Michigan is one of my favorite characters, I’ve read about in a long time. She is determined, stubborn, and a heroine. The challenges she faced in this book, made it seem so real. While reading this book, I had a picture of what Michigan looked like in my head. As I got further into the book, she became real to me. Like she could of been a girl, I knew growing up. This book, was everything I needed and I wish I had this book to read while growing up. Being a girl, in a guys driven sport is never easy. The girls team at the high school got taken away due to funding issues. Michigan being as determined as she is, tries out for the boys team. This book goes into all the problems and situations a girl would face playing on a boys team.
I absolutely loved this book, loved the writing, loved the characters. I found myself routing for Michigan through this whole book. As well as, wanting to hug her or eat Hagen daz ice cream with her, when she needed it.
Five stars!!!

For some reason, this book felt like it was more geared towards middle schoolers than young adults. I don't know if I'm getting too old or the characters too confusing but I felt like this was in no way how teenagers would behave. The story overall was fine if a bit predictable and I did like the sports aspect but just wished for a bit more depth to the story.

In this book, our main character Michigan joins the boys' team when the girls' hockey team loses its funding. The boys aren't happy about that, and neither is their coach, so she has to deal with violent misogyny and abuse from them. Which made this book a very anger-inducing read. I especially found myself angry at the coach, who has a daughter himself but is so extremely misogynistic that I hated him even more than Michigan's team mates.

Beyond anger though, this book really didn't make me feel much. The main reason for that is that the book isn't very fleshed out. There's the main issues, yes, but aside from that, the characters don't have much depth, and neither does the setting. It's sometimes hard to follow the story and parts of it feel rushed, like the start and ending of Michigan's relationship.

CWs: toxic masculinity, misogyny/sexism, assault/violence, rape drugs & attempted rape, bullying, diet talk, homophobic language ("d*ke" used as a slur), ableist language (mostly from the bullies)

When strength comes in numbers what do you do when you are the only girl on the team? When you screw up how do you make it right? When you make it through hell how does it feel so close to heaven?

DNF @44%
This one just wasn’t for me. It felt too young..more like middle grade & a bit too predictable. I’m not the right audience for it which is a downer because I was excited to get into this one 🙁

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy of Michigan Vs. the Boys.

Was this book perfect? No. Did it handle serious issues in a realistic way? Yes. That and more. When first getting into the book, I was a little uncertain. It seemed to focus on an insta-love relationship and an underdog story- I wasn't sure if it was going to be a corny romcom. Then, about halfway through the book, the tone shifted into something serious and darker. From that moment on, I couldn't put the book down.

I highly recommend this book to any young adult who feels like there's nothing they can do and that they have to grin and bare it. You are not alone.

I have never felt such raw emotion reading a book as I did with Michigan vs. The Boys. I was happy, gooey over the romance, infuriated over the sexism exhibited by her teammates and coach, and was so deeply upset by what Michigan had to endure for the sport she loves. This was a difficult read, something that I want to recommend to everyone who thinks hazing or sexism is not a big deal. I will be thinking about this story for a long time. Michigan, you are a role model.

A very difficult read, but absolutely worth it. Michigan is an extremely strong character and I admire her dedication to what she loves throughout this book.

*I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.* *Overall review of the book, no spoilers or details*

Michigan vs. the Boys, had me from the title. Being a Michigan girl myself, I was excited to see a book about the state and what it had to offer. After reading the description, I am hooked.

A story about a girl, named Michigan, who is a fierce hockey player, working so hard all last season and summer finally receives the title of Assistant Captain for her high school girl's team. She is on a high until she brought crashing back to earth when she is told that her team is cut because of funding. Hockey is Michigan's life, what is a girl to do? She could be like some of her team members, and move on from hockey, join another team in another school, or different sport all together. No, that, not Michigan, she decides to try out of for the boy's team.

I like the pacing of the story; it was a quick read, had me laughing at parts with Michigan and her friends, and also her interaction with her brother. The relationship with her parents I would have like to see more development; I felt that overall, her mom and dad were not there and that her relationship with her mom never really develop.

I did like her relationship with Jack, he is the perfect boyfriend that we all wanted in high school, sweet, and supportive, and in my mind, adorable! I did like that he wasn't afraid to stand up to Michigan, after her keeping things from him. It wasn't in a mean way, more in an 'I am an equal part of this relationship, and you should have included me in on what was going on.'

I will say, I did get annoyed with Michigan, always keeping the harassment and bullying that she was enduring from the boys on the hockey team a secret. I have never been in a situation like it, but I just wanted her to say something earlier. I felt like saying to her, 'is it worth it?' I guess it was. I felt the themes of harassment, bullying, hazing, and sexual assault were written well, for a YA book, and open up the conversations that young adults can have with their parents.

I will say the ending felt rush and cut short. I always want more from a story that I genuinely like. I am invested in characters, and the story, I still want more. I would like to see more from Carrie S. Allen and about Michigan. Possibly here going off to college? Or how Michigan and Jack relationship progresses with here in highschool and Jack in college? I would also like to see Michigan and her mom's relationship develop more.

Overall I think this is a great book, a quick read, and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great story. Yes, it is a sports-based story, but even if you are, not a hockey fan, my knowledge is minimal; you can still understand the wring and description of gameplay sections. It's a fun, but yet serious story, with just a hit of first love.

When her school cuts the girls' hockey team, 17-year-old Michigan is left with no other option than to try out for the boys' team. Hockey could be her future, but first Michigan has to survive the hell her new teammates put her through. The boys don't like that she is a better player than most of them, they don't want her on their team, and they make sure Michigan knows it.

This is a very uncomfortable book. And it should be. The author could have chosen to lean into the aspirational and uplifting aspects of a story like this, and it would have still been an entertaining - but slightly saccharine - read. By putting the misogyny, the hazing, the gendered violence front and centre, Carrie S. Allen has written the story of a brave teenaged girl who is stuck between two impossible choices: suffer the abuse and still play the sport she loves, or call out the misogyny and be dismissed as a girl who just isn't tough enough to play with the boys.

I flew through this book. I could feel my heart race during the hockey scenes, break during the abuse scenes, and soar whenever Michigan won some ground in her battles against society and herself. This story gripped me tight from the very first page and it hasn't let me go yet. I'm not a hockey fan. I don't think I've ever even watched five minutes of it during the Olympics when there's nothing else on. But maybe I'll watch a few games next time. In support of Michigan and her bravery.

<i>I received an ebook copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.</i>

First, I'd like to point out some triggers: there is quite a lot of physical and mental violence, sexual abuse.

Michigan vs. the Boys is definitely not a happy-go-lucky story about a girl making it to the boys' hockey team. It is exactly the opposite.
But that might be the thing that made this book so good. I don't mean it the way that all happening here is justified, not at all! I mean that this book managed to get so many different feelings out of me, some even that I did not know were possible. This makes you think a lot.

Michigan is my new role model. Such a strong girl right there! She goes through so much shit that I can't even imagine to survive myself. I could definitely argue with many choices she made but at the end, I understand why she did what she did.
The other girls from the girls' hockey team got my hair stick up at first. They didn't seem to care anymore and were doing their own thing, kind of blaming Mich for not joining them. But they did grow throughout the story as well as Michigan did.
The boys, oh boy. Some of them managed to make me be so darn angry that I'm not sure I have ever felt that way. I guess it was kind of the purpose. But I love it how there were some sweet and cute in the midst of them bad ones.
Jack. I don't quite see the swoonworthiness in him but I guess his okay. Though he has every right for his emotions.

The only issues I had were the facts that it all seemed to unravel so easy with everything. Like just a snap of fingers and the end. Which brings me to the end that was quite nonexistent, if that's the right word for it. Michigan vs the Boys kind of just ended, with not much content.

All in all I loved this book. I know so much shit like this goes on in the world and it should not be that way. Maybe we can all learn a thing or two from Michigan and from the others too.

Michigan vs the Boys clearly shows the struggles female athletes endure in order to participate with male athletes. It is a must read!

Actual rating 3.75 stars. This was a engaging and quick read for me! The story and plot kept me interested and I read it one sitting. As not a avid hockey fan this really got me interested in the sport. Michigan Manning is a dedicated and strong character she has her faults as all 17 year olds do, the second half of the book I wanted to pull my hair out with her questionable decisions. Although this story needed to be told. The amount of sexism and toxic masculinity in sports is disappointing and I definitely think this story definitely opens up discussion in those areas.
*I received this book from netgalley for a honest review*

i have never joined any sports teams inside and outside of school, or played sports competitively, and i’m embarrassed to admit that yes, i know basically nothing about sports. in michigan vs. the boys, i was introduced to the world of swim and hockey meets, team spirit (or lack thereof) and high school showcases. but the book is so much more than that.

i went into this book expecting some bella and the bulldogs-esque plot, in which the guys admire the girl who outplays them and treats her as one of their own. but sadly, michigan vs. the boys is a much sadder story. once she joins the boys’ team, michigan is often mistreated by her teammates, and even sexually assaulted at one point. her determination and courage is so, so admirable. it’s heartbreaking seeing her try so hard to conceal her wounds and pain just so she can secure a hockey scholarship for her to go to college.

this is the separate-the-men-from-the-boys part.
lucky for me, i’m all girl.

but it’s still good to know that while some people are trying to hurt and take michigan down, there are also many good people in her life who’d do anything to protect and support her.

i loved michigan’s relationship with her family. they’re really close – her brother, trenton, is on the bantam hockey team, and i loved seeing how much he cares about her feelings – my favorite scene was the one where he sees michigan feeling sad, then cheers her up by practising hockey moves with her in the bathroom. and michigan’s parents are also so supportive – the both of them, michigan’s mom especially, don’t really approve of her playing on the boys’ team, but they must have realized how much hockey means to her at some point, because they let her join in the end.

michigan’s friendship with her former girls’ team teammates is also so amazingly positive. although at the beginning it seems that they’re all leaving her to go join other teams, or even try a different sport, i loved how they’re actually there for michigan all along, and silently giving her support. two of her friends even act as “bodyguards” and watch her practices to make sure her boys’ team teammates don’t hurt her on purpose.

the romance is also so good – i loved that while many of the boys in this book are horrible jerks who treat michigan harshly, michigan’s boyfriend jack is an absolute sweetheart. he’s a swimmer whose team gets cut too, and i really liked how he always encourages michigan to pursue her passion, and there’s so much respect and love in their relationship.

i don’t want to reveal too much about the ending, but that last part where the boys made confessions gave me literal goosebumps. in this time and age, when the sports scene is still sadly male-dominated, it’s amazing seeing girls stand up for what they believe in and play hard with determination, and i truly admire michigan for doing so.

to conclude, michigan vs. the boys is not your typical sports novel. it explores difficult topics like sexism, toxic masculinity and hazing, and also features a kick-ass heroine who is strong and determined. i loved this book and will certainly be keeping an eye out for more of carrie s. allen’s novels in the future!

I loved this so much!! You can tell that this was written by a person who loves the sport, which is great if you (like me) also love hockey!

I love that she was a talented young athlete who was confident in her skills as a player who also acted like a teen-aged girl. She talked about clothes, and how she thought boys were cute, and she had stereotypical sleepovers with her friends and NONE of that took away from or overshadowed the fact that she a skilled athlete. I can't convey how glad I was to find out that Michigan was a well-rounded character.

Through the majority of the book she is supportive of all the girls who were on her former team, but there are times where she could be very judgmental of others (specifically female characters), and it just felt so out of place. In those situations, the characters who weren't Michigan felt a little flat and under-developed.

And the pacing towards the end felt a little off. It wrapped up just a little too quickly. It wasn't bad, but I think that if there was just a little more it would have been better.

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars

As someone who doesn't like sports all that much, I wasn't sure how much I would like this. Still, the hockey-centric parts of the plot really didn't bother me, and I breezed right through them. I read the book in only two days, which was a feat, because it was very readable and quick.

I did have some frustrations, though. Michigan, as a character, was the source of a lot of that frustration. So many of her decisions were questionable at best, and downright awful at worst. I spent a lot of the second half of the book screaming at her to use her head! I get that she's only seventeen and isn't going to be perfect, but maybe it's not a good idea to willingly go to the remote house to hang out with a bunch of guys that you know hate you and then drink something they've clearly concocted? Maybe that's a bad choice. It would have taken five minutes to double check with Coach that she actually needed to be there.

Also, I hated Coach Henson and was so happy he was fired at the end. I was physically, out loud, screaming at him for his actions after the video. He was, quite frankly, and irresponsible adult who clearly shouldn't have been allowed to supervise children and I was very glad he got some sort of comeuppance, though I would have liked more.

I liked the focus on female friendship the book had, especially towards the end (though the entire Brie subplot was irrelevant and unresolved by the end), and the awesome relationship Michigan had with her brother. It was nice to see a pair of siblings who don't hate each other endlessly.

Overall, this was a good read and I'm glad I got the chance to read it! If I wasn't so emotional when I read, perhaps I could have given it the full four, but it just made me too angry at certain parts (even though I think that was the aim, some of those times).

**Thanks to Kids Can Press, Netgalley, and Carrie S. Allen for providing me a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

Michigan starts off her school year ready to play hockey with her girls. Her plans come crashing to a halt when she's told her team has been disbanded due to budget cuts, along with the boy's swim team. She loves hockey, but doesn't have the same opportunities others from her team have to find a new team. Instead, she decides to try out for the boy's hockey team at her school. She knows there will be some push back, but she can handle it... right?

Not so much. When one boy in particular starts taking hazing to a whole new level, Michigan is in over her head. With a new boyfriend she's trying to impress, a friend group she's trying to keep together, and school - she knows she just needs to put her head down and get through it. She's tough, and able to sweep a lot under the rug in the name of hockey, but when she starts getting too good, that one boy works to keep her off the ice for good.

Michigan vs. the Boys has some content that could be triggering for some people. Hazing, assault, underage drinking. However, this story is one that is so necessary in today's social climate. It continues the conversation of what is appropriate and what is too far. As more females work to enter a male dominated sport or field, the events of this book become less fiction and more fact. All genders can read this book and learn a lesson from Michigan, and the Boys.

I really enjoyed reading Michigan's story. She is a strong, female character, everyone can respect for her story. You hurt when she hurts, and you're happy when she's successful on the ice. With some great supporting characters, Michigan vs. The Boys is a great story that will resonate will all audiences.

Michigan vs. The Boys was the raw, real, gritty book I needed so badly right now. The love of a hockey player for every aspect of the game really shines through in the writing. As a former hockey player, I felt every gut clenching ounce of devastation when Michigan's team gets cut. The ensuing book is a beautifully written piece of work about the nature of boys sports, high school gender culture, and being a teenager with big dreams. I really enjoyed that the book was set in my home state, and the little references to the Red Wings were definitely appreciated. Although the author's reference to Michigan's hometown ice rink being nothing like The Joe made me chuckle a little--considering The Joe hasn't been a "luxury" arena since the '80s and it was recently torn down. I don't think the author meant it as ironic, but it definitely was a pretty funny bit to me.

I loved several of the characters--Avery, Kendall, Jack, Trent, and of course Michigan. They were well written and developed. Michigan's brother, Trent, was especially touching to me. The bit about "we're 16 now" literally had me in tears. Trent's dedication to helping his sister improve was really, really sweet and I ate it up.


There are some graphic and hard to read instances that make you so angry. Some things are hard to read. I found myself wanting to take on everyone for Michigan.


I did feel like things came a little "too" easily for Michigan. She goes through a lot that she doesn't deserve, so I don't at all mean that--but in the beginning she questions making the team--and transitioning to the boys game as a Junior in High School would be HUGE. By the end, she's the star of the team, is dating the hot shot boy, leading scorer, MVP of an elite showcase...it just seems like other than the hazing, she doesn't have set backs.

That being said, I really enjoyed this, and will definitely be reading it over and over! It's a new favorite of mine!


I received a copy of Michigan vs. The Boys from netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for approving my request and sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest review.
You have to know English isn’t my first language, so feel free to correct me if I make some mistakes while writing this review.


Michigan is eager to start a new hockey season because she finally earned the A on her jersey, but immediately after this happy moment she learns her school is about to dismantle her team due to insufficient funds.

Michigan is a strong and determined character and you gotta love a girl so keen to play the sport she loves that she decides to do her best for a spot on the boys' hockey team.
But almost everyone hates her presence on the team - even the coach ostracizes her, setting rules that are supposed to protect her as a single girl among a bunch of boys but they do nothing except painting a bigger target on her back.
Pranks, insults, dislike are something happening on a daily basis and Michigan is trying her hardest to resist and not to quit - she also want to set an example for every teen girl that someday may be in the same situation as her.
She also tries to play her best hockey every time she can, but hockey is a team sport and not an individual sport so what do you do when those who are supposed to have your back are the firsts to stab you in the back?
What do you do when they cross the line and "jokes" become hazing and physical violence?

This one is not a pretty story because you get angry, you feel disgusted and insulted - or maybe is a good story because of it.
Obviously Michigan is the character better developed and I rooted for her since the beginning, sweated with her and I was proud of her for what she achieved.
I liked Michigan, I liked her fears and her will to carry on and stay - because sometimes staying is somehow more difficult than anything else.
I liked the moment Michigan realized that staying silent wasn't the good thing to do if she wanted to be an example for those who looked up to her - that pride and fear needed to go even if the risk of losing everything she loved was around the corner.

Not every boy in this book is evil or mean to her: Jack, a swimmer, is sweet and supportive; Avery is a teammate trying to be friendly with her the way he can; Trent is her little brother I absolutely adored.
And Michigan can also count on her girls: they may not be playing hockey together anymore, but they are still a team ready to have her back.

This book covers so many important issues: equality, female friendship viewed and lived in a positive way, toxic masculinity, courage and strenght when it comes to speak and report bullying, hazing and everything dirty in sport and female-male balance.
I definitely recommend it.

Michigan was so excited for this season! Finally, she was going to be leading her hockey team along side her best friend, Brie, but her dreams were crushed, when the girls' team was disbanded due to budget cuts. As each of her teammates explore new opportunities, Michigan was not ready to give up her hockey dreams. After a successful try-out, Michigan was awarded a spot on the boys' team, but it seemed this group of young men weren't willing to share the ice with a strong female player. They planned to torment Michigan until she quit the team, but she had other plans.

I think my love of sports books is well-known. These books never fail to get my adrenaline pumping and my spirit soaring, but this story made all that happen for very different reasons. There was the euphoria of this young woman being so bold and attempting to go where she was at a disadvantage, the pride I felt as I watched her succeed, and then there was the fury I experienced seeing her "teammates" harass, abuse, debase, and assault her. Let's just say, I experienced a lot of emotions as I read Michigan's story, but I was so engrossed and involved and regret not one second of it.

I was a Michigan fan. Here was this young woman, who just wanted to play the sport she loved. She was willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears, and seeing all her accomplishments on the ice just filled my heart with joy. I didn't only experience her highs. Allen did a magnificent job depicting her isolation, inner struggle, and self-doubt.

The hardest parts were when her own team waged a war against her. My heart ached as I watched her tormented by the so-called leaders of her team. They started small, but it escalated quickly. And, yes, I was yelling things like, "Your dad is a cop!", and "Tell SOMEONE!", but Michigan was determined to stick it out. The way she reasoned with herself as to why she shouldn't tell followed that oh, so familiar teen logic. I may not have agreed with her, but I sort of understood her reasoning, and I felt it was realistic.

Michigan was sort of lucky though, because even when things looked really bad, she had some fantastic people on her side. The team may have drifted a bit, but when push came to shove, they were there for her. The support her former teammates gave her was wonderful, and women supporting women will always score big points in my book.

I also was really grateful, that Allen included some positive male characters. First and Foremost, there was Jack, the star of the swim team, who encouraged Michigan to take that chance and try out for the boys' team. He was that wonderful unicorn kind of boy I cannot resist, and I simply adored him. I also had much love for Michigan's younger brother, Trenton. He was simply an amazing source of inspiration and strength for his sister. There were all these little things he did throughout the story, which summed up to a heck of a lot of support for her, especially when her belief in herself seemed to be waning. Michigan's also shared a lovely relationship with her dad, and it was fantastic to see a grown man displaying the sorts of emotions he did with his daughter.

Not to worry, though, because this story ended on a high note for me, which made up for all my pain and anguish throughout this story.

Though I am sad, that in 2019, stories like this are still relevant, I was appreciative of the way Allen told this tale and handled the issues.

Overall: A wonderfully told story of one girl's battle with the toxic norms and double standards plaguing society as she fought to attain her dream.