Books
    Oni Press
    Paranormal
    Penguin
    Race Relations
    Rating: 10/10
    Rating: 3/10
    Rating: 4/10
    Rating: 5/10
    Rating: 6/10
    Rating: 7/10
    Rating: 8/10
    Rating: 9/10
    Realistic Fiction
    RH Graphic
    Romance
    Saturday AM
    School Life
    Science
    Science Fiction
    SelfMadeHero
    Seven Seas
    Skybound Comet
    Slice Of Life
    Sports
    Square Enix
    Steampunk
    Suitability: Adult
    Suitability: Elementary School
    Suitability: High School
    Suitability: Middle School
    Superheroes
    Supernatural
    Surrealism
    Survival
    Suspense
    Ten Speed Press
    Theater
    TokyoPop
    Top Shelf
    Udon Entertainment
    Video Games
    VIZ Media
    War
    Western
    Yen Press

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018

Picture

​© 2022 Sara Smith

Picture
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Me
  • Other Resources
    • Research